ByN. Lothungbeni Humtsoe
June 29, 2021 (IANSlife) Consider two scenarios when you are about to make a purchase – first, you see an ad about a product or service that does seem interesting, but the question of quality and authenticity deters you from making a purchase. Second, the same product is recommended to you by a friend or family member who has used it and can vouch for the quality. More often than not, the second scenario is likely to convert into a purchase.
Darshit Shah, Digital Marketing Executive, Germin8 shares why brand advocacy is important for anyone who is selling something.
Who is a brand advocate?
Shah: Brand advocates can be your existing customers, employees, influencers, or business partners. What sets this community apart from other promotional activities is that these people recommend a business to others voluntarily, without being paid to do so by the brand. These advocates are not only loyal to your brand, but help boost revenue by promoting your products/services to new audiences via online reviews, customer referrals, user-generated content (UGC), word-of-mouth recommendations, and social media posts.
Why should you focus on engaging brand advocates?
Shah: Chances are that your brand advocates are already existing around you. The first step is to identify them and create the community. Next, focus on nurturing this set of loyal, vocal customers. Ensure that you give back to your brand advocates by acknowledging them and giving them exposure. Celebrate their achievements and showcase them in your brand’s content like newsletters, blogs, etc. to build a long-term relationship.
76 percent people find content or recommendations by actual consumers to be more honest and believable than advertising by brands – while this is reason enough for brands to nurture an active brand advocate community, here are five more reasons to do so:
Harnessing the true power of your advocate community can increase brand presence both in-person and online. So rather than leaving brand advocacy to chance, start working on a well-designed customer advocacy strategy and reap the benefits that come along with having active brand advocates.
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N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe can be contacted at lothungbeni.h@ians.in