Why Marketers Should Concentrate on Brand Advocates

Business Relationship Management
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There are many different approaches that a marketer can take to increase professional success. There are many different areas on which to concentrate and brand advocates are a group of people who are worth cultivating and highlighting.

Everything is moving so quickly

In this day and age, technology is so advanced and so sophisticated that everything is moving at an advanced rate. It is imperative for businesses to keep up with the times and from the marketer’s perspective, it is critical that he or she is at the right place at the right time and that the most powerful message possible is conveyed to the right people. The marketing message must also be enticing and it must invoke a certain reaction in the people who are on the receiving end of that message. It must entice those people to connect on a deeper level with the brand and with the business that represents the brand. When it comes to the marketing industry on the whole, there has been an evolutionary process that has occurred. It has passed through a few stages and a great deal of progress has occurred since the beginning of the process.

  • Stage 1: In this first stage, the marketer contacted people who seemed to show a likelihood of eventually becoming clients for that particular business. The “reaching out” was in the form of traditional marketing, such as print advertisements, television commercials, and radio advertisements. That particular type of marketing was directly from the brand to the customer. The customer basically had no control over what was being conveyed and how they felt about the marketing was of little consequence. Unfortunately, that meant that there was no mutuality. Sadly, this type of marketing did not produce extremely positive results because there was no real interaction. With that in mind, it was almost impossible to link successful sales to specific marketing efforts. That means that a large amount of the money that was spent on those marketing efforts was wasted (or, at least, might have been wasted). Then, less traditional, more innovative, interactive approaches to marketing were introduced. This is where things started to get much more interesting!

  • Stage 2: Stage 2 is interactive. Two people share a relationship and interact as two human beings. Because there is dialogue, it is much easier to attribute successful business results to specific interactions. This allowed the customer (or prospective customer) to offer an opinion (and to be made to feel as though his or her opinion really mattered to the other person). If the customer believed in the brand and found value in the offerings, it was not a huge leap for that person to turn around and tell other people about the products and/or services. This allowed the brand the potential to go viral. Once the customer decided to buy something, it was not “blind” buying. The purchase was based on education; a long, hard thought process; and careful consideration when it came to making the decision to choose one business’s products and/or services over another business’s offerings.

  • Stage 3: The third stage (and final stage so far) is all about brand advocates. This stage is still in the making at this point. Brand advocacy is critical to the success of any brand and any business. When it comes to this stage, it is a natural phenomenon that business will grow and change (for the better). At the end of this process is the sale, which is every business owner’s ultimate goal anyway. When it comes to brand advocates, there are several good reasons why a person would take the position of wanting to be an advocate.
    • Customers have an unspoken trust in other customers: The only person who is not allowed to sing the praises of your offerings is you. Other people can shout it from the rooftops and it is perfectly appropriate and very powerful. There is a feeling of trust among people who can and will do that.

    • An established foundation of advocacy: Once a foundation of advocacy has been established, there is no tearing it down. The power that the advocates hold in their hands will go on indefinitely. Those people will tell people whom they know and trust who will, in turn, tell other people whom they know and trust, etc. Before you know it, you will have more business than you can handle.

    • Brand advocates will act as salespeople (without officially working for you): This is a very powerful and effective concept. The more people you have who support and believe in what you are doing, the stronger your business will be. All you need to do is allow the advocates to tell others about your wonderful offerings.

    • Tracking your brand advocates: As wonderful as it is that other people are willing to act as your brand ambassadors, at the same time, it is important for you to pay close attention to what they are saying and doing on behalf of your brand. There are now tools that allow you to be able to do that.

Conclusion

As a marketer, you should make sure to pay close attention to brand advocates for your business because they are an extremely powerful part of your formula for success. Brand advocates have a tremendous impact on your business and the connection between your products and/or services and other people who are in a position to buy what you are selling. Your brand advocates will do whatever they can to help you to succeed simply because they believe in what you are doing. Advocates are willing to go out on a limb for you and to connect with what you are doing on a human level. It is that simple. You never asked those advocates to help. They are doing it from their hearts. It couldn’t be any better than that.

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Author

  • Michael Cohn

    Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has decades of experience in IT and web technologies. Michael founded CompuKol Communications to help small businesses and entrepreneurs increase their visibility and reputation. CompuKol consults, creates, and implements communication strategies for small businesses to monopolize their markets with a unique business voice, vision, and visibility. Mr. Cohn earned a Master’s degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master’s degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

5 Responses

  1. Hubbard Jordan says:

    +Hubbard Jordan via Google+

    Brand advocates are good for your business and can provide you with exponential growth and extend reach much faster than you could achieve on your own. Identify and monitor your advocates

  2. Kenny Madden says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
    Discussion: Why Should Marketers Concentrate on Brand Advocates?

    because peer influence far outweighs ANYTHING else a company can do to get new business. This is especially true in the SMB IT space.
    By Kenny Madden

  3. Selena Horner says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Social Media Consulting
    Discussion: Why Should Marketers Concentrate on Brand Advocates?

    The next step after monitoring: how do you show appreciation for your brand advocates?
    By Selena Horner

    • Michael Cohn says:

      Selena, Write a simple thank-you note. A note of genuine appreciation for an advocate’s loyalty and vocal support can go a long, long way, whether it comes from the person who packaged up their most recent online order or directly from the CEO, director of marketing or other higher-up. A thank-you letter is just further confirmation that they’re an important customer — more than just a number — and will help brand advocates remember their efforts aren’t going unnoticed.

      If your brand advocates are frequently sharing your business on the Internet, you could thank them by creating a private group or community on Facebook that gives them unprecedented access to your business. This is a great place to offer special everyday discounts, new product previews and other content and information designed just for them. But don’t forget to celebrate your brand advocates on your public Facebook and Twitter pages, too — even if it’s just a photo shout-out or a retweet of one of their shining endorsements.

  4. Suzanne Perry says:

    I am a brand ambassador, it’s what I do for a living. I announce where I will be and what I will be featuring, whether a product demonstration or taste sampling or general flyering at a college.

    Every product that I have endorsed has realized growth in sales. Why? Because I choose who I will represent. I only work for the best products, so my thousands of [social media] friends, fans and followers trust what I am endorsing. They try, they buy. I get offers to be in trade shows and represent many brands, and am fortunate enough to be selective.

    A thank you note would not make me happy. A bonus with product, perk, financial bonus are appropriate ways of keeping us happy. We continuously provide free advertising because people come to know the products we talk up and represent.. for example Chicken Soup for the Soul.. people will ask me when Im at a lecture for domestic violence about what soup flavors are best.. so it’s not a one-time deal, it’s an ongoing free pitch permeating the social networking and real life of someone like myself.

    When given a cool perk or even a bonus in my check, I will take that up to my social followers too, demonstrating what a fantastic company they are in that they appreciate the increased sales by giving me X. I continuously drive sales for ALL the products I have been proud to represent.

    I see a nearby liquor store has changed hands so I approached the new owner and said hey, I do tastings, and there is a fantastic new sangria people love, … and they end up ordering a case of it, I do the demo, everyone recognizes happiness and increased sales.. this is how it works in the real world. Not so much young bodacious blondes wearing a Band-Aid sampling booze at a night club. Optimistic, mature people with a marked following, established integrity is what you want.

    Suzanne Perry