TV commercials were once the most effective way to communicate core messaging with consumers, but this type of one-way communication no longer has the same effect. Instead, the pivot to digital is in full swing and the best strategies adopt a multi-pronged approach in order to drive the best possible results.
What is a Brand Ambassador?
There are two distinct types of brand ambassadors. Celebrities and recognisable figures can be effective ambassadors but the relationship between them and the brand they are representing is often purely transactional. A set of clear expectations will be agreed upon at the start of the relationship, with each campaign often being planned and scheduled in advance.
Social media personalities and influencers make excellent brand ambassadors because they have an engaged community of followers who are actively interested in and responsive to their recommendations. But brand ambassadors don’t always need to be universally recognisable figures. People who freely recommend and mention a brand on social media can have a significant level of influence because their enthusiasm for the brands they love is so authentic.
Integrating a brand ambassador strategy into your wider approach to digital can have myriad of benefits for your business.
Benefits of working with Brand Ambassadors
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Facilitate relationships with established and highly engaged communities
The most successful brand ambassadors have worked hard to build a loyal and highly engaged community across a range of different platforms and channels. Remember, ambassadors certainly don’t need to have hundreds and thousands of followers. They do, however, need to consistently engage with the community they have created and must be committed to only recommending services or products that their audience will be genuinely interested in.
In addition to maintaining the trust of their community, ensuring that they have the best interests of their audience at heart, thus allowing influencers and ambassadors to demonstrate that they have a deep respect for the people they engage with on a daily basis. In response, audiences will be more receptive to the products and services that are recommended to them, and will be more likely to make a purchase.
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Brand Ambassadors can Humanise your Brand
As consumers don’t want to interact with faceless corporations, humanising your brand with the help of influencers will help you to make more valuable connections with your ideal audience and drive additional sales.
Brand ambassadors can effectively help you to communicate in ways that showcase your brand’s personality, which will ensure your message has the impact you want it to have. By aligning yourself with ambassadors that share your values and your motivations you will find it easier to present an authentic brand identity that your audience can relate to.
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Grow your Brand
Increasing numbers of people are seeking out online reviews before making purchases, which illustrates that consumers are more likely to trust the opinions of fellow consumers. In addition to providing positive word of mouth referrals to their networks, your ambassadors can effectively drive inbound traffic and reach new potential customers who are currently outside your marketing channels.
As the number of users consistently using social media to connect with brands is increasing, the way in which brands and marketers are choosing to invest their marketing spend is changing. Considering investing in ambassador marketing will help you to ensure your brand doesn’t get left behind in what is now a highly competitive online marketplace.
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Uphold your Reputation
In addition to sharing core messaging, brand ambassadors can also effectively communicate the ethos and motivations that drive everything you do. From sharing personal positive experiences with your brand to letting their audience know about new developments, your ambassadors can help you to uphold your reputation and ensure you consistently remain a leading and highly trustworthy figure within your niche.
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The power of collaboration and insight
Audiences have a knack for knowing when they are being taken advantage of and the best ambassadors will provide brands with insight and feedback that can be used to refine future campaigns and sponsorships. Understanding how audiences respond to different approaches is often the key that helps brands to unlock the most powerful strategies that will allow them to boost brand awareness and drive sales, both now and into the future.
To Sum Up
When was the last time a word-of-mouth recommendation or referral program informed a purchasing decision you made? Regardless as to how much of a discount you would have received when using a referral code or link, it is not unreasonable to assume that you wouldn’t have acted on this referral if it had come from someone you didn’t trust.
It is important to factor in similar considerations when determining whether to partner with a social media influencer or brand ambassador. Making the right choices here can drive significant results for your business but it is important to choose the right personalities for your brand.
Meet the team at Crowdify, we’re experienced in influencer marketing matching social media personalities with the correct audience demographic to brand’s target markets.