What’s the point of having a brand ambassador?
Does a brand ambassador even make a difference?
A lot of companies ignore the power of a brand ambassador.
A lot of companies enjoy missing out on a powerful advertising tool.
If you don’t believe this or understand why it works, don’t worry. This is why we wrote this post on how a brand ambassador can help a company grow.
A brand ambassador can help promote a brand in many ways, including uploading content on social media or through grassroots approaches. Many companies are utilizing these ambassadors, also known as campus reps, to promote their products or services more authentically, as members of the younger generations distrust traditional marketing techniques.
Let’s dig into how this works.
What Is A Brand Ambassador?
A brand ambassador is someone who lives “in the trenches,” and supports/promotes your business or product.
Ideally, this is a person who actually uses your product and believes it’s amazing.
They tell others about it on social media or through in-person events, often without payment.
They can be an expert in the field or a member of your target audience with experience using your product.
Brand ambassadors are one of the faces of your company.
They have credibility, the ability to connect with your target audience, and a great personality.
With youth marketing, brand ambassadors bring sales, engagement, and traffic to your company through social media.
A brand ambassador helps your company grow with a grassroots, in-the-field type of marketing that promotes personal connections and trust.
Check out more details on what a brand ambassador is.
7 Powerful Ways Brand Ambassadors Help A Company Grow
So we know what a brand ambassador is now, but how does one help?
There are many ways it helps your brand reach a specific audience, and we’ll dig into that in this section.
#1 More Credibility
In the age of smartphones, social media marketing is a highly effective way for a company to increase revenue.
Brands can utilize this marketing technique to grow engagement and loyalty among Millennial and Gen Z customers.
While some companies utilize digital influencers, like YouTube stars or Instagram models, to advertise their products, a much cheaper solution is to hire brand ambassadors.
Not only is this type of partnership more sustainable, but it is also more effective in terms of building trust.
A 2019 media agency UM report revealed only 4% of the people surveyed stated that they believe the testimonies of internet influencers, due to fraudulent behavior like purchasing followers or not disclosing paid advertisements.
However, user-generated content created by brand ambassadors who have a smaller, but dedicated, following on social media platforms have a very good chance of still being read as credible.
As the ideal rep is not only a customer, but also passionate about your brand, their promotion on social media will be entirely authentic and their followers will be able to see that.
In turn, there is a good likelihood that social media users that follow your campus rep will be swayed by their recommendation and may become a loyal customer down the road.
#2 More Specific Content
Now, the social media content created on behalf of a brand can differ from company to company.
For example, Rent the Runway, an online clothing rental company, chooses ambassadors who have experience in social media marketing to curate content on the company’s Instagram page, which has over 7,000 followers.
The posts usually consist of brand ambassadors modeling clothing items that are available to rent on the company’s website.
Similarly, a large part of Pura Vita’s brand ambassador program is to have students make sales through uploading pictures of their products on Instagram.
The clothing, accessories, and lifestyle brand has stated that through this method of social media advertising they have been able to increase sales by 400%.
“I post [on Instagram] about their products or any promotions that they have,” explained Ariana Afonso, sophomore at Illinois LAS and current Pura Vita brand ambassador, to The Daily Illini. “And then I get a [10%] commission based on the sales that I get.”
#3 Allows Companies To Develop A Specific Image With Their Ambassador
Companies do, however, need to hire the right brand ambassador to promote their brand.
Regardless of the exact marketing strategy a company chooses, however, it’s important that the brand ambassadors are personable in their posts to essentially humanize the brand.
In addition, it is wise to ensure that they utilize the appropriate hashtags in their post’s caption to increase engagement and reach even more potential customers.
As previously mentioned, some companies also have their ambassadors post or pass out flyers around campus and the community to bring awareness to the brand.
That being said some college-age individuals do not prefer this form of brand promotion.
“I don’t like people handing out flyers. I’m busy and I don’t want to talk to people,” explained Josh Ziegler, physics PhD student at the University of Oregon.
Possibly for this reason, some companies, like Bumble, have allowed their brand ambassadors, known as “Honeys,” to get creative with how they want to hand out promotional leaflets.
For example, many Honeys have chosen to humorously dress up in bumble bee costumes with their flyers in hand.
#4 Companies Will Have More Choices With Brand Ambassador Personalities
It should be noted that brands should hire outgoing, sociable individuals as ambassadors to ensure that their interactions with fellow students are not awkward.
Otherwise, this can have an adverse effect and cause said students to have a negative association with your company.
In addition, some companies, like PINK, task their brand ambassadors to organize and host community events for further brand promotion.
“A [PINK] campus rep is basically someone who spreads awareness and tries to increase brand loyalty. For example, we just did a panty party, but besides that we also give [out] coupons you can’t get in the store,” stated Meghan Shahroozi, Ohio University 2017-2018 PINK Campus Rep, to Backdrop Magazine.
Through these forms of advertisement, a brand ambassador can successfully promote your brand through, essentially, word-of-mouth.
#5 It Makes Your Company Seem More Connected
People prefer to invest time and money in people.
It’s the reason companies have used spokespeople for ages.
It’s the reason Geico has kept Flo on for so many years.
But the face of your company needs to match the audience you’re targeting.
This is where brand ambassadors come in.
Young people aren’t going to buy into things because someone is simply “using the right platforms.”
They need to see someone like them.
A brand ambassador does this and makes the company seem more connected to their culture, by extension.
#6 Social Media Growth
With a combination of more trustworthiness and connection, a brand ambassador will drive new social media traffic to your brand.
Also, I’ll be brutally honest; most young people know these platforms better than the old guard does.
With your brand’s experience in analyzing data to find the best forms of advertising and the brand ambassador’s social media experience and personality, your footprint on the different platforms will expand.
#7 Builds Brand Loyalty
Taking on brand ambassadors makes them almost instantly loyal to your brand for a long time.
As they spread the word about your business and products, more people will become loyal as well.
You may even pick up more brand ambassadors.
The whole process scales as real people share with real people how useful your company and products are.
Quick Tips For Picking A Brand Ambassador
Brand ambassadors are great, but you need to take some care when picking them.
If you work with us, we’ll do all of that for you. We offer free 30-minute consultations to talk about strategy and how we can help.
Click here to schedule a free meeting now.
If you want to attempt it on your own, keep these tips in mind.
Find Someone Invested In Your Company
You want the brand ambassador relationship to more than just a job.
You want the person to care about your brand.
Look for someone who actively uses your products.
You may even be able to find someone already active with social media with your company.
People work harder and more sincerely for things they actually care about.
Ideally, they used your product well before hearing about the brand ambassador opportunity.
Look For Those Who Already Have A Following
It makes sense to pick someone who already has a large social media following.
These people can cut out the time it takes to build up a following, and when they start promoting and supporting you, it drives attention and potential sales to you right off the bat.
While it may not be a requirement to be already active socially, it certainly helps.
Part of your brand ambassador application may include what platforms the applicant has experience with and their current reach.
Keep Professionalism In Mind
Brand ambassadors are supposed to help you and make your job easier, not harder.
Take a good look at the person’s social media history and see if they are usually active in a semi-professional manner.
Be upfront with them on how they’re expected to behave.
You don’t want to deal with scandals later on.
Remember, by officially taking them on, they become a part of your brand, no matter how small.
Brand Ambassadors Should Be Easy To Work With
Who wants to have to work with someone who…?
- Doesn’t respond
- Uses poor grammar and writing skills
- Misses deadlines
- Debates everything
- Gossips
- Complains constantly
Most people don’t want that, and most companies won’t hire someone with these qualities.
Brand ambassadors aren’t full employees, but they should still be people who are easy to work with.
Find Ambassadors Who Match Your Target Audience
We all know how important defining your audience is.
Increased engagement and sales are something everyone wants, right?
Every company, even every product, is different and requires a different marketing tactic.
You’d never use the exact same tactic for every audience; why allow a brand ambassador that doesn’t match your brand?
If this all sounds like a lot, it is, but the benefit far outweighs the investment.
Of course, this is why many companies use Campus Commandos to handle all of this for them.
Learn more about what brand ambassadors do in our detailed post.
Final Thoughts on Brand Ambassadors
There are countless reasons how a brand ambassador can help a company grow, and we touched on some of the more important ones in this article.
All in all, brand ambassadors give your company a personable face, one like your target audience.
The traffic they’ll bring into your product or business will allow you to have more reach and give you more data.
Then, you’ll be able to grow based on what your audience is into.
Without a brand ambassador, you’ll be studying this from afar and guessing.
Brand ambassadors are your way of reaching your audience directly in a way that lets you control your brand and image better.
Feel free to share with a link back to Campus Commandos.
Who is Campus Commandos?
Our college marketing agency functions to serve two purposes; to provide opportunity for college students, and to market products and services on behalf of brands to students on college campuses and universities across the United States. Contact us to learn more.
