Building Brand Ambassadors

If you’re like me, you’ve completely given up on most forms of mass-market advertising. Television and radio have become too fragmented. Satellite services and digital media have cut deeply into traditional platforms – especially among younger consumers. Nobody reads their mail anymore, and email blasts are hit or miss at best. It’s no secret that the media landscape is changing at breakneck speeds. The question is – how can small, independent businesses cut through the media fog and engage with prospective clients?

Use the oldest and most powerful advertising method in retail history: word of mouth.

Oddly enough, the solution might have been staring us in the face all along. Maybe it’s time to abandon traditional unidirectional advertising and spend our time, money and energy deputizing some of our best, most influential clients. With a little effort, we can transform these satisfied customers into advocates for our businesses and reach larger, more receptive audiences using the oldest and most powerful advertising method in retail history: word of mouth.

Selecting Brand Ambassadors

Brand ambassadors can be people of any age, experience or interest. Educators, repair technicians, social media influencers, local celebrities, worship leaders and business executives are all excellent choices. They should be good communicators, love your business and the products you sell and have some meaningful influence in your community. Once you have selected some good candidates, get to know them better. Trust is a key element to this kind of relationship, and you’ll need some time to determine if the folks you are considering would make good advocates for your business. Take as much time as you need. Once you’ve decided you feel comfortable with a potential brand ambassador, ask them how they feel about your business and how you might be able to help each other in the days ahead.

I have been fortunate to form relationships with several great piano teachers. One, I discovered, has an Instagram account with over 50,000 followers. I took the time to meet him and begin building a friendship with him. Now, I provide him with a tuned piano and free recording space, and he tags my business whenever he posts. He performs concerts for my clients and even plays some of his music for my YouTube channel. The relationship is still developing, but it is an excellent example of how our best customers can become our most powerful resources.

Cultivating the Relationship

Once you have selected the best candidates for your new team of brand ambassadors, it’s time to begin training them to represent your store. Over time, you’ll want to make sure they know your company’s story, are familiar with your employees and have a good handle on why the brands you carry are so valuable to you. You’ll also want to make sure they can enthusiastically relay key elements of your marketing message to their followers, students or colleagues. This takes time to develop. Why not host private meet-and-greet sessions with your brand ambassadors and popular artists or factory representatives? Have some refreshments on hand, give away some promotional swag and give your ambassadors a chance to have an insider experience. It’s something they will talk or write about for a long time after.

I once built an internship program as a special favor for the local university. Each spring, I would host six to nine music majors for a real, hands-on experience in music retail and piano repair. Not only did this build tremendous loyalty from the faculty, it helped us sell pianos too. Each influencer has different needs and interests. Find ways to reward your brand ambassadors and they will pay you back in spades. MI