Happy Black Friday! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, dear reader, and are now contributing to the global economy through holiday gift shopping. I splurged on some new books thanks to Amazon’s Black Friday Deals and a discounted hotel room for my annual trip to New York City. I know my priorities! Books and travel. That’s me in a nutshell.
Anyway, I did two things today that reminded me about the importance of brand loyalty and advocacy. First, I booked the same hotel I always stay at in New York City, the James. This will be the third year I’ve stayed there. Despite the hundreds of other options available and at discount prices, I wanted to stay in a place I knew was worth the money and would treat me with exceptional customer service. The second thing I did was recommend my favorite Airbnb host in Hollywood, Florida, a place I’ve been visiting for 20 years and hope to relocate soon. I’ve stayed in more than ten hotels and AirBnB in this little beach town, and I always come back to Jeff because his customer service is extraordinary, and his rates are always competitive. Someone I don’t know posted in a Hollywood Facebook Group asking for a recommendation, and I was happy to provide her one. I know Jeff will treat her right. These two simple acts in a matter of minutes exemplify how powerful brand loyalty and advocacy can be.
In my last Content Marketing Musings article, I took a look at some of content that will build and nurture brand loyalty. For this blog post, let’s look at brand advocacy and why a brand should strive to enhance advocacy among their most loyal customers. First, I need to distinguish between loyalty and advocacy and explain just how unique brand advocates are.
Loyalty versus Advocacy
Brand advocates and loyal customers represent different levels of engagement and commitment to a brand. Advocates go beyond being loyal customers. Brand advocates actively promote and recommend a brand to others. They voluntarily share their positive experiences, often through word of mouth, social media, or other channels. Brand advocates do not need to be paid to promote their favorite brands. In fact, they may feel offended if they are asked to. Advocates are motivated by a genuine passion for the brand. They have had exceptional experiences with the brand and want to share those positive experiences with others. These individuals actively participate in activities that promote the brand, such as writing reviews, creating user-generated content, participating in referral programs, and engaging with the brand on social media.
Loyal customers are dedicated to a brand and consistently make repeat purchases. While they continue to support the brand, they may not necessarily engage in promotional activities or actively recommend the brand to others. Loyal customers may be motivated by a combination of factors, including satisfaction with the product or service, convenience, or habit. They can be motivated through loyalty programs that offer them incentives to buy more from a brand. Loyal customers primarily contribute to the brand’s success through their continued business. While they contribute to the brand’s revenue and stability, their influence might be more limited to their immediate network.
While loyal customers are essential for a brand’s stability and success, brand advocates take loyalty to the next level by actively promoting and endorsing the brand to a wider audience. Both are valuable for a brand, but brand advocates have a more outward-facing and actively promotional role. The trick is providing brand advocates with the tools and messaging to use as they promote a brand without losing the authentic and organic nature inherent in voluntary advocacy.
The Value of Brand Advocacy
Brand advocates are a valuable asset for several key reasons:
Authenticity and Trust
Brand advocates are real, satisfied customers who genuinely love a brand’s products or services. Their enthusiasm shines through every conversation about a brand. Because of this, their recommendations and endorsements are viewed as more authentic and trustworthy than traditional advertising.
Word of Mouth Marketing
Advocates can’t help but engage in word-of-mouth marketing, sharing their positive experiences with friends, family, and social networks. They will sing their favorite brand’s praises at every chance they get. This organic sharing can lead to increased brand visibility and credibility.
Cost-Effective Promotion
Leveraging brand advocates is a cost-effective way to promote a brand. It’s essentially free marketing since advocates are typically not compensated for their support.
Extended Reach
Advocates can significantly expand a brand’s reach. Their recommendations can reach audiences a brand might not have access to or market to.
Feedback and Insights
Advocates are often thrilled to provide valuable feedback and insights about their favorite brand’s products or services. This feedback can help a brand improve and innovate marketing messaging, product offerings, and more.
Influence over Others
Advocates can influence the purchasing decisions of their friends, family, and social media followers. They act as a bridge between a brand and potential customers.
Long-Term Relationships
Engaging with brand advocates can lead to long-term relationships. Over time and with strategic planning from a brand’s marketing team, they can evolve into brand ambassadors who play an active role in a brand’s marketing strategy.
Organic Growth
Advocacy programs foster organic growth. By nurturing advocates and providing them with tools and incentives, a brand can create a cost-effective and self-sustaining cycle of promotion with positive results.
Competitive Advantage
Having a dedicated group of brand advocates can provide a competitive advantage. It sets a brand apart and helps it stand out in a crowded market.
Overall, brand advocates can be a driving force behind any brand’s success, enhancing credibility, reach, and loyalty.
Characteristics of a Brand Advocate
Brand advocates are a unique group of people. They are not just happy customers. They genuinely love and believe in a brand’s products or services. Their enthusiasm is authentic and not motivated by compensation. They have had multiple positive experiences with a brand and want to share their experiences with others. Advocates actively share their positive experiences with a brand through word of mouth, social media, reviews, and recommendations to friends and family. They often take the initiative to create and post user-generated content online without prompting from a brand.
Brand advocates consistently engage with a brand by making repeat purchases, writing positive online reviews, participating in discussions about a brand’s products, and more. Advocates are very well-informed about the brand’s products or services. They often answer questions and provide valuable insights to other customers.
Advocates engage with a brand’s online and offline community, participating in forums, social media groups, or other shared spaces where they can interact with like-minded customers. They are willing to help other customers by sharing their knowledge, providing guidance, and addressing questions or concerns. Advocates often maintain a long-term relationship with a brand. They are not just one-time buyers but customers who continue to interact with a brand over time.
Brand advocates often align with a brand’s values, mission, and identity, making them strong representatives of brand culture. Most importantly, they are willing to advocate for a brand voluntarily. They are not driven by incentives but by their authentic love for the brand’s products or services.
These characteristics make brand advocates highly valuable for marketing and customer retention efforts. They can help create a positive brand image, drive word-of-mouth marketing, and foster a sense of community among all customers and even the general community.
The Power of Advocacy
Here are the stats to support my assertion about the power of brand advocacy.
- 92% of global consumers trust user-generated content and word-of-mouth marketing more than advertising. (Jay Baer)
- More than 80% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know more than any other advertising format. (Source)
- Earned media, such as reviews, testimonials, and positive press, generate 4x more brand lift than paid media. (AdRoll)
- Word-of-mouth recommendations drive 20 to 50% of all purchase decisions. (AdRoll)
- Customers who are emotionally connected with a brand have a 306% higher lifetime value than those who are simply satisfied. Emotionally connected customers also recommend brands at a much higher rate — more than 30%. (Source: Motista)
The story of brand advocacy is one of organic marketing and business growth, fueled by genuine customer experiences and a deep connection between consumers and a brand. Because some of my favorite vacations were at The James Hotel in New York and Jeff’s AirBnBs in Florida, I am happy to go out of my way to recommend them and sing their praises to people I know and those I don’t. I know they will have a great time and will come away loving these accommodations as much as I do. Genuine connections and exceptional experiences turn loyal customers into passionate advocates. Brand advocacy is about the people who believe in and share a brand’s story with the world.
If you’d like to learn more about brand advocacy or build an advocacy program to enhance your brand, please contact me today.
