Today’s consumers trust their circles of contacts much more than they trust advertising: as Philip Kotler states, a recommendation or a friend’s advice has a much greater influence in our purchasing decisions than an advertising message that comes directly to us from the brand. It is the power of “word of mouth,” which has always been considered the most effective form of advertising and has become even more strategic today precisely because of the constant advertising exposure to which, as consumers, we are subjected on a daily basis.
And if a customer’s opinion carries so much weight and value for its own circle of contacts, how can a brand nurture this word-of-mouth and foster advocacy among this cluster of users? The secret lies behind an effective brand advocacy strategy. Let’s find out together what it is.
Brand advocate: who they are and how to recognize them
Let’s start with an initial definition: with the term “brand advocate” are defined as clusters of particularly loyal brand customers who advocate for the company itself and its products through their channels and in their circle of contacts.
They are not real influencers nor ambassadors: brand advocates, in fact, can be considered real fans of the brand who, with their word of mouth, positively influence both brand awareness and brand reputation. Real customers, therefore, who are not appointed by the company, as in the case of ambassadors, nor paid for their activity, like influencers, but are perceived as spontaneous supporters of the brand. The persuasive power of their message is thus encapsulated in their authenticity and their being perceived as completely disinterested.
Brand advocacy and customer engagement: how to turn the customer into an advocate
Although spontaneity remains by far the defining characteristic of brand advocate activity, as we can well imagine, the role a company can play in fostering and nurturing word of mouth is crucial.
The first step, as can be easily guessed, lies behind an effective activity of profiling and segmentation of one’s customer base: it is essential in the first place to know and recognize the most loyal customers, to understand what stimulates them to make repeated purchases, what are the elements and peculiarities of the brand that satisfy them most, and to work precisely on these levers so that the word-of-mouth that, spontaneously they have triggered, can be nurtured.
Clearly, as with any nurturing activity, it is the relationship that is created between brand and consumer that plays an absolutely crucial role. In fact, a brand advocacy strategy cannot materialize in an advertising campaign, but is something that must be nurtured and reinforces value precisely over time.
Get to know your best customers, incentivize them to give comments and reviews, offer them rewards, win them over with exclusive promotions and giveaways, send personalized messages and in-depth content that make them feel part of the brand, invite them to exclusive events-they will no longer feel like just customers, but an integral part of the brand, and more easily become true advocates.
Between profiling and personalization: the role of marketing automation in a brand advocacy strategy
Although reference is often made to the importance of personalizing the customer experience in order to increase customer loyalty over time, much of the effort, in strategic terms, often, is exhausted in the early stages of the funnel, that is, those from awareness to purchase.
In fact, it is in the stages following the purchase that the contribution of a marketing automation strategy can be really significant. It enables:
- precisely define clusters and segments of users on whom it is appropriate to work in order to turn them into brand advocates for the company. Imagine being able to identify the best customers by collecting data and information inherent in interests, behaviors and buying habits from all physical and digital touchpoints of their customer journey;
- engage customers with personalized experiences that enhance them first and foremost as individuals before they are consumers. The customer will thus have the perception of being at the center of the brand’s interests. All this translates into the ability to personalize the on-site and off-site browsing and purchasing experience through communications, messages and offers that are absolutely in line with their interests and needs;
- be timely i.e. to be able to communicate not only the right message to the right person but also at the most opportune time. Let’s imagine how effective it can be to send a coupon code to a customer who has just given a review on our site or invited a friend to register on our shop, rather than an email with an invitation to take part in a special event at the nearest store to all VIP users who log in from a particular location.
If brand advocacy can be seen as the final stage of the customer loyalty process, as the customer itself transforms from a consumer to a brand promoter, it is important that it emerges as a natural evolution of the relationship between brand and consumer, where value arises precisely from the latter’s active role.
It is therefore important to remember how marketing automation and brand advocacy strategy should, at this stage, reward active customer participation: the advice is not only to personalize the customer experience, but above all to engage the customer. Personalized workflows that guide them to discover exclusive programs and initiatives, but above all contests and contests that invite them to actively participate by sharing their experience with the brand and products.
Brand advocacy: a well-rounded strategy
The positive fallout of a brand advocacy strategy is measured at the very moment it rests its foundation on careful analysis and profiling of its audience. Like any effective strategy, however, it cannot disregard the involvement of multiple aspects and a more holistic approach.
- Invest in the quality of your product and efficient customer care service-they are your first calling card in the eyes of the customer.
- Know and recognize your best customers and engage them with “sizing up” initiatives and messages.
- Deliver a personalized and valuable customer experience at every customer interaction opportunity.
- Adopt a customer -centric approach by placing customer interests and needs at the center of your strategy.
- Engage customers with activities and initiatives that will enhance their value and help them nurture positive word of mouth.
While good old word-of-mouth is still an important resource for your marketing strategy, the use of efficient, high-performance technological solutions and a new customer-focused approach are today’s winning weapons to nurture it and make it even more effective.
