Just a few years ago, when content marketing was beginning to gain steam, there were just a few marketing strategies a business could take their pick of. A typical marketing campaign consisted of producing regular blogs and articles, publishing them, and then reposting them on the business’s social media outlets.
This strategy still exists and is widely used today. However, content marketing has since exploded, and the intricacies of a marketing campaign in 2019 can be very complicated. There are now copious amounts of marketing tactics and strategies that can be used to leverage an audience. One is likely to be on your radar is the implementation of a brand ambassador to advocate for your business.
Creating a brand for your business, products, and services is crucial to creating an identity that represents your company. The brand you build will be based around your target audience, your company’s goals, and the voice you want to reach your customers. This is where the importance of brand ambassadors comes in, as they will be the face and the voice of the brand. A successful brand ambassador is someone that is a passionate advocate for the brand and the company. Before we get into the traits of a successful brand ambassador, let’s start with the basics.
What is a Brand Ambassador?
A brand ambassador is a person who promotes a brand to the people they are connected with to boost brand awareness and community. They are someone who shows consistent support to the brand online and offline. An ambassador is essentially a representation of the brand that customers can both identify and connect with.
Often a brand ambassador is someone of large influence and who has an online platform. While it’s important for the brand ambassador to extend the company’s reach, they should also be a clear reflection of the brand’s core values. Sure, having a celebrity with thousands of followers will help to extend the reach of the company, but if their profile does not align with the company, they may not be the most successful brand ambassador.
So, what does a successful Brand Ambassador look like?
In order to execute a successful marketing partnership with an ambassador, you need to consider what kind of person is right for the job. Here are four key characteristics of a successful brand ambassador you should be looking for:
1. Passion
The best brand ambassadors are the ones that are not only already loyal consumers of the brand’s products or services but are also passionate about them. If someone genuinely believes in a product, they are likely to recommend and promote the product organically. Not only will a successful brand ambassador be passionate about the company, but they should also exude positivity and attract a passionate and loyal audience.
It’s important for your ambassador to genuinely believe and use your products for them to be passionate about the benefits of your services. If the person who is representing your company exudes enthusiasm when promoting your product, those in their reach will also respond to your brand positively.
2. Professionalism
A brand ambassador won’t technically be a direct employee of your company, but they will have a large influence over how your brand is perceived. A successful brand ambassador is able to conduct themselves and their partnership with your brand in a professional manner, both online and in person. They should be able to receive constructive feedback, maintain a high standard of professionalism, and be a reliable figure within the company.
A brand ambassador will be the direct line of contact between the company and the consumer. It is crucial for your brand ambassador to have an understanding of maintaining a professional manner while in contact with customers. They should have an established knowledge of the brand’s ethics, values, and answers to frequently asked questions.
3. Established Online Presence
In order for word of mouth marketing to be successful, ambassadors need to reach as many people as possible. The more people your brand ambassador can reach, the further your target audience and potential customer reach are extended.
A successful brand ambassador will have a well-established online presence, that is preferably relevant and in line with your brand’s target audience. This doesn’t necessarily mean they have to have 200,000 followers on each platform, but a decent community built around their online presence is very helpful to reach more people.
The most successful brand ambassadors are the ones of an authoritative figure within a niche, prior to becoming an ambassador for the company. For instance, it would be ideal for a cosmetic company to partner with a relevant talented YouTube Make-up artist who already has a platform in the cosmetic niche.
4. A Reflection of The Brand’s Personality
This characteristic of a successful brand ambassador ties directly back to them being the passionate and loyal consumers to the brand. A brand ambassador is a representation of the brand; in order for this partnership to be successful, the brand ambassador needs to reflect the brand’s personality within their own.
It’s important for the ambassador to present values and principles that are well-aligned with those of the brand. For example, if your company’s main concept revolves around providing vegan, cruelty-free products, a brand ambassador that reflects these values and beliefs with their own veganism journey would be the right fit.
Conclusion
Getting the word out about a brand or company can be difficult in today’s competitive market. Onboarding, a brand ambassador, is a great way to kick-start a word of mouth and referral marketing campaign, and a successful brand ambassador will skyrocket your brand engagement. When looking to extend your marketing efforts, use these key characteristics to find a successful brand ambassador.
A successful brand ambassador is one that will paint your company in a positive light, spread brand awareness, extend brand reach, and boost the quality and quantity of leads your business is receiving. Ultimately, the brand ambassador will represent your company – be sure to find the right fit for your brand.
