How to Create Brand Advocates

by Jamie Bui

​Creating and building brand advocates can be considered a low-cost, high-return marketing strategy as opposed to spending millions of dollars on advertising. A brand advocate is someone who enjoys a brand’s product or service so much that they would willingly tell others about it. It could be via social media, in real life or in a publication. Sixty percent of customers search for peer testimonials, trustworthy recommendations and online reviews during the decision-making process. Therefore, it is important for brands to include advocates in every aspect of the business.
A marketing funnel is a way of breaking down the customer journey all the way from the “awareness” stage (when they first learn about the business) to the “purchase” stage (when they are ready to buy the product or service). As a result, “advocacy” is the last stage in the marketing funnel when the customer is loyal to the brand and willing to share it with others.
There is no certain procedure on how to create and build a successful brand advocate program, because every business and every customer is different. However, building a brand advocate is more likely a long-term process than just short-term buzz. Therefore, there are several general tips to help brands get started on how to get customers to share their positive experiences with the brand.

1. Get to know the customers and try to engage them

It is important for brands to get to know and engage their advocates so they can take action. To capture customers’ attention as well as to engage them, brands should get to understand the core values of their customers, then use that to engage their advocates. For instance, Nike builds their fan base around their love of sports and exercise. Nike keeps fans engaged by presenting them with challenges like recording how many calories they have burned, miles they have run, or goals they have reached (Walter, 2013). These milestones and achievements can be shared on Nike’s site and social media networks. This helps to encourage people to join the program, increase engagement, cultivate fan loyalty and share more news about the brand Nike.

1. Reach out to industry influencers

In 2011, 46 percent of US executives said that an increase in brand advocates was one of the most important benefits of social media. Indeed, people are more likely to believe what their favorite Instagram influencer says about a certain product than read or watch the exact recommendations in magazines or TV. The explosion of social media and blogs can greatly benefit both brands and influencers. Companies can reach out to people who would benefit from the brand’s product or service and seek a collaboration to build a mutually beneficial relationship.

1. Commit to internal advocates

Employees and partners might be the ones who will go an extra mile to get the word out about the brand’s great work. Google Company is a suitable example. Google’s employees are constantly talking about Google as the happiest and the most productive workplace in the world. Their “real” love of working for Google makes the employees become the brand’s most vocal advocates.

1. Exclusivity

Create an environment of exclusivity and involve brand advocates by rewarding the top fans. It is appealing to those fans that have been loyal to the brand to be the first one to get information about new products or get access to exclusive events. In this case, collecting point, membership or reward programs can be considered as successful advocacy programs. For example, Sephora’s Beauty Insider program encourages loyal customers to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars within Sephora stores and online in order to receive special rewards and get to attend exclusive events.

1. Appreciate and focus on relationships

Most brand advocates are not motivated by money. They more likely prefer to be recognized and appreciated from the brand. They want to feel like a part of the community. Therefore, to keep the advocates happy, the brand needs to make them feel special. This can be similar to exclusivity. The brand should validate their advocates’ feelings and build trust by providing the fans with discounts and promotions, giving them insider knowledge about the business or recognizing their good work on the brand’s social media. The relationship-building process is a two-way street that requires attention and thought to establish long-term and frequent engagement. Advocates hold amazing power; thus, the brand should go the extra mile to focus on the strong relationship with them and never take them for granted.
Long-term loyalty is crucial to get more high-quality referrals and drive sales. Above are a few tips on how to create and build successful brand advocates. The most fundamental thing to remember is to be in it for a long haul. Always keep the needs, wants and expectations of the best customers in mind to create a suitable marketing campaign.