Does your company have a brand ambassador program?

You could be missing key opportunities to build a fan base and ignite a movement around your brand

The ability to create and develop an exceptional brand is what separates companies that simply exist from those that are memorable. But what makes an outstanding brand? And how do you promote it? One vital tool is a brand ambassador program.

A brand ambassador is a person who will support your brand and work to influence your target audience. Studies show that consumers trust independent reviews and advice from regular customers more than anything produced by your company. You can build and benefit from your own brand ambassador program with help from your public relations partners.

What can a brand ambassador program do for your company?

Get influential experts talking about your brand, increasing your visibility and reach. For instance, if you have 10 brand ambassadors and each has 10,000 followers on Twitter, this offers the potential of 100,000 new people learning about your brand.

Give you more predictable results for product launches and PR campaigns. Using ambassadors helps you achieve measurable results. You can ask for feedback about which messages or delivery vehicles work best.

Align your product with the lifestyle and values of your customers. With brand ambassadors, you get people who are already passionate about what you stand for and will expose you to like-minded prospects among their friends and followers.

Help create buzz for new programs, products or initiatives by writing and promoting content. You can send them new products to try or test and ask them to discuss, post photos and share the information. They can also provide opinions on new features or improvements to existing products.

Collect positive content and reviews that you can use in campaigns, on your website and in company publications.

Boost your online reputation by coming to the rescue when negative reviews or bad news affects your company.

Match your business goals with real-time input from key constituents. For example, if your objective is to improve customer service, your brand ambassadors can help by answering product questions so prospects get a prompt response from an actual user.

How to create a formal brand ambassador program

With the advent of social media, the concept of brand ambassadors takes on a whole new dimension. You can now get real endorsements from actual customers who are willing to help you simply because they love your product and company.

Decide on your ideal ambassador.

You can have different types of ambassadors, depending on your various messages and buyer personas. For example, ambassadors can be bloggers, customers who are fans or well-known figures in your industry.

Recruit.

There are numerous ways to recruit your own brand ambassadors. You can use surveys, contests, promotions on social media and also look at people actively discussing your brand. People who already love you will be excited to be at the center of your campaigns and initiatives.

Reward.

To encourage quality participation, make your ambassadors feel special. You can do this by offering exclusive perks not available to your general customers, such as discounts, recognition on your website and product previews. It’s also a good idea to provide opportunities for ambassadors to interact with each other, making your program stronger.

Get help.

Hire a PR agency to help you. Running a brand ambassador program can be a time-consuming job. You need the expertise of PR professionals with experience building these groups.

Axia Public Relations will help you develop and harness the energy of a strong brand ambassador program. We can assist you in creating a program that integrates with your overall marketing and strategic targets. To find out more, contact us or download our e-book Maximizing Your Public Relations Investment today.

Lisa Goldsberry is a senior blogger for Axia Public Relations with more than 15 years of public relations experience. She specializes in business and technology PR. Lisa has worked for Axia since December 2013. Learn more about Lisa Goldsberry. Connect with Axia on Twitter @axiapr or tell us what you think in the comments below.