Under the Robin Samora brand, I have two business lines; marketing and consulting, and brand ambassadors. They complement each other nicely because marketing needs brand advocates, influencers and followers, and brand ambassadors and promotional campaigns need marketing strategy. 

For over 20 years, I’ve been a brand advocate promoting big brands and smaller brands, in person, at conferences and workshops, through social media, and also as a speaker and presenter. Brand ambassadors or BA’s as they’re sometimes called, are hired or asked officially or unofficially to influence a crowd, target audience, and help promote a specific call-to-action. 

5 Reasons You Need Brand Ambassadors to Market Your Business

1. Times have changed. Once upon a time our social circles were limited to our neighbors, immediate family, and close friends. Now, many of our decisions are based on what other people say. Positive word of mouth is powerful and a credible brand ambassador connects your brand to millions of people around the world easily and in real time. 
2. Stand out from your competitors. Brand Ambassadors amplify your brand’s voice and mission. They provide honest and authentic social proof, and strike up conversations about your brand’s or company’s strong points. They influence by storytelling and engaging — how your product or service has made their life easier or happier or [fill in the blanks] , which creates high-value in the eyes of the buyer. 
3. Brand ambassadors drive customer growth. BA’s help to expand audience reach and connect to an extended network of people outside your circle. The more influential your brand ambassador’s personality or social group is, the more likely they can increase traffic to your website and ramp up sales. Their mission is to engage in-person or on social media. Your job is to make sure your website and sales funnel converts.  
4. People purchase products their peers are passionate about. So many P’s! Most buyers care about what the everyday person says about a brand, not what ads tell you or try to sell you. Third party endorsement, like PR or word of mouth is far more believable. When a brand advocate is fired up and aligned with your company’s mission and values, there’s higher credibility. Ultimately, the perfect brand ambassador will bridge the gap between your company and your ideal customer, and steer them your way.
5. Event marketing will eventually come back. The world isn’t event friendly right now, but events will come back. Whether you hire brand advocates for in-person events, to influence a target audience on social media, or have a team of volunteers or employee to train, what’s important is to create a strategic plan and hire the best BA for the job. Make sure you have brand awareness training, tangible goals, and open communication. 

Like any marketing program, a brand ambassador campaign should deliver results. To be effective, you’ll want to measure social engagement, traffic to your website, sales, and the number of earned mentions you receive. Earned mention = free publicity you never had to pay for.