What are brand ambassadors? Which type of brand ambassador are you more likely to be?

Right? This is how word-of-mouth marketing works. It can work miracles for your brand. It comes across as authentic because it happens organically through a third party. Nearly 91% of consumers trust online reviews as much as family and friends. Promoting business through recommendations is completely dependent on a solid brand ambassador marketing program. So, who are these people who can help you promote your product?

There are two types of Brand Ambassadors. The first is recognizable, famous people whom companies hire. The relationship is transparently transactional, and expectations are straightforward.

Such cooperation is planned step by step and is strictly scheduled. In that case, a brand ambassador is a very well-known individual to the public or to particular industries.

Nowadays, brands focus on bloggers and personalities on social media (YouTubers and Instagrammers). These people often achieve similar campaign marketing results as the “stars.” They open their engaged community to brand partners and offer space on their blogs and social media channels.

The second type is true admirers – people who have already shown loyalty to the brand. They are usually either customers or employees. They don’t have the social following of real influencers, but they are likely to be powerful advocates for the brand. This type might often be happy to act as brand ambassadors for free, although they will appreciate receiving a free product.

Why brands will not stop using ambassadors in their advertising campaign

They help to “humanize” a brand

People like to buy products from people. Even though organizations traditionally brand themselves with logos, symbols and colors, social media offers opportunities to do more. When ambassadors are aligned with a brand, they tend to be emotionally engaged, which consumers notice of course. When people enjoy what they are doing, it’s contagious, and not only do they show passion, they show authenticity.

They help to provide positive word of mouth

When people are out there using your product publicly, it gets the conversation going. Nothing is as powerful as word of mouth. When you can transform your fans into supporters, you’ve earned yourself the best word-of-mouth marketing you can get.

They can also help to manage online reputation

A brand ambassador can help mitigate negative publicity if something bad is said about your brand by commenting on reviews, social posts and articles. A positive view from someone who is highly respected and not a company employee may be all you need to negate the bad comment.

Compared to other forms of advertising, a brand ambassador is a cost-effective marketing technique that can help reach your target market and build trust in your brand in an engaging way.

Where to find brand ambassadors?

•  Using internal sources: employees, partners, investors, etc.
  They belong to the company or have a direct relationship with it. The trust comes from the first-hand information they provide about the products, services and projects. They represent the culture and values of the company.
• Using external sources: customers, users, fans, etc.
  They don’t belong directly to the organization, but they have direct contact with it. They have purchased or used the product, enjoyed the service or seen its impact.
• Using professional platforms
  For example, we at Hypetrain provide you with a huge database consisting of more than … contacts of YouTubers, thousands of whom can become a part of your marketing campaign.