What are customer advocates?
Customer advocates are loyal customers who help organically promote your brand to the rest of the world. Whether it be via social media, online channels or through word of mouth, these customers help to raise your brand’s profile and grow your customer audience. Made up of professional critics, long-term customers and even employees, brand advocates can be extremely valuable in helping businesses drive sales, entice new customers and increase brand loyalty.
With Hootsuite’s research revealing that 9 out of 10 online consumers view recommendations from their friends and family as their most trusted form of advertising, utilising the content of brand advocates could be central to driving more customers and revenue to your small business.
Invest in customer relationships
Through building good relationships, it’s possible to turn loyal customers into brand advocates. It might seem obvious, but how you treat your customers is just as important as the quality of products and services you provide. Invest time in ensuring that your customer service is consistently of a high quality. You want your customers to feel that they’ve had a positive experience at each stage of their interaction with you. The better the experience they have, the more likely they’ll be to tell their friends and family about it. And word-of-mouth of mouth recommendations are a good way to organically grow your brand and business, and of course, it’s free!
Make it personal
When it comes to customer advocacy, personalisation is a great way to really connect with your customers and build loyalty. Customers appreciate the personal touch. Whether it’s using their first name or remembering details about them, these small acts can go a long way. Use what you know about your customers to tailor your communications and interactions with them. Remember, each customer is different and how you approach them should reflect that. You’ll know yourself the importance of word-of-mouth marketing.
Value customer input
Relationships should be a two-way street, and by giving them the opportunity to voice their feedback, you’re letting your customers know that what they think matters.
As with any relationship, the feedback you receive may not always be positive. However, receiving negative or constructive feedback isn’t necessarily always a bad thing. It can actually help you to identify any areas for improvement and make changes to your product or service that suit your customers. Additionally, it can be an opportunity to encourage customers to give your brand another chance if their constructive feedback is taken into consideration.
Reward your customers
It’s important to reward loyalty, as customers who feel recognised often become repeat customers. Rewards make customers feel valued, and valued customers spread word of mouth recommendations and praise for your brand.
Whether its offering discounts or sneak peek access to sales - providing exclusive content or rewards to your loyal customers could be a great way of making potential advocates feel special. Why not offer some of your most loyal customers the opportunity to try out some of your new products? If you’re a clothing retailer, you could invite selected customers to try out a new range and encourage them to make content, whether it’s in the form of pictures/reels or reviews. Not only is this an opportunity to get some great user generate content that you can share across your own channels, but it also allows customers to see that your products are high quality and that you value the opinions of your customers.
Promote user-generated content
86% of consumers reveal that they're more likely to trust a brand that shares user generated content, compared to 12% who are more likely to purchase a product promoted by influencers. More and more customers are showing that they respond to authenticity. Therefore, the content that your customers create – including photos, reviews and blog posts – has the potential to be one of your most powerful marketing tools and a great way to build brand awareness.
Some big brands are particularly savvy with this type of content. ASOS has a dedicated page where they showcase their user generated content. When shoppers post on Instagram using the hashtag #AsSeenOnMe, their photos are uploaded to the site, appearing on the relevant product pages. This is a great way to create a community of brand advocates.
For your small business, why not try setting challenges or running competitions encouraging your audiences to share their photos and content online? Placing your customer’s content in the spotlight is a great way to thank them for their commitment to your brand, while helping to increase brand loyalty.
Turn your employees into advocates
Your customers aren’t your only source of potential brand advocates - as your employees can be just as effective! Working on the front lines of your business, your employees know the products and values of your company inside out, and, more importantly, they know your customers.
Why not try encouraging your employees to take to social media to share their own thoughts on what they love about your small business? If you run a café, they could share their favourite coffee order, or if you run a gym, they could share why people should get their blood pumping at a specific fitness class.
Using customers as brand advocates can be a powerful but cost-effective marketing tool for your small business. From helping your business organically grow brand visibility, to increasing your business reach by word-of-mouth recommendations, your customers can become your biggest assets.
