Using Social Media Data to Launch and Scale an Ambassador Program

With the boom of social media, businesses have found new ways to identify and connect with potential brand ambassadors. In the past, brand ambassador programs were largely based on word-of-mouth marketing or advertising. However, the rise of social media has enabled businesses to use data from social media platforms to identify potential brand ambassador candidates.

In this blog, we will cover quite a bit, including what a brand ambassador is, how social data can be used to target them, and the benefits and some tips for businesses who want to set up their own ambassador programs.

What is an ambassador program?

An ambassador program is a marketing strategy businesses use to identify, target, and recruit passionate individuals about their product or service. Brand ambassadors are typically loyal customers or followers who share the business’s values and mission. They act as advocates for the business and help promote the business through word-of-mouth marketing. It creates a sense of trust by having an outside entity and relatable figure promoting the business. In fact, 76% of people say that they’re more likely to trust content shared by “normal” people than by brands, and 82% of people seek referrals from peers before making a purchasing decision.

By signing up an influencer or brand ambassador, and providing them with a discount or promo code, businesses can increase their reach and ROI. The ambassador then promotes the business through social media, their blog, or even in-person to their friends, family, colleagues, and followers. They may also provide the code to their followers to use. This can also be labeled "micro-influencer or nano-influencer marketing," which is a more intimate form of influencer marketing that only works with influencers with less than 100,000 followers and in some cases, 10,000 followers or less. These smaller networks allow you to narrow down your target audience and create a more accurate marketing approach.

As the ambassador's followers use their promotional code, they are given a small commission, tracked through the various automated brand ambassador program solutions.

Why do businesses use ambassador programs?

There are several reasons businesses use ambassador programs. For one, ambassador programs can be more cost-effective than other marketing strategies. It’s also been shown to be an efficient way of recruiting compared to other methods. Additionally, a successful brand ambassador program can create a community around the business and its product or service. This can lead to customers feeling more invested in the business and its success.

What are the benefits of using ambassador programs instead of traditional methods of recruitment such as advertising or word-of-mouth marketing?

Ambassador programs might not be a complete replacement for advertising and other marketing channels, but they do have their advantages. As we’ve mentioned, ambassador programs can be more cost-effective than other marketing strategies. Additionally, ambassador programs create a community around the business and its product or service. This can lead to customers feeling more invested in the business and its success.

Another big benefit of ambassador programs is that they can be more efficient than other methods of recruitment. For example, if a business were to use word-of-mouth marketing to recruit ambassadors, they would have to rely on their existing customers or followers to spread the word to potential ambassador candidates. With ambassador programs, businesses can directly target and reach out to potential ambassador candidates through social media. This is especially useful for businesses that might not have a large or established customer base.

How can businesses use social media data to identify potential brand ambassadors?

There are a few ways businesses can use social media data to identify potential brand ambassadors. One way is to look at social media influencers who are already talking about your product or service. You can also use social media data to identify customers who are most engaged with your industry by looking at the followers of your competitors, similar industry accounts, and who post with hashtags relevant to your product or service.

At Growtoro, we automate this process by using our proprietary data scanning technology to identify these exact accounts and collect the publicly available data such as name, location, and email. We target these contacts based on the specific accounts they follow, keywords and hashtags they post, and any social groups they are a part of. Using our cold email engine infrastructure, we can reach out to these great candidates at scale, on behalf of our business clients to inquire about ambassador programs, join their business newsletter, or purchase their products.

How can businesses create ambassador programs that are effective and efficient?

There are a few key things businesses should keep in mind when creating ambassador programs. First, you need to make sure your ambassador program is aligned with your business goals. Your ambassador program and those you invite to join should be focused on long-term relationships.

Additionally, it’s important to have a system in place to track ambassador activity and performance. Here are some examples of highly-ranked ambassador solutions include:

SocialLadder - The SocialLadder software allows you to simplify communication, give online and real-world assignments, keep track of activity, and recognize effective ambassadors who help to promote your business. Our experienced consultants will design and execute a campaign that is both integrated and comprehensive, allowing you to focus on the bigger picture rather than managing day-to-day operations.

Refersion - Refersion is a program that allows you to manage your affiliate marketing campaigns and track their results. With over 589,000 registered affiliates and 16,000 merchants, it's one of the most popular programs for tracking affiliate success. Refersion is great because you don't need any technical knowledge to set up and operate full influencer and affiliate marketing efforts that work with your online store.

LeadDyno - Influencer, ambassador, and affiliate marketing solutions are all available through LeadDyno, a brand ambassador marketing software. This system works with Shopify, WooCommerce, and Amazon Seller Central e-commerce platforms. The ability to develop and track a variety of marketing activities for ambassadors in the program is one of this brand ambassador program management tool's greatest features.

Referal-Factory - The Referral Factory software is a referral marketing solution that makes managing referrals simple. You'll get all you need in the box. You can send invites, manage each connection, promote your initiatives like a professional, and much more with no effort on your part.

Finally, you need to promote your ambassador program. This can be done through social media, email marketing, or even word-of-mouth. Make sure you let your ambassador know what’s expected of them and what they can expect in return.

Again, businesses that use social media data to identify potential brand ambassadors and create ambassador programs that are effective and efficient can see a number of benefits, including increased sales, improved customer retention, and more engaged customers.

Finally, brand ambassador programs are an excellent approach to forming connections with consumers who are already enthusiastic about your product or service, and by using social media data to identify potential ambassadors, you can quickly create an ambassador program that is efficient and effective. If you’re not sure where to start, our team at Growtoro can help you get started. For more information on how we can help you create an ambassador program, contact us today or visit www.growtoro.com.