What is a brand advocate? This term has been mentioned time and time again when developing marketing strategies, reviewing business reports, in measuring website statistics and in perusing online blogs. For such a significant ‘buzzword’ in the world of marketing, how can it be that businesses are not employing this strategy in building up their customer base and attracting new talent? A brand advocate is someone who is passionate about a company and the products and services that it offers; so much so that they are willing to share their experience with friends, family and, really, with anyone who will listen. Since 2018 is believed to be the year of advocacy marketing, here are two ways businesses can welcome and encourage brand advocates as a part of their growth strategy.
Testimonials are Key
Testimonials fuel businesses both large and small, as when a new customer is inquiring about a company’s services, they refer to the reviews that are available on social media accounts and the website itself. Google and Facebook provide platforms for individuals to review companies that they work with, but website reviews should also be a part of a marketing strategy, as the website is where potential customers are most likely to learn about the products and services that a company offers and how it can be of benefit to them.
While many companies are open to receiving positive reviews, the chance of a negative review being shown publicly on social accounts deters them from accepting reviews altogether. This is a valid concern as no one likes to have dirty laundry aired publicly, but it can provide businesses with helpful information about where their team is lacking, or how a product or service needs to be improved.
Why is Amazon one of the most popular e-commerce sites on the world wide web? Reviews. Every product on Amazon features several reviews, if not hundreds, that allow customers to understand how a product may compare to that of its competitors. Brand advocates are responsible for those reviews, and through them, companies can increase their sales while gaining greater knowledge about how their product is impacting customers. It is believed that “92% of people trust word-of-mouth recommendations,” which means that this form of word-of-mouth marketing is only going to increase in popularity. Businesses just need to be willing to integrate reviews and testimonies into their online presence to take full advantage of it.
Employee- Generated Content
The success of any company rests on the incredible team behind it. From sun-up to sun-down individuals invest their talents, time and energy to ensure that a business is represented well to both its online and offline communities. Who better to promote a business and share exciting news than those who are responsible for the service and products that it offers?
Employee-generated content can take many forms, such as blogs, social media postings, and information that is shared through open conversations, whether they are between those that the individual knows or passersby who require recommendations. How many times have you purchased a product because a friend or family member recommended it to you? Since it is believed that individuals are 50% more likely to work with a company because they have received a recommendation from a trusted source, businesses should provide team members with what they need to act as advocates of their brand.
If a business is looking to encourage employees to share content on their social channels, or in conversation with people, it needs to provide the resources and tools that they need to do so. While this could take the form of company swag, white-papers or even incentives, simply allowing employees to share content on social channels while at work can have an impact! At TRAFFIX we have an awesome team of brand advocates comprised of employees, customers and those who have come to know and appreciate our online presence. With every social posting that we share on our Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter accounts we know that we are creating content that team members can feel comfortable and proud of sharing with their online network!
It’s Not New!
Brand advocacy is not new, as this form of word-of-mouth marketing has been taking place for hundreds of years in industries across the board. People love to share the newest purchases they have made, the best services that they have had the privilege of using, and even the team members who changed their perspective of who a company is and how it operates. Brand advocacy also shows how a company is thriving and any areas that need to be addressed, allowing for businesses to work towards establishing higher customer satisfaction.
As every business is looking to grow in 2018, this is just one way that we can all benefit from working with team members and customers to establish brand advocates and gauge company excellence as a whole.
