Can you guess how Glossier has become a $1.8 billion beauty brand? The secret is various marketing strategies, including word-of-mouth marketing through brand ambassadors. The company’s enthusiastic fans on social media, like micro-influencers, have spread brand love and generated leads like crazy. This is why, today, 57% of companies hope to get leads by engaging brand ambassadors, according to Business.com.
Would you also love to consider brand ambassadors for lead generation? This guide will show you exactly how, from finding the perfect fit to measuring success.
What is Lead Generation & Why is it Essential for a Business?
Lead generation is the process of getting potential customers for your brand. It starts with targeting an audience, catching their attention, sparking their interest in your business, making them visit your business, then capturing them by offering something free, and finally motivating them to buy something from you.
Businesses use different strategies to attract potential customers. As social media has evolved, advanced and more effective marketing strategies with proven success rates have emerged.
Brand Ambassadors Why They Work Best for Lead Generation
Brand ambassadors are your brand’s genuine fans who represent and promote your company, your products, or services to their audiences. They serve as the face and voice of your brand and embody its values and corporate identity through their words and actions. Here’s what makes a great brand ambassador for lead generation:
Brand Believers
They’re passionate and loyal about your brand. This enthusiasm, when reflected in their promotions (talks, posts and videos), make them more relatable and appealing. Resultantly, your audience is convinced about your company.
Outstanding Communication
Brand ambassadors have the skill to connect with people in a friendly and persuasive way. For this purpose, they may craft attention grabbing messages and get people interested in learning more about your brand.
Industry Insiders
Since good brand ambassadors and you have similar areas of interest (what we call niche) they understand your target audience and their specific needs. So, they tailor their message to resonate with the right people and address their pain points.
Social Media Savvy
They’re well-versed using social media platforms. This helps spread the word about your brand and attract potential customers.
Trustworthy Friends
Brand Ambassadors have a strong reputation and respect within their circles. People listen to what they have to say because they believe in their judgment. This makes them powerful advocates for your brand.
By combining these qualities, brand ambassadors become an extension of your marketing team, generating leads by sparking interest and building trust with potential customers.
Top 3 Best Types of Brand Ambassadors for Lead Generation
In the world of digital marketing, several types of brand ambassadors exist. However, when it comes to choosing the “best” brand ambassador type that works for lead generation, it must have the qualities listed previously in this article.
Most importantly, they should have shared interest with their audience, trust from their followers and higher engagement towards their content. Although the ideal pick depends on your brand, target audience, and goals, here are some of the most effective options for generating leads:
1. Influencer Ambassadors
These social media stars have a large (<100K) engaged followers. Influencer marketing can generate up to 11 times the ROI (return over investment) of traditional advertising, according to BILL CARMODY! But remember, a huge audience doesn’t always translate to targeted leads. You also need to be aware of fake followers.
2. Micro-Influencer Ambassadors
Micro-influencers have smaller followings (usually under 100,000) but often boast higher engagement rates. The reason is they share their interest with their audience more closely. And, in return, their followers find them more relatable. So it comes as no surprise that studies suggest micro-influencers can drive 7 times higher conversion rates than influencers.
3. Customer Ambassadors
They’re your biggest fans – regular customers who love and tell others about your brand. Research shows customer referrals convert at a 37% higher rate than leads from other sources. Why? They offer a genuine perspective that resonates with other potential customers.
The key is choosing influential lead-generating brand ambassadors who align with your brand values and authentically connect with your target audience.
Finding Brand Ambassadors: Look for 2 Must-Have Qualities
Choosing the perfect brand ambassadors isn’t just about popularity–you can’t hire anybody popular from your area of interest. Instead, here is what matters most in a brand ambassador for lead generation:
1. Brand Lover with Genuine Enthusiasm
Make sure they truly believe in what your company stands for. When their passion shines through their content, your brand becomes more relatable and trustworthy. Thus, their authentic excitement acts as a magnet to attract potential customers.
2. They have the Right People
Don’t just chase follower count. Look for ambassadors whose audience aligns with your target market. Consider age, interests, and demographics to ensure they’re connecting with the people you want to reach.
By focusing on these criteria, you’ll find brand ambassadors who become natural extensions of your marketing team. Eventually, they can generate leads by winning the interest and building trust with your ideal customers.
Tips for Nurturing Strong Relationships with Brand Ambassadors
Brand ambassadors aren’t one-time deals. Building strong relationships is crucial to get the most out of your lead generation program.
Here’s how to keep your ambassador squad happy and generating leads:
Be Supportive
Provide your brand ambassador with all essential resources. Arrange training and send updates to keep them up-to-date on your brand and marketing strategies. This will help them represent your company confidently.
Communicate Openly
Communication is essential to create a sense of trust and collaboration between you and your ambassadors. So, encourage their feedback, welcome suggestions if you find them effective, and answer their questions promptly.
Celebrate their Success
Rewarding your ambassador’s performance creates a strong sense of recognition—it motivates them to do more! You can do this by opting for public shout-outs, bonus incentives, or exclusive experiences. Yet, plan ahead by setting the benchmarks and rewards accordingly.
Treat them Exclusively.
Treating your ambassadors as special makes them feel that you value them. So, Give them perks like early access to new stuff, discounts, or event invitations.
Your investment in relationships can make your brand ambassadors feel valued and empowered. This will result in better lead generation and a more successful program overall.
Building a BA Program for Lead Generation: Common Issues to Address
Building an excellent brand ambassador program can guarantee success. Yet, it requires dealing with common issues proactively.
Here are some common challenges with brand ambassador programs and how to tackle them:
Finding the Perfect Fit
A successful brand ambassador marketing that generates maximum leads starts with finding an ideal brand ambassador. In this regard, you need to do extensive research. You must find people who genuinely align with your values, have organic followers and can reach the customers you want. This may require manual research, but dedicated software like the Brand Ambassador App can help you reach your dream brand ambassador.
Keeping it Consistent
During your marketing campaign, make sure all of your brand ambassadors are on the same page and consistent across all ambassador content. Here, you must provide them access to your content via a single portal and guide them uniformly. You may do it with the help of an assistant or app.
Measuring Success
Generated leads are the results of an effective brand ambassador program. But measuring them can be tricky. You need to track the performance of links, promo codes, and social media analytics to assess the performance of your ambassadors. At this stage, an automated program can help you the best.
Addressing these challenges in your plan can ensure your brand ambassador program runs smoothly and delivers the desired results.
Brand Ambassadors for Lead Generation: The Final Verdict
Brand ambassadors are great lead generators, but the future holds even more! Interactive campaigns and data analysis will help you get even better results. Plus, AI-powered virtual influencers might be the next big thing for reaching more people.
Ready to tap into the amazing lead generation potential of brand ambassadors? The Brand Ambassador app simplifies everything. Find the perfect fit, manage your program, and track your success – all in one place.
