GREAT
Connections
Winter 2016
7
Brand Advocates
are Your
Raving Fans
C
ustomers who buy your products are great, and
those who tell a few others about you are even
better. But the most valuable type of customers
are your raving fans, otherwise known as brand advocates.
These customers can have a huge impact on your busi-
ness; since they love it so much, they regularly want to
sing its praises. Brand advocates will tell glowing stories
about your products and services during conversations
with friends, family and co-workers. They will also post
enthusiastic recommendations online via social media sites
such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Since potential customers tend to believe messages that
come from other customers more than messages directly
from companies themselves, brand advocates are a valu-
able tool for bringing in new business. While some people
will naturally be more excited about your offerings than
others, you can take steps to help encourage and develop
brand advocates. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. Hire employees who are passionate
about
your products and your mission. This enthusiasm will
naturally spread to customers with which they interact.
2. Provide great products
with desired features. It
may seem obvious, but product features are the factor that
advocates mention most when asked what makes them
want to rave about a company.
3. Find out what your customers are passion-
ate about
and create promotions that drive those fac-
tors. For example, many consumers are passionate about
outstanding customer service; Nordstrom and Zappos are
two companies that have taken note and created excep-
tional customer service—and many brand advocates.
4.Make it easy for brand advocates to cheer
about you.
Provide social links on your website prod-
uct pages, articles, blogs and any other content you post
online.
5. Consider offering rewards.
Acknowledging
brand advocates with discounts, freebies and special
services can ensure they continue spreading the word.
However, proceed carefully with this since other custom-
ers may be turned off if they believe you are “paying”
advocates to share their enthusiasm.
6. Make it easy for advocates who create
their own content
to share it with the world.
You could create a section on your website devoted
to customers who want to post photos of themselves
using your products.
7. Track and measure advocacy for your
brand.
Research the best online tools to use to deter-
mine what people are saying about you, and use the
information to build future promotions.
Your business can
win big by encouraging
these customers
Loyal brand advocates are more than just customers; they are actually an informal extension of
your marketing department. Nurture them and watch your business score!