The “brand advocates” are fast becoming an essential part of marketing campaigns on social networks. When we speak of “brand advocate”, we are referring to those consumers evangelists or brand ambassadors who support or feel devotion to certain brands and share their opinion about the company’s products and services in conversations with other people both on the Internet and outside.
There are as many types of brand ambassadors “as there are types of users, from experts in the industry, employees of the brand itself, consumers who use those recommendations, users who seek discounts or offers, and even in some cases those who charge for it. For some of these consumers being a “brand advocate” is something new that grows as the user participates in more social sites.
For Kimberly Maul, analyst at eMarketer, thanks to these “influencers” of opinion, brands can expand the “Word of Mouth” ‘online, reach more people and increase that relationship with users.
The company Zuberance, which works with some companies to determine the profiles of these influential consumers “and how to interact with them and obtain results, defines them as Internet users who recommend brands, products and services at least once a year and without receiving payments. In return. They can do it both in person and through social networks or simply online.
In January of this year the company Zuberance conducted a study in which he discovered that 38% of Americans make a recommendation once a month while 12% do it several times a week. In addition, 70% recommended at least five products or services in a year and 16% recommended at least fifteen products or services in that same period of time.
The main reasons why it is recommended according to the survey is first, with 50%, for having enjoyed a good experience with that product or service, with 37% because they want to help others and 8% what they want. only when asked about it.
From Maul’s point of view, because the average consumer easily relies on the opinions of friends and family, a “brand advocate” can influence them even more.