How to Inspire Brand Advocates

Do you want to build loyalty and trust with your brand customers? Creating a passionate network of brand advocates is the key to unlocking success. As a marketer, it’s essential that you are able to inspire loyal supporters of your products, services, and mission who double as both ambassadors for your company and drivers of incremental revenue. With tangible strategies, you can create meaningful relationships with invited users who share their love for your brand publicly throughout the digital space. While working with brand advocates is important, keeping them happy is just as critical, and we’re sharing how you can keep them inspired.

What are brand advocates?

Brand advocates are those who show their support for a brand through their own social media channels. Brand advocates vocalize their support for products, taking to social media to showcase exactly how they use them. Brand advocates are incentivized in many ways, from discounts to store credit to free products.

What are some of the benefits of brand advocacy?

Brand advocacy sets itself apart from other types of marketing — including influencer marketing — as it showcases the opinions of customers/advocates in a new light.

Helps brands reach new markets

Brand advocacy opens the doors for many brands looking to expand their reach, as brand advocates serve as a type of influencers who share their passions with their friends and family.

Cost-effective

Many brand advocates are often paid with discounts, free products, gift cards and services. This ultimately saves brands money as they are not compensating them monetarily, unlike other forms of influencer marketing. The return on investment can also be greater.

Boosting engagement rates

Brand advocacy captivates the attention of social media users more so than traditional advertising methods. Brands that form close connections with their fans on social media get more interaction on their posts.

How to encourage brand advocates

How do brands keep your brand advocates excited about their products? Here are a few ways to keep your brand advocates engaged.

Treat them like VIPs

Brands need to showcase their own appreciation for their advocates in ways that keep them inspired to share their products. Giving them special treatment by allowing them quicker access to products than the average customers and upgrading their customer experiences to the highest level possible shows your appreciation for them.

Create challenges for brand advocates

A little healthy competition never hurt anyone. Challenges and competitions with rewards can keep advocates excited. Encourage your advocates to take actions like posting reviews, answering polls, sharing links or posting photos in return for a reward, discount or even a new product. Highlight the most active participants in challenges, such as those with the most likes, comments, or reshares.

Give your advocates a discount on your current products

There is no better incentive for an advocate than a compelling discount. By offering your advocates a discount, you encourage them to continue to purchase your products and showcase the appreciation you have for their advocacy at the same time.

Mention your advocates on your brand platforms

Let customer advocates know they are appreciated by commenting on their posts, mentioning them in your Stories, or resharing their content.

Host events for your brand advocates

By hosting an event as a brand specifically for your advocates, you allow them to converse with one another and boost their network while ensuring them that you care about their ongoing support. Maybe even include some exciting new products as a party favor to showcase your appreciation even more.

Brand advocates play a critical role in marketing as they can relate to audiences by sharing their experiences and how they use a brand’s products. Advocates can tap into that personal aspect of influencer marketing in ways that brands often can not do independently. There is no better way to have your products represented than by people who truly care about your products, and it is important to find ways to keep them happy and willing to do so.