For those who may not be familiar with the term, brand advocacy is all about spreading the word regarding your brand. A better strategy, for instance, than paid advertising, brand advocacy involves creating a buzz around your brand, often much faster and much more dynamically than other marketing strategies can. Word-of-mouth has been a highly effective advertising and marketing tool for as long as businesses have been around. People trust what they hear from other people. Whether brand advocacy results from employees, customers, or influencers, it’s a proven strategy that gets results.
Mainly, given that we live in a social media-driven world, leveraging social media through brand advocacy strategies really can make a massive difference in the number of customers you ultimately get. Think about it. People are constantly on their devices and constantly scrolling through their various feeds; They’re coming upon a positive review or some other form of enthusiastic statement about your company. A person is inclined to check out your company if they happen to be in the market for that product or service. This represents the power of brand advocacy.
Your Customers and Brand Advocacy
Customers are perhaps the most influential tool you have to spread the word about your business. If somebody buys something from you and is happy with their purchase, when they share their experiences, they create a buzz around your brand. They influence others to try your product or your service. They might share a link to your website or social media account. They might have a conversation with somebody about how much they enjoyed their experience with your company. They could even post on their social media accounts about their experiences. This is at the core of brand advocacy. Influencer marking is quite similar. Social mentions will help boost sales, and this is the name of the game.
How Brand Advocacy Benefits Your Business
Versus other types of more expensive advertising and marketing, brand advocacy is relatively inexpensive, and it works a lot faster than some different strategies you might employ. Meaning word of mouth tends to spread quickly. And if that word of mouth conveys a positive message, an enthusiastic recommendation, this is all the better for your business.
1. Brand advocacy creates an aura of trust. People trust what others have to say, more so than they do an advertisement or some form of a marketing campaign. A person’s experience of your company is “real.” This is what customers are ultimately looking for: that real insight into who you are as a business and what you provide. This is the basis of trust.
2. It gives you a competitive edge. If you become the brand that “everyone is talking about,“ then word about your company is bound to spread rather quickly. This, of course, will give you an edge over the competition. And this is precisely where you want to be.
3. You get free content creation. As mentioned, social media is a massive tool for any business. In the context of brand advocacy, people are often posting on their social media feeds. They are, in essence, creating content for your company without you having to do anything but provide stellar customer service and an optimal product.
4. Word-of-mouth puts you in front of new audiences. The concept is pretty simple: someone tells another person about their experience, that person, in turn, means somebody else. It is like a domino effect. And the news is thus bound to spread. In this way, your brand is now in front of new audiences, perhaps audiences that you never even thought to approach.
You don’t necessarily have to create a brand advocacy program deliberately. It just occurs on its own. Although it never hurts to encourage people to leave reviews, ask them to refer you to friends and family if they are satisfied with their service. The key here is to get people talking positively and compellingly about what your brand has to offer.
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