With all the noise online today, people are getting better and better at tuning out advertisements. Despite all the distractions on the internet, who does everyone continue listening to? Their friends. With social media, you have the opportunity to move your marketing from a one-way broadcast to a two-way conversation about you between people who value eachother’s opinions. You have the ablility to listen and use their positive experiences and voice, thus turning customers into brand ambassadors.
A brand ambassador recommends their preferred services and products because they like them so much that they want others to know. By offering your best customers the tools to like, tweet, and share photos about your business, you’re helping them spread the word about you. Your biggest fans will not only buy from you, but they’ll become someone who buys again and wants to share the experience with their friends and suggest they do the same. Their friends will listen because they trust their opinion over a Facebook ad.
So how do you find these “brand ambassadors”? It’s about finding the customers who really care. To start getting talked about, you have to be present and available online. Transparency is no longer an option. The more your customers see you your business stories online, the more likely they are to remember you and starting writing about you. A strong social media presence that reaches out to customers is the best way to be seen. Provide a platform for them to express themselves and ask them questions to start creating dialogue. Give your customers rewards such as coupons they can use and pass along to their friends to make them feel special. Do whatever you can to make them feel a part of your community.
Allowing your customers to start or join in on a conversation about you or your product will increase your credibility and following online. Your image is now in the hands of your customers, so start engaging with them and they will become your best advertisement.
