Five Steps For A Successful Customer Advocacy Program

The phrase the ‘Customer is King’ is often used by marketers and customer service managers to emphasize the importance of customer satisfaction. But how does this satisfaction turn into brand advocacy? At what point does a content customer become an enthusiastic supporter who actively promotes your brand?

The way consumers select products and services has evolved and become more transparent due to increased consumerism, the internet, social media, search engines, and e-commerce. In recent years, personal referrals and review websites have gained popularity as trusted sources of information, followed by news articles and company websites. Traditional advertisements, social media posts, and blogs have lost credibility. The focus has shifted from influencers with a large following to genuine customer advocates who share their experiences.

A strong customer advocacy program is crucial for long-term success. By turning your customers into brand advocates, you can leverage their loyalty and enthusiasm to drive referrals, repeat sales, and reviews, which ultimately grow your business at little cost to the company. 

This blog will outline five key steps to create a successful customer advocacy program. Read on. 

Develop A Strong Understanding Of Your Target Audience

You can start by identifying your ideal customer profile and segmenting your existing customer base. But, you can only create on-point buyer personas if you have excellent Customer Relationship Management (CRM). By doing so, you can create tailored advocacy programs that resonate with different groups and encourage them to become active brand promoters.  

Manage customer preferences and communication channels. Regularly update your customer database to ensure you communicate with them through their preferred channels. This will help you maintain a positive relationship with your customers and avoid overloading them with irrelevant or unwanted communication. 

Have A Referral Program

 

 

By using an advocate platform, you can use the CRM for other functions. You can use it to drive customer referrals through targeted campaigns. Create referral campaigns incentivizing your advocates to share your brand with their network. You can offer rewards for each successful referral and make sharing easy with ready-to-use social media templates and email copy. 

Gain more trust when members recommend friends directly or by sharing custom links. Each referral goes right into your CRM or marketing system, letting members follow their progress transparently. 

Create A Rewards System

 

 

More than 40% of companies require a survey or direct feedback system to understand their customers’ needs. To prioritize their customers, companies should pay attention to what customers value and establish a rewards program that encourages customer advocacy, allowing customers to receive desired benefits.

You can offer exclusive deals, early access to new products, or points that can be redeemed for discounts. The key is to make your customers feel valued and appreciated for their support. Conduct regular surveys to assess customer satisfaction, preferences, and the likelihood of them recommending your business to others. This will help your brand pinpoint areas that need improvement and discover potential advocates who can effectively promote your brand message.

Gather Reviews

 

 

In recent years, consumers have increasingly recognized the importance of researching products, companies, or services before making a purchase. A significant number of online shoppers typically consult one to six customer reviews to guide their decision-making process. Many consumers are willing to pay a premium for products or services from businesses with excellent reviews, while only a small fraction disregard reviews before finalizing a purchase.

Encourage your customers to leave reviews on popular platforms like Google, Yelp, and Amazon. Make the process as easy as possible by sending automated follow-up emails and providing clear instructions and a link to leave a review. Respond to positive and negative reviews to show you care and appreciate the feedback.  

Watch for reviews that describe your service or product well. Incorporate these genuine customer perspectives into marketing campaigns and sales discussions to enhance their effectiveness.  

Post User Content On Social Media

 

 

You can leverage user-generated content (UGC) by encouraging your customers to share their experiences with your brand on social media, blogs, or video platforms. Then you can share their content on your channels and website. Use it in marketing campaigns to build trust and credibility with potential customers. This will inspire others to become advocates and strengthen your brand community. 

Takeaway

Customers want and demand a great experience with your brand. With competition getting stiffer, customers have become more discerning. The next stage after visitors turn into buyers is to make them advocates. 

By understanding clients through your CRM and creating tailored marketing and sales strategies, you can better serve their needs. Implementing a loyalty program, an incentivized referral program, and encouraging user-generated content through participative programs, as well as fostering transparent review generation, can further transform clients into advocates. Plus, encouraging user-generated content through participative programs and fostering transparent review generation can further transform clients into advocates.