Recommendations.
Referrals.
Revenues.
In 2011, Fast Company published its annual ranking of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World that included Apple, Facebook, Google, Nike, General Electric… and DonorsChoose.org! It was the first time a charity had made that list.
Another point Fuggetta makes in his book is that traditional marketing and advocate marketing (as he calls it) can complement each other very effectively. That resonated for me. In addition to using online testimonials, using them in paid advertising can “double performance of their paid media.”
So, what has your small business or nonprofit been doing with its brand advocates? Do you know who they are? How are you leveraging their love for you?