What is one of the main things buyers consider before clicking that ‘buy’ button?
The reputation and popularity of the company they are buying from, of course!
Nowadays, it’s not enough for companies to present themselves in the best possible way. They need authentic and credible brand advocates.
Free Download: A List of 150 Micro-Influencers in Every Niche
They need personal referrals from real people who will resonate better with their target audience. This is the part where brand ambassadors come into the spotlight.
This article will reveal everything you need to know about finding the right brand ambassador for your brand, working with them, and launching an unforgettable campaign.
Let’s dive in!
What is a brand ambassador?
In simple words:
A brand ambassador is a person who creates awareness for products or services. They help companies connect with their target audience and promote their offer in a more engaging way.
Think of brand ambassadors as creators who use their interpersonal skills to generate interest in a brand via their social media accounts.
The point is to avoid the whole sales pitch moment and convince potential customers to buy something in a more human-to-human way.
So even if your product is eco-friendly packaging, your company will benefit from working with a dedicated brand ambassador.
What is the difference between a brand ambassador and an influencer?
We are sure you might be slightly confused about this question.
To clear things up, here is the main difference between social media influencers and brand ambassadors:
Social media influencers:
- Shorter collaboration with companies.
- One or a few posts on social media.
- Promotion is focused on the same product/service.
Brand ambassadors:
- Long-term collaboration (it can last for several years).
- Hundreds of posts on social media.
- Usually represents just one brand at a time.
What does a brand ambassador do?
If you started reading this article looking for an answer to the question: Are brand ambassadors worth it? Our answer is – absolutely!
Here is what brand ambassadors do and why are they essential for brands:
- Create and consolidate a relationship between the company’s offer and the potential consumers.
- Make brands more human and tangible.
- Drive traffic to the company’s website.
- Help with employer branding.
- Transform bad reviews into good ones.
- Serve as a form of customer support.
How to find brand ambassadors?
Now that you are familiar with why you should hire a brand ambassador for your brand, let’s see how you can get in touch with them (it’s simpler than you think).
Step 1: Define what type of brand ambassador you need
The following question will guide you:
- What is the niche you are targeting?
- What is the ideal personality to represent your brand?
- How many followers should they have?
- What is your budget?
Step 2: Look for brand ambassadors in the right places
Once you have a clear idea of what you are looking for, it’s action time!
Here are the main places you can find your next brand ambassador:
1. Look within your own company
Who knows the brand better than your own employees? Employees can be the ideal brand ambassadors. They are already familiar with your company values and mission. You just need to encourage them to accept the offer.
2. Look among your customers
Your loyal customers can be suitable candidates to show your brand to the world.
We are sure they are already talking with their peers about you (free word-of-mouth marketing).
3. Try an influencer marketing platform
If you don’t have the time and energy to look for brand ambassadors by yourself, there is an easier way.
Influencer marketing platforms like Influencers Club can help you access a pool of super-targeted brand ambassadors and reach them with verified, enriched, and ready-to-go emails.
How to contact brand ambassadors?
So, let’s say you have found the person who would be a perfect fit as an ambassador for your brand. Now what?
It’s time to contact them!
You can do this by:
1. Direct message
Write a short and sweet message. Once the conversation starts, you can always add more details. This approach is perfect if you want to contact them via Instagram or TikTok.
2. Email
If you want to include more detail, send an email explaining what you offer. Ensure to customize your email messages to each potential ambassador.
Yes, it may seem tedious. But if you pay attention to a few critical details about your potential ambassador, your message will go a long way.
Here is an example of crafting the perfect email pitch:
Hey [insert influencer name],
My name is [insert name here] and I’m with [insert company here]. We have been following your profile on [insert social media platform] and love your posts on [insert topic]. We would like to invite you to become a brand ambassador for our company!
We think your [insert a reference to a topic they post about] really aligns with our company’s mission [insert info about what you offer and your brand’s purpose].
As a brand ambassador, you’d partner with us for [insert how you plan to utilize your ambassadors].
If you’re interested, I’d love to chat more with you to go over what our brand ambassador program is all about!
Thanks!
[insert your name here]
3. Contact form
If they have the option – submit a contact form with a message. This way, your potential ambassador can reach out to you in whatever way they are most comfortable.
When it comes to pitching brand ambassadors for a collaboration, the rule is: You should always be genuine (no matter which approaches you will use)!
What is a brand ambassador program?
A brand ambassador program is a company-wide initiative to find the people who meet their criteria and encourage them to promote their brand.
How many brand ambassadors do you need?
If you are just starting a brand ambassador program, you are probably wondering: How many ambassadors should a brand have? Can a company have more than one brand ambassador?
Sorry to disappoint you. There is no straightforward answer to these questions.
It all depends based on your unique needs:
- Do you need one or a few ambassadors per product?
- Do you want one face that will represent your company or a few connected people?
- What is your budget for a brand ambassador program?
Our suggestion is The more brand ambassadors you have – the better!
Here is our reasoning:
A couple of years ago Instagram made a change to its algorithm. Creators with large numbers of fans could no longer reach all of their followers organically. In fact, as your popularity grows on the platform, fewer percentage of your audience will see your posts.
That’s why you’re better off with hiring multiple smaller ambassadors instead of one celebrity.
You get more exposure and engagement for the same budget.
How to create and launch a brand ambassador program?
A successful brand ambassador program doesn’t mean just finding the right brand ambassador.
The good news is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to putting together an ambassador program. This gives your brand some flexibility when starting your own brand ambassador program.
Here is a quick rundown of creating an ambassador program from the ground up.
1. Define the goals of your brand ambassador program
Define what you want to achieve from your program before it gets started.
Most programs are centered to increase brand awareness versus sales.
What metrics do you want to track?
- Mentions
- Hashtag usage
- Follower growth
- Website Traffic
- Sales
2. Establish your criteria
Not anyone and everyone should be part of your program.
Here are some criteria to consider when picking people to reach out to:
- How long have they been a customer/employee?
- How much have they engaged with your brand in the past?
- What does their engagement rate on social media look like?
- How many followers do they have?
3. Create brand ambassador policies and guidelines
One of the most significant benefits of working with brand ambassadors is that they require less hand-holding and micromanaging. You don’t need to craft their posts because they have an authentic voice.
Still, giving them a style guide and set of expectations is always helpful.
4. Incentivize your ambassadors
How much should you pay a brand ambassador?
There are different ways to thank them for being your brand advocate:
- Revenue share
- Monetary compensation
- Freebies/Free swag
- Shout-outs on your own account
How to monitor your brand ambassadors?
After you launch your brand ambassador program, the next step is measuring its success.
To analyze what your ambassadors have contributed to your brand during a particular brand ambassador marketing campaign, consider asking the following questions:
- What is the number of people your ambassadors reached on social with brand-relevant content
- Is your website attracting more visitors? (UTM codes can help here)
- How much revenue does your brand ambassador campaign bring in?
- What are the entire pieces of content they posted on social media?
- How many posts on social media have the campaign hashtag?
- How many likes and comments have your ambassadors’ campaign-relevant images and posts received?
This is just a starting point. But together, these metrics will give you a clear picture of how the brand ambassador campaign performs so that you can align the next steps.
Brand ambassador examples on social media
Now that you are equipped with the basics of creating a brand ambassador campaign, here are some examples of brand ambassador programs that are rocking on social media:
- Maybelline It Girls
- Amex Brand Ambassadors
- Bose Team Ambassadors
- Lululemon Ambassador Program
- Red Bull Student Marketeer
- Harley Davidson
- Xbox Ambassadors
- Maker’s Mark Ambassador Program
To wrap up
We hope that this article made you realize that brand ambassadors are powerful members of your team. The difference in getting your brand’s name out there can be in their hands.
So, ensure you reach out to them efficiently and effectively.
Interested in finding and reaching out to the right brand ambassadors for you?
Contact Influencers Club to chat with one of our influencer marketing specialists!
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