Brand Ambassadors – a connection & community-driven marketing channel.
You see certain brands use them on social media to market their products or services, you hear about ambassador programs, and you’ve heard about the benefits of having them in addition to traditional marketing techniques.
And you might be thinking… “How do I even get these ambassadors to work with me in the first place?”
While it’s true that brand ambassadors are a great way to get your name out there and connect with potential clients from different circles who you might not have reached before, establishing these relationships is not a “send a quick Instagram DM” type of interaction. Bringing on brand ambassadors requires cultivating an honest relationship with your community to find representatives that reflect your brand mission and align with your brand message.
Don’t worry, though: we’re here to help!
If you’re looking for a little extra knowledge on how to get brand ambassadors and successfully work with them, keep reading!
What is a “brand ambassador”?
In simple terms, a brand ambassador is someone who speaks positively about your brand and all of the benefits you bring to the table.
Usually, brand ambassadors know and understand your business – what you sell, what makes you different, why you do what you do – and they’re willing to put their name down and recommend your brand to others.
The great thing about brand ambassadors is that they come in all forms, too! There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to who can be a brand advocate, which means they can show up for your brand as:
- Loyal customers who have purchased from you in the past and are genuinely excited about what you offer
- Employees who know the ins and outs of the business and have a more clear understanding of what goes on behind the scenes, but are still relatable as “humans” behind the screen
- Online influencers you reach out to who are interested in trying and, then, recommending your brand
Whether or not you’ve done it knowingly…You’ve probably been a brand ambassador yourself!
Have you ever…
- Recommended a product that you enjoyed to a friend or family member?
- Given a shout-out to a business you support?
- Tagged a product on social media?
- Shared a piece of content created by a specific brand you love?
These are all very brand ambassador-y things to do! 🤩
What brand ambassadors can do for your brand
Before we move on to how to get brand ambassadors, it’s important to understand why you would even want brand ambassadors in the first place.
So, what exactly can brand ambassadors do for your brand?
Brand ambassadors offer a unique and human touch to your marketing
The truth is, marketing is changing. Consumers and clients are more conscious and aware of the sneaky tactics that used to work previously to get sales – NOT ANYMORE. As millennials and Gen Z move into the consumer population, they’re looking for connection, representation, and inclusion.
That’s where brand ambassadors have the biggest opportunity to shine: they’re relatable, unique, and – most importantly – THEY CAN REPRESENT YOUR AUDIENCE.
So, instead of YOU constantly telling people about the benefits of working with you – or shopping from you – brand ambassadors can do the same in more creative and engaging ways that the audience can connect with… Outside of traditional marketing practices.
Think less traditional “landing page” and more “Instagram Reel”.
NOTE: It’s worth highlighting that we’re not trying to say landing pages aren’t a great way to showcase your brand or product! When it comes to explaining something in-depth, they’re definitely the way to go. But, today, consumers are more likely to be attracted to something catchy (like a TikTok video or flashy photo). Landing pages and product descriptions come next.
At the end of the day, having a real-life person advocate for your brand humanizes it and adds a deeper degree of trust.
If a brand ambassador is supporting you online (or offline), it must mean they believe in you and respect your work.
Brand ambassadors help expand your audience & market
In addition to representing a more genuine and human brand, brand ambassadors also help expand your market!
For example, if you have a brand ambassador who’s advocating for your brand to their followers, chances are that a few of those followers have never heard of you before… And now they DO know you!
Ideally, you will have partnered with a brand ambassador that is connected to your brand in some way, shape, or form. Whether they’re known for using products like yours or belong to the same educational niche, it’s likely that their followers’ interests will overlap with what you’re trying to sell.
This saves you a ton of time and resources in comparison to running a full-on market research process that could potentially slow you down.
This expansion, in turn, can also help boost your online presence.
Brand ambassadors – much like influencers – usually have a strongly-established audience; this means that, the more content they create with your name in it, the more you’ll become known on certain platforms or niches.
3 tips on how to get brand ambassadors with your brand message
In terms of how to find brand ambassadors to connect with, there are several things you might want to keep in mind in order to ensure that the relationship is collaborative, productive, and mutually beneficial.
If you feel like you’re ready to head out there and connect with potential brand ambassadors through your brand message, here are 3 tips we recommend you keep in mind:
1. Get clear on your brand message before reaching out to potential brand ambassadors
This is essential: you need to have a clear understanding of your brand message and mission before you can ask anyone else to go around spreading the word.
Need a refresher?
Your brand message is made up of a variety of things, but, ultimately, its main goal is to help your audience understand what you do, how you do it, and who you help while doing it.
It’s also present in everything that you create: from a social media post to a newsletter, blog post, video, etc.
READ: 3 Brand Message Strategy Tips For A Great Client Experience
So, when it comes to finding ambassadors for your brand, it makes sense that you’d want to be extra clear on your message before you reach out to them.
Otherwise, you might find yourself wasting your time by contacting people who have nothing to do with your brand and who won’t be able to offer the same benefits as someone who’s more in line with your beliefs, values, language, etc.
2. Create a network of referrals and people who will help share your brand
Another way to find brand ambassadors is by creating a network of referrals and people who can share your brand – even if they’re not direct customers.
Through your brand message, people have the opportunity to go deep within your brand and learn more about what it stands for, what it believes in, and the things that make it special.
This is why we believe in setting a strong foundation, first, before diving into the technicalities and implementation of content marketing.
Your brand message, from the beginning, can (and most likely will) attract people who are:
- Your ideal clients
- Your adjacent audience (people who aren’t “direct” clients but have similar interests and goals)
- Complementary businesses that you can collaborate with and refer to (and vice versa)
- People who are inspired by your work and want to create something similar
- People who are inspired by your work and are interested in your field, but don’t necessarily work directly in the industry
- Other types of consumers
And while our main goal as businesses is to attract ideal clients and make sales, the other people that we’ve mentioned above all help with brand awareness – helping your brand get seen and stay top of mind.
3. Design a brand ambassador program with clearly defined goals and expectations
Our last tip on how to find brand ambassadors – and work with them successfully – is to also get very clear on your goals and expectations.
Nowadays, some of the most popular brand ambassador programs are centered around raising awareness. This means you’ll be focusing on metrics like follower growth and engagement versus looking at something more “tangible” like sales and profits.
Once you and your ambassadors are on the same page in terms of what’s expected, then the real fun begins!
A great way to make sure that things stay on track in terms of sharing your brand message and using your brand voice is by providing your ambassadors with a style guide – or a series of swipe files – that they can turn to.
After all, your ambassadors will become another representation of your brand and what it stands for, so it’s important that things stay consistent – even if they do add their own personal flair to the content they share and the way they market your brand.
TL;DR: Learning how to get brand ambassadors through your brand message
At the end of the day, brand ambassadors are a powerful way to help your brand grow and reach new audiences that you might have never reached in the first place.
Not only that, but they also add another human layer to your brand that helps people feel more connected and establishes a relationship of trust before taking the plunge – and making a purchase.
In terms of how to get brand ambassadors with your brand message, here’s where we recommend you start:
1. Get clear on your brand message before reaching out to potential brand ambassadors
2. Create a network of referrals and people who will help share your brand
3. Design a brand ambassador program with clearly defined goals and expectations
Have you worked with brand ambassadors in the past? How was the process of connecting with them through your brand mission and brand message? Let us know in the comments!
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