It’s like winning the lottery for a brand when they find a customer who not only makes frequent purchases but also goes above and above to spread the word about and represent the brand to others. In essence, this brand enthusiast is doing free advertising for the company. However, the world of a brand ambassador is not as straightforward as one might believe. Therefore, businesses should develop an entire strategy around identifying, interacting with, and cultivating brand ambassadors if they want to find such supporters naturally.
Fortunately, creating habits and altering behaviour through rewards and unique experiences isn’t all that unlike from keeping loyal customers with a cutting-edge loyalty programme. So, here are three ways to get in touch with a brand ambassador via a loyalty programme.
Who Are Today’s Brand Ambassadors?
The ideal way to define a “brand ambassador” is as someone who, out of pure loyalty, embodies a brand’s identity and spreads awareness of the business. But how exactly can a brand ambassador accomplish this in practise? What should businesses anticipate from brand ambassadors?
The following are a few of the jobs a brand ambassador may have:
Brand representative: A brand ambassador is a hired influencer or celebrity who represents the brand in a professional manner for many high-profile brands (particularly in the fashion industry). They participate in local activities, provide interviews to media sources, and make scheduled public appearances.
A brand evangelist is an enthusiastic client who totally aligns their basic values with the brand. This term is overused to the point of near-excessiveness. They invest a significant amount of their time in conversing with the brand on social media and work hard to promote the brand. They have the ability to develop naturally into an influencer because of their efforts.
Brand lover: In contrast to the majority of brand ambassadors, brand lovers don’t necessarily command attention. They are only brand aficionados who will always purchase from the company because they adore the product. However, they continue to be crucial in helping people spread the word about brands to their friends, coworkers, and loved ones. This type of activism also feels unofficial due of their lack of formal affiliation.
Tracking down a brand ambassador
You need to look outside the box if you want to uncover potential applicants for your brand ambassador programme. Brands with an emphasis on eCommerce, for instance, can run a hashtag or Instagram contest where the greatest image or story from a consumer is awarded a prize. This makes it easier for you to spot willing volunteers who could potentially succeed as brand ambassadors.
The best course of action for businesses with an offline presence is to host community events where staff members and event organisers may network with participants in person in the hopes of finding a gem in the rough.
A brand ambassador’s reward
If you don’t want to directly hire your applicant for your ambassador programme, you must develop an incentive structure once you have a candidate. The most typical strategy is a referral network. This strategy pays brand ambassadors a fixed amount or a percentage of sales for each client who uses their referral code in exchange for them sharing it with their network.
However, there are a few techniques that can make this tried-and-true recipe more distinctive or alluring. Tiers are one strategy you can apply. Brand ambassadors will advance to new tiers and gain access to more privileges, such as being able to rent pricey things for free, if they actively bring in new consumers using their referral codes.
Appointing a Brand Ambassador
It would be a waste to exclude brand ambassadors from your marketing events. Therefore, be sure to include them whenever you manage a project that involves customers. You can engage customers by leveraging your ambassadors’ charm and reputation during live streaming events and other social retail possibilities, for instance.
To commemorate shop openings, in-store anniversaries, and other occasions, think about inviting a brand ambassador. For other aspirant brand fans, the opportunity to mix with your brand advocates is very intriguing.
Getting Results Together
In order to increase client lifetime value and organic word-of-mouth marketing, brand ambassadors can be a huge asset. Finding, identifying, and keeping a brand ambassador is a challenging marketing project, though. Because there are numerous similarities between the two types of incentive programmes, launching a brand ambassador programme will go much more smoothly if you have expertise managing a loyalty programme.
We would be pleased to have a talk with you if you are interested in learning how to manage a loyalty programme that is genuinely next-generation while also being able to serve influencers and brand ambassadors. To see our technology in action, simply schedule a demo, or submit us your specifications as part of an RFP.