Brand ambassadors are key to forming strong connections between brands and their audiences. But in a rapidly evolving marketplace, where consumer preferences constantly change, brands must stay ahead of the curve.
So, how can brands maintain their competitive edge with the help of brand ambassadors? How else can brands deliver novel and meaningful experiences to their audiences?
Key Ambassador Marketing Trends Worth Looking Into
To answer these questions, we need to delve into the key trends in ambassador marketing. At Mitgo, we have been working with influencers and ambassadors for a long time, and here are some insights we’ve gathered over the years.
Increased Focus on User-Generated Content (UGC)
Brands are facing stiff competition online. They’re fighting to get people’s attention. As consumers become more discerning with how and what they spend their money on, brands need to find new ways to keep their audiences engaged, nurture their brand loyalty, and deliver enhanced customer experiences.
Enter user-generated content. UGC is a versatile piece of customer-focused content. It’s also a very powerful one.
A recent survey found that 86% of consumers are more likely to trust brands that publish UGC. In contrast, only 12% are likely to buy a product recommended by influencers. Interestingly, an impressive 82% are more inclined to purchase from brands that utilize more UGC in their marketing.
Compared to content created by influencers, UGC, especially if it comes from loyal customers or employees, is more authentic. Moreover, user-generated content allows consumers to actively take part in a brand’s growth. This, in turn, helps cultivate brand loyalty.
Plus, brands can leverage social proof. When people see others engaging with your brand, they’re more likely to trust you. Social proof is a great way to give them a glimpse of the quality of your service and it also helps shape consumers’ purchase decisions.
Brands are also looking for more ways to improve the quality of UGCs. Given that anyone can create basic content, brands can assist their ambassadors in upgrading their content by introducing new systems or tools.
If you want to incorporate UGCs into your marketing campaigns, keep these tips in mind:
Use your marketing channels to showcase UGC. This also helps cultivate audience loyalty, while encouraging others to participate in your campaign.
Don’t just focus on using UGCs to attract your audience. Ask loyal customers or employees to create original content. Encourage them to focus on sharing their experiences or success stories to educate or inspire others.
Developing Engaging Physical Experiences
Consider exploring physical experiences and how these play into your marketing strategy.
For example, this could mean creating an ecosystem of creative studios where we train and develop potential creators. Perhaps in the future, there will be a physical “Creative Lab” that’s equipped with all the tools creators and ambassadors need to create high-quality content.
For brands, especially those active online, having an offline touchpoint helps cultivate loyalty and adds a tangible experience. With all the focus on AI and the cloud, we shouldn’t forget about physical experiences.
Another related trend is turning attendees into ambassadors for events. You can place a QR code at the venue and invite participants to create original content by taking photos or making video reviews of the event.
Stronger, More Diverse Collaborations
New ideas will emerge when brands strike partnerships with external players. Imagine that you’re an online store and you want to boost sales. Partnering with an affiliate platform allows you to enhance your tracking capabilities.
How else can collaborations fuel brand growth?
If you own a last-mile delivery company, you could use QR codes on packages to invite customers to join your ambassador program. By collaborating with a third-party solutions provider, you can also monetize your databases of specific product buyers’ addresses.
Your couriers can also interact with your customers, inviting them to become brand ambassadors. This, in turn, creates additional touchpoints and opportunities to engage them.
The Growing Popularity of New Technologies
Aside from AI and related technologies, brands can explore integrating fintech solutions into their ambassador programs. Monetary rewards are a major incentive for many users and creators. However, brands face significant challenges when it comes to handling these payments, especially if they’re working with multiple creators.
We’ve been working on a standalone product specifically for ambassadors. With Takefluence, we’re giving brands and ambassadors an easier way to connect with each other and build better relationships.
Work with solutions providers that can help you simplify your payment processing. For example, instead of transferring their earnings to an external bank, your solutions provider could issue a virtual card. Brands can then use these cards to offer them discounts and other benefits.
It’s also worth noting that the fintech space offers significant opportunities for partnerships, especially with younger audiences because financial institutions are very interested in this demographic and their spending habits. By issuing virtual cards and monitoring their transactions, brands can gain valuable insights and offer additional value to their audiences.
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Originally Published on Martech Zone: Ambassador Marketing Trends to Supercharge Your Marketing Efforts