How Brand Advocacy Can Help Boost Your Digital Marketing Efforts
Building trust and credibility is crucial for any brand to succeed, and brand advocacy plays a vital role in achieving this.
According to a report by BrightLocal, 46% of consumers aged 18-34 trust online business reviews as much as personal recommendations, while 35% of people trust consumer reviews as much as recommendations from social personalities – highlighting the importance of social proof and user-generated content.
In this article, we'll explore what brand advocacy is, its benefits, and how you can leverage brand advocacy programs for effective digital marketing strategies.
The Power of Brand Advocacy
Brand advocacy is a marketing strategy that involves turning satisfied customers into brand ambassadors. These ambassadors are passionate about a brand, and they promote it through word-of-mouth marketing or social media.
According to a survey by HubSpot, 81% of consumers' purchasing decisions are influenced by their friends' recommendations. This is where brand advocacy campaigns come in; it's about building a community of advocates who can speak positively about your business and influence their network of contacts.
What is Brand Advocacy and Why is it a Critical Component in Digital Marketing?
In today's digital world, consumers are bombarded with advertisements and marketing messages everywhere they go. They are sceptical of marketing claims and are more likely to trust recommendations from their friends and family.
Brand advocacy is a critical component of digital marketing because it helps build brand awareness, trust, and credibility. It's about turning your satisfied customers into loyal fans who will promote your brand without any incentive. The importance of brand advocacy strings from its power to reach a wider audience than any marketing campaign. They have built trust with their network, and their recommendations are taken seriously.
How to Build Trust through Brand Advocacy?
Building trust with customers is essential for any brand to succeed, and a brand advocacy strategy can help achieve this.
Provide Excellent Customer Service
When customers have a positive experience, they are not only more likely to become loyal to your brand but also more likely to share their experience with others.
Offering exceptional customer service involves going above and beyond to meet the needs and expectations of your customers. This can include providing timely and effective support, personalised interactions, and proactive communication. Through customer brand advocacy, you can create a positive customer experience that can lead to long-term loyalty.
Moreover, excellent customer service can also help mitigate any negative feedback or reviews. If a customer has an issue, addressing it promptly and professionally can turn a negative experience into a positive one. This can create a sense of trust and confidence in your brand, leading to increased customer retention and advocacy.
Encourage User-Generated Content
Nielsen's Consumer Trust Index shows that 92% of customers trust user-generated content more than traditional advertising.
User-generated content, such as reviews or social media posts, allows potential customers to see genuine experiences with your brand, helping to establish your brand's reliability and trustworthiness. By actively encouraging and promoting user-generated content, you can harness the power of social proof to boost your brand's reputation and drive sales.
Offer Rewards for Referrals
Offering rewards for referrals has been shown to be highly effective in encouraging customer brand advocacy. According to a study by Texas Tech University, customers who were referred to a brand had a 16% higher lifetime value than those who were not referred. Additionally, the referred customers had a 25% higher likelihood of remaining a customer for at least two years.
By offering rewards for referrals, you can tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing and turn your satisfied customers into enthusiastic brand advocates. Not only can this help you build trust and loyalty with existing customers, but it can also drive new customer acquisition and ultimately boost your bottom line. So, whether it's a discount, a gift card, or some other incentive, offering rewards for referrals can be a win-win for both your brand and your customers.
How to Leverage Brand Advocacy in Your Digital Marketing Strategy?
Leveraging brand advocacy in your digital marketing strategy involves a strategic approach. Here are some ways on how to effectively utilise brand advocacy:
Leveraging Brand Advocacy for Paid Ads
Find brand advocates whose testimonials can be used in your paid ads. These testimonials can be in the form of written reviews or videos.
Here’s an example from Ana Luisa, a New York based jewellery brand, as they utilise one of their customer reviews in their Instagram ad:
Target Lookalike Audiences
Targeting lookalike audiences is a great way to find potential customers who are similar to your existing brand advocates. By targeting these audiences, you can increase the chances of finding customers who are more likely to become brand advocates.
According to Facebook, businesses that use lookalike audiences see a 29% lower cost per acquisition and a 30% better return on spend on Facebook paid ads compared to other targeting methods. Additionally, a study by AdEspresso found that lookalike audiences have a 38% higher click-through rate (CTR) and a 20% lower cost per click (CPC) compared to other targeting methods.
To target lookalike audiences, you first need to create a custom audience using your existing brand advocates. This custom audience will serve as a template for Facebook, Google, or other platforms to identify other users with similar characteristics and behaviours.
Once you've created your custom audience, you can use it to create a lookalike audience by specifying the size of the audience and the geographical area you want to target. The platform will then analyse the data of your custom audience to find users who share similar traits and behaviours, creating a new audience to target with your paid advertising campaigns.
Use Remarketing to Reach Existing Customers
Remarketing is a targeted advertising strategy that allows you to reach customers who have previously interacted with your brand. It can be done by tracking user behaviour on your website or app and showing them relevant ads when they visit other websites or social media platforms.
By highlighting the benefits of being a brand advocate in your remarketing paid ads, you can encourage existing customers to become more engaged with your brand and potentially become brand advocates themselves.
Leveraging Brand Advocacy for Content Marketing
Content marketing is all about creating valuable content that attracts and engages potential customers. By leveraging brand advocacy, you can create content that is more effective. Here's how:
Create User-Generated Content
Creating user-generated content is a way to showcase genuine experiences from real customers, and is a great way to leverage brand advocacy in your content marketing strategy. This type of content is more authentic and engaging because it comes from real customers. Here are some effective brand advocacy strategies for creating user-generated content:
Create a hashtag and encourage customers to share their experiences with your brand on social media. Repost their content on your own channels to amplify their message.
Ask satisfied customers to leave a review or record a video testimonial about their experience with your brand. You can share these reviews on your website, social media channels, and in email marketing campaigns.
Host a contest that encourages customers to share their experiences with your brand in a creative way, such as through photos or videos. Offer a prize or discount code as an incentive.
Use Brand Advocates as Influencers and Content Creators
Using brand advocates as influencers is a smart strategy to create more authentic and engaging content that resonates with your target audience. These advocates have a genuine connection with your brand, making them an ideal candidate to promote your products or services.
You can start to find brand advocates who have a strong social media presence or blog. Then, approach them to see if they are interested in creating content on your behalf. You can also offer incentives or exclusive access to new products or services to encourage them to become more engaged with your brand. It is essential to establish clear guidelines and expectations for the content they create to ensure that it aligns with your brand's values and messaging. By working with brand advocates as influencers, you can create authentic and engaging content that drives brand awareness and increases your reach.
Leveraging Brand Advocacy for SEM
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a digital marketing strategy that includes paid search advertising and website optimization for search engines. By incorporating brand advocacy into your SEM ads strategy, you can enhance your efforts and achieve better results. Here are some effective ways to leverage brand advocacy for your SEM:
Use Branded Keywords
When customers search for a specific brand or product, they are often already familiar with the brand and have a higher likelihood of converting. By using branded keywords in your SEM campaign, you can increase your visibility in search engines and capture more relevant traffic.
According to Google, branded keywords have a higher click-through rate (CTR) than non-branded keywords. In fact, branded search ads have a CTR of about 3.4%, while non-branded search ads have a CTR of only 2.5%.
Use Customer Reviews in Your Ad Copy
By using customer reviews in your SEM ads copy, you can provide social proof to potential customers and increase their trust in your brand.
Identify positive reviews that highlight the unique benefits of your product or service. Use these reviews to create a paid search ad copy that emphasises the key selling points of your offering. You can also incorporate star ratings or other review data into your ad copy to further emphasise the positive feedback from customers.
Optimise Your Website for User-Generated Content
To optimise your website for user-generated content, you can create a section specifically for customer reviews or testimonials. This can be done through various plugins or platforms that allow customers to leave reviews directly on your website. This page can feature reviews and ratings from real customers, as well as images and videos that showcase your products or services.
Leveraging brand advocacy can be a powerful tool for improving your digital advertising efforts. By incorporating brand advocacy campaigns into your advertising strategy, you can build trust and credibility with potential customers, increase engagement with your brand, and drive conversions.
As the digital advertising landscape continues to evolve, it can be challenging to keep up with the latest trends and best practices. That's where Quokka Media comes in. Our team of experts is here to help you navigate the ever-changing digital marketing scene and drive your business's success.
Contact us today to learn more about our services.