Getting the word out about a new and upcoming brand can be difficult in this day in age. There is such a saturation of information through a wide range of mediums that people often seem to ignore everything.
Luckily companies have been coming up with creative marketing strategies to adapt to the changing times. While social media and attention-grabbing stunts are definitely effective, one of the most powerful methods continues to be through word of mouth. This is where brand ambassadors can be a major asset to your company. They do this by humanizing and attracting more people to your brand while also improving engagement.
Characteristic #1: Represent the Brand’s Personality
The first thing that any good brand ambassador will do is educate themselves on the ethos and history of the brand. Ambassadors should be able to reflect the attitude and personality of the brand as a result. This is vitally important when dealing with potential customers because they will better understand what the brand’s purpose is.
They will also be more likely to identify with the brand because they’re able to forge a personal connection with it. If brand ambassadors keep this in mind when they are working trade shows or canvasing they will be more successful overall.
Characteristic #2: Basic Understanding of Marketing Principles
While brand ambassadors serve a social outreach role, marketing is at the core of the position; this is its foremost role. Now, this does not mean that every brand ambassador needs to have a degree in marketing or business. In fact, it is not necessary at all for this position. What is necessary, however, is a basic understanding of core principles, as well as an appreciation of the purpose of this role.
In particular, they need to understand the importance of authenticity and transparency in modern marketing. After all, we are living in a digital world and word travels at exponential speed. All that any brand ambassador requires is some basic training and a sociable personality with an approachable demeanor.
Characteristic #3: An Ability to Grow Relationships
This is a useful life skill in general, but is especially valuable in a growing business context. Brand ambassadors are not door-to-door salespeople who are looking to make a one-time sale. Instead, they seek to forge long term business relationships based on trust and honesty.
These kinds of loyal relationships will be beneficial to the brand because they often introduce their own friends and family if they like the product. Brand ambassadors can easily maintain these relationships through honesty and being attentive.
They should follow up with their leads and sales to monitor satisfaction on the part of the customer. Consistency of brand ambassadors is also a great way to ensure that these relationships have the appropriate time to develop.
Characteristic #4: Passion
Passion is infectious and cannot be manufactured. A brand ambassador either has it or they do not, but for the sake of the brand they are hopefully passionate about the product. If they are, potential customers will quickly pick up on their enthusiasm and will be more likely to try it themselves.
The best way to ensure passionate brand ambassadors is to let them test the product themselves. This way they will know it well and have an established opinion on the product. They will also be better equipped to give nuanced answers for any questions which may arise.
Another option is to hire established customers of the brand. Often these connections make the best ambassadors because they formed positive opinions on the products by themselves.
Characteristic #5: Professionalism
This should be a given for any position that is hired. Brand ambassadors, while not usually hired directly by the company, are still representative of the brand itself. Needless to say, any representation should be of the highest quality.
In the same way that companies want brand ambassadors who reflect their ethos, unprofessional ambassadors should never be given a second chance. This is because unprofessionalism, whether due to language or attire, this reflects poorly on the company.
Characteristic #6: Leadership
Brand ambassadors often work without supervision. This means that in order to be effective they need to be self-driven and take initiative. They should be able to engage with potential customers without being told to and have the ability to spot good candidates for this.
Once they have worked a few shifts they should also be able to direct newer ambassadors. This takes confidence and natural leadership ability. When hiring brand ambassadors, look for those who have worked in management or other positions of authority in the past. This is a good indication of how they will fair in this role.
Characteristic #7: Established Online Presence
Having an established online presence is always a bonus when it comes to brand ambassadors. After all, we’re living in a connected world and the larger the number of people they are able to reach, the more beneficial to your company.
Of course, that does not mean that every brand ambassador need tens of thousands of Twitter and Instagram followers, but having an active and established presence is a good place to start. People are more likely to trust recommendations of those who they know first-hand, so a positive tweet from a brand ambassador might result in some new customers.
Characteristic #8: Team Player
Above everything else, brand ambassadors should see themselves as team players. It isn’t about who is the most successful on the team because if everyone does well, the team has done fantastically overall.
A brand ambassador doesn’t hesitate to help a teammate out if they see they’re stuck for instance. This also creates a sense of comradery that the customer can appreciate.
Brand ambassadors are key for any marketing strategy these days. They place a friendly face on the brand while also answering any and all questions that a potential customer might have. They are especially effective at trade shows when people are looking for a particular service or product.
They are definitely worth the investment, because in the end it doesn’t matter how flashy a display is if there is no one there who can articulate the company in a relatable manner.
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