If industry news and LinkedIn marketing gurus are anything to go by, DTC is dying.
The market has never been more competitive. When you couple that with spiraling customer acquisition costs and the fact that consumers have never been more cynical of online brands, the future of eCommerce looks pretty bleak.
It doesn’t need to be that way. We believe the solution lies in how you use your authentic Brand Ambassadors. Here’s three ways:
Challenge
For several years, performance marketing has been a staple in marketing strategies. It has proven to be reliable, predictable and measurable, and so its share of a marketing budget has rarely been questioned.
However, according to Forbes, the cost of performance marketing is becoming so expensive it's forcing spending shifts. It's becoming unsustainable for it to form the crux of your marketing strategy.
Solution
Brand Ambassador programs open up untapped brand building opportunities.
They empower your biggest fans to advocate on your behalf. They create and share content about your product to their audience, through word-of-mouth.
This can be extremely powerful. In fact, a Hubspot article reveals 79% of people say User Generated Content influences their purchasing decisions.
In addition to that, Brand Ambassador programs have the benefit of making marketing more human. They engage an activated part of your network (such as your customers, employees, industry experts and more) and put them in the driver's seat.
(Peter, Ambassador for KUHL)
2. You can differentiate yourself in an increasingly competitive industry
Challenge
Companies often sell similar products under different names. This is clearly where branding comes in. If two products are alike in many ways, the customer’s decision will be heavily informed by what brand they think aligns with their value.
Solution
Brand Ambassadors help you stand out in a sea of similarity.
They can be a signal and reflection of your brand's narrative. People associate your brand with the personality of the people that use them. For instance, you hear Urban Decay and immediately think of its “makeup junkies.”
Brand Ambassadors represent your brand, are influential, and help potential customers distinguish you from competitors.
(Veronica, Professional , Charlotte Tilbury)
Challenge
Influencer marketing strategies have been popular since the rise of social media. After all, the premise is sound. People buy into people. But where it has come up short is in authenticity. YouGov and Grey found that 96% of people are less likely to believe in products recommended by influencers.
Solution
That's where Brand Ambassadors that come from your customer base can be especially useful. They give you authenticity and legitimacy. They send a message to potential buyers that says "Hey, I use this brand and I'm like you, so you can trust it too.”
In fact, 88% of consumers placed the highest level of trust in word-of-mouth recommendations of from people they know.
(Nick, Ambassador for RAB)
Want to learn more about Brand Ambassador programs? Check out 5 successful Brand Ambassador program examples here.
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