Advocacy marketing , or referral marketing, is a form of marketing that emphasizes getting existing customers to talk about the company and its products. More than 80% of buyers research online before purchasing, and finding people like them talking about the product often builds trust.
This marketing technique is closely related to traditional word of mouth (WOM ) by highlighting user conversations about our products or services.
What is advocacy marketing for ?
Creating a strong community of brand advocates , brand ambassadors, is a marketing strategy that can give us excellent results in our e-commerce , marketplaces … Who hasn’t decided to buy one product over a similar one after reading positive reviews from other buyers?
Advocacy marketing strategies
Providing excellent customer service and always putting the customer at the center is a basic premise of any brand strategy. Getting them to speak positively about our product and become our ambassadors is, therefore, an aspect we must work on continuously.
But we can’t forget our inner potential. Have you seen the recent Amazon or Balay TV commercials? They’re just two examples, advertising, of course, with employees speaking highly of their company.
But, on a day-to-day basis, our employees should be our first advocates. The Decathlon Community is a good example of this.
A further step would be to generate synergies with influencers and micro-influencers , but with careful selection because some influencers begin to resemble “everything-fits-all bazaars” rather than advocates of brands with which they identify or share values.
Returning to our customers, gamification techniques will be very useful in motivating them to actively engage with our brand, generating positive relationships and, thus, turning them into true brand advocates . And, of course, in strengthening our relationships and maintaining them over the long term.
Pros and cons of advocacy marketing
Encouraging customers to talk about our products can be a double-edged sword. What happens if, instead of speaking positively, as we hoped, they start speaking negatively, criticizing a product defect or the customer service they received?
Don’t panic! We have a new opportunity to win over those dissatisfied customers. Renowned online marketing expert Jay Baer saw this so clearly that he wrote Hug Your Haters, the first book on modern customer service. He explains how to take advantage of these situations because, as he rightly states, the problem isn’t the haters , it’s ignoring them.
Once we’ve overcome the hurdle of those who speak ill of us, advocacy marketing will undoubtedly help us:
- Build customer loyalty by increasing engagement between them and our brand.
- Obtain greater profitability since our own clients will bring us new clients, thus achieving an increase in sales without the need for large investments.
- Reinforce brand image : Positive recommendations and reviews always add value, helping us create and maintain a strong brand image.
Some examples of advocacy marketing
Many brands have already understood the importance of giving their customers a voice and allow them to express opinions or make ratings on their own websites.
Amazon has ensured that we don’t just look at price, but that other users’ opinions can be decisive when choosing one product or another.