How to find — and keep — the perfect ambassadors
Brands looking for positive results that we have seen can certainly realize them; they simply must attract the right people to act as ambassadors. Here’s how:
1. Reach out to competitors’ social media followers. Examine which followers frequently comment on or like competitors’ social media accounts, and establish contact. This is what we did at Stori for our product StoriCam, we did this just to build our following, although this method can be time-consuming and hard to scale… we found that it does work to convert into customers who later turned into perfect ambassadors.
This is how we did it. Our marketing team, for example, looked at other brands similar to StoriCam who sold or rented photo booths. Instagram allows for this through its “like similar pages” option (found under the arrow toggle), where it is possible to see how other brands engage with their audiences. To build a following, follow those competitors’ active followers. Comment on their posts and engage with them directly, inviting them to your program.
2. Maintain a consistent digital presence. In today’s digital-focused society, every company should have a well-branded website, Instagram and Facebook page. Respond promptly and frequently to people engaging with those pages. If you develop an ambassador program for your company, roll it out on every available digital channel. Consistency is key: Consumers expect brand interactions to be consistent, no matter what the platform.
Develop an email or SMS list, and stay engaged with it. Services such as Campaign Monitor are perfect solutions for brands embarking on their first email lists, but it’s vital for whoever is in charge of the list to write and communicate with the audience regularly. Use your emails to mention any existing ambassador programs, and include specific follow-up actions to engage with readers.
3. Shoutout success stories. Our team highlights successes by featuring winners of any contests we sponsor or any noteworthy posts by our ambassadors — such shoutouts are integrated into every campaign. People crave recognition, and we reward people by putting them on stage. Additionally, make sure our ambassadors are featured on all social walls we send automated emails during campaigns that show which ambassadors are receiving the most engagement and driving the most clicks. A little healthy competition goes a very long way!
4. Keep current ambassadors engaged. Ambassadors are firmly engaged with its company mission, brands should build solid frameworks of engagement that keep ambassadors invested with the company mission so that they stay inclined to keep advocating for it.
Make any rewards brand-specific: Gift cards, merchandise or coupons should all be for your company, not a third party. Not only can this merchandise act as a type of advertisement, but it can also encourage ambassadors’ friends to follow their lead and join up.