It’s not enough to simply rely on passive word-of-mouth to build brand awareness and attract new customers. That’s where brand advocates come in.
Brand advocates are customers who love your brand and actively promote it to others — and they can be instrumental in helping you grow your business. In fact, research has found that just 13% of consumers say they wouldn’t engage with a brand advocate, while 92% of consumers say they trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising.
But how do you create brand advocates? And, once you do, how do you nurture them and encourage them to promote your brand?
1. Be authentic
Authenticity is key when it comes to brand advocacy. Your customers are smart and can tell when you’re being genuine or just trying to get them to buy more of your products or services.
When you’re thinking about how to engage brand advocates, make sure you’re not just doing it because it will help your business. Make sure you’re doing it because you genuinely appreciate your advocates and want to build a relationship with them.
2. Create a community
One of the most effective ways to nurture brand advocates is to create a community where they can engage with your brand and one another.
Social media groups and forums are both great places to create communities. You can also create a community on your website by adding a discussion board or live chat feature.
No matter where you create your community, be sure to engage with your brand advocates and encourage them to engage with one another. The more active and engaged your community is, the more likely your brand advocates will be to stick around.
3. Ask for feedback
If you want to know how to improve your product or service, ask your customers. They know best.
Asking for feedback not only makes your brand advocates feel valued, but it also gives you the opportunity to improve your business and the customer experience. Whether the feedback is good or bad, make sure you follow up with your customers and thank them for taking the time to share their thoughts. You can also invite brand advocates to participate in discovery sessions, where they can share insights and help shape future products or campaigns. These sessions can even help you uncover employee strengths that contribute to creating a better customer experience.
4. Offer exclusive content
In addition to offering exclusive discounts, you can also give your brand advocates early access to new content or products.
For example, you could invite them to test a new product before it’s released to the public. Or, you could give them a sneak peek of an upcoming blog post or video.
By giving your brand advocates exclusive access to your content and products, you’ll make them feel special and valued. This will help you build a stronger relationship with them and increase the chances that they’ll continue to advocate for your brand.
5. Make it easy to share content
If you want your brand advocates to share your content, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to do so. This means providing them with share buttons, links and other tools that allow them to quickly and easily post your content on their own social media profiles.
You can also make it easy for your brand advocates to share your content by providing them with pre-written social media posts (which can easily be created with an AI social media post generator) annotated visuals using a screenshot editor and other materials that they can use to promote your brand. This will save them time and effort, and make them more likely to share your content. If you’re starting an online boutique, encouraging customers to share your posts can be a game changer in building visibility and trust.
6. Reward your advocates
Who doesn’t love a good reward? Whether it’s a free product, a discount, or a shoutout on your social media profile, it’s important to show your brand advocates that you appreciate them. You can use ReferralCandy to automate advocate referrals, issue personalized rewards, and track every successful recommendation seamlessly.
In fact, 49% of consumers say that discounts are the most important type of reward they can receive from a brand. And 41% say that free products are the most important type of reward.
You don’t have to break the bank to reward your brand advocates. For example, even a Google Workspace discount can be a powerful, low‑cost way to thank your brand advocates. The most important thing is to show your advocates that you value their loyalty and support.
7. Share user-generated content
If you have a customer who has given your brand a great review or has posted about your products on social media, share it with your followers. This will show that you appreciate your customers and that you have a good relationship with them.
It will also help you to build trust with potential customers, as they will see that other people have had a good experience with your brand.
This type of organic advocacy often leads to ethical link building, as happy users naturally reference your brand in their own content.
8. Show your appreciation
Don’t forget to show your brand advocates how much you appreciate them. After all, they’re doing a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to promoting your brand.
There are a lot of ways you can show your appreciation for your advocates. You could send them a personal thank-you note, give them a shoutout on social media, or offer them a special discount on your products or services.
The key is to make sure your advocates know how much you value them. After all, if they don’t feel appreciated, they’re not likely to continue promoting your brand.
9. Encourage social media engagement
Social media is a great place to find and nurture brand advocates. After all, 83% of people who talk about brands on social media are talking about the brands they love. And, 50% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy a product if it’s recommended by a brand they follow on social media.
To nurture brand advocates on social media, make sure you’re engaging with them. Respond to their comments on your posts, like and share their content, and ask them to contribute to your posts and stories. You can also create a Facebook Group or LinkedIn Group for your brand advocates, where you can engage with them on a more personal level.
10. Highlight your brand values
Your brand values are what set you apart from the competition. They’re also a great way to connect with your audience and attract new brand advocates.
To highlight your brand values, you can create content that showcases your involvement in your community, your commitment to sustainability, or your dedication to diversity and inclusion.
You can also share content from other brands and creators that align with your values. This is a great way to build relationships with other businesses and creators and to show your audience that you’re committed to more than just making a profit.
11. Make your brand advocates the star of the show
When you have a great relationship with your brand advocates, it’s important to show them off. Use your social media channels to showcase your brand advocates’ stories and reviews. You can also create content that features your advocates, like interviews or case studies.
By making your brand advocates the star of the show, you’ll not only make them feel appreciated, but you’ll also show potential customers that you have a loyal fan base. This can be a powerful way to build trust and credibility for your brand.
Conclusion
There are many ways to build and leverage brand advocates. Just remember that you should always be transparent and honest. If you’re genuine about your brand and the relationships you build with your customers, you’ll have no trouble finding and nurturing brand advocates.
