4 Tips for Recruiting Passionate Brand Ambassadors

4 Tips for Recruiting Passionate Brand Ambassadors

Regardless of which social media marketing culture you embrace, we can all agree on the ultimate goal of gaining more customers through word of mouth marketing and increased brand awareness. One of the most effective ways of accomplishing this goal is by recruiting people that are passionate about your business, product and/or service, and are willing to spread the word for you. These people are called brand ambassadors and here are a few tips on recruiting them for your own company.

What are “brand ambassadors”?

Brand ambassadors can be separated into two categories: external customers and internal employees. Externally, you want to gain the support of non-employees who appreciate your business so much that they are driven to share their experience with others, thereby extending your reach well beyond your own network. Internally, you want to create a company culture that embraces team satisfaction and drives home your employees’ dedication to what they do and the company that they represent. The one thing these two types of people share is passion, and it is this passion that you will need to ignite in order to develop a solid ambassadorship for your business.

Why are brand ambassadors so important?

Every smart businessperson knows that it's not so much the amount you spend, but the results that matter. What if you could gain better brand exposure and reach more people without having to dramatically increase your expenditure? You can - through brand ambassadorship. According to a study conducted by the American Marketing Association,

the long-term elasticity for word of mouth referrals is approximately 2.5 times higher than the average advertising elasticity.

By recruiting people to represent your brand and your business, you’ll gain access to all of their networks, increasing your marketing reach exponentially. Best of all, you'll achieve this without incurring significant expense. It's just smart marketing!

How can I recruit brand ambassadors?

Using the term “recruit” may technically be inaccurate, as truly passionate brand ambassadors are not recruited, but rather they are created through exceptional service and/or first-rate product offerings. If you are providing outstanding customer service, work hard to establish the highest level of employee satisfaction and offer a service or product line that is superior to the competition, you’ve already won the battle. Now, you just have to hone in on those people who would be most effective in furthering your marketing efforts through their own social networks. Here’s how:

1. Choose people that are tied in to your chosen demographic. For instance, if your product or service is geared toward health conscious adults between the ages of 25 and 40, then target brand ambassadors that match that demographic.
2. Target those who are passionate about and intimately familiar with your product or service. If you’re marketing a line of exercise equipment, make sure you’re recruiting people who regularly use your product and can provide specific feedback.
3. Reach out and interview those you feel would be the best fit to represent you. Focus on those candidates that are positive, upbeat and enthusiastic about life in general, but particularly about what your business has to offer. People are naturally attracted to positivity, so make sure your chosen ambassadors exude this trait.
4. Educate and arm your ambassadors with all of the knowledge and tools they need to effectively represent your brand. Develop and implement a training program that will provide an in-depth knowledge and understanding of your company, as well as the products and services you offer. Remember, your ambassadors will essentially serve as the public face of your brand, so make sure they know their stuff!

While the internet has certainly opened the doors to global possibilities, it has also created global competition. What’s the best way to get a leg up, stand out and maintain success? Simple: by recruiting an army of consumers that is passionate and more than willing to help spread the word about your brand to the masses.