Brand ambassador programs are a key aspect of any successful marketing strategy. Brand ambassadors help reach new audiences and sell more products. Consumers trust recommendations and opinions from people they know and make purchasing decisions based off of their input.

Brand advocates are dedicated fans who are eager and excited to let their friends and family know how much they love a product or brand without being prompted to do so. The best authentic brand ambassadors are advocate voices you want to be amplified on social media. Gone are the days of random hires and forced sales pitches to sell products. Brands need ambassadors who are going to live and breathe the brand message and lifestyle. They not only need to be knowledgeable, but genuinely invested in the brands they represent. So how do you find social influencers to recruit as brand ambassadors?

Do Your Homework
Invest the appropriate time and energy into the process of finding the right people to represent your brand. The interviewing and surveying process is probably the most important step when searching for authentic and genuine social influencers. You want to work with people who are fully invested and committed to your vision, believe in your products and who sincerely love your brand.

Provide Resources & Training
The level and quality of training and education brand ambassadors are receiving is only getting better. Brands are putting more time and money into making sure their advocates are fully informed, engaged and excited about their role. Brands should take time to make sure ambassadors know what is expected from them, as well as tips to achieve the goals. The more you educate brand ambassadors the better they will be able to influence others. Immersing brand ambassadors in your company’s inner circle and communicating clearly and openly with them will produce stellar results.

Build Relationships & Engagement
Brand ambassadors aren’t created overnight. Authenticity is something that’s built from a genuine loyalty and solid relationship. It takes consistency, collaboration and deliberate interactions to build strong relationships. Instead of recruiting ambassadors for a couple of campaigns, lay the foundation for consistent campaign participation and growth. Don’t focus on only campaign results. Communicate regularly with ambassadors to learn more about your target audience and what influences them.

Focus On Social Media Savviness 

Brand ambassadors need have a social media presence and be able to execute influencer marketing campaigns. The ability to create and share efficiently on the different social media platforms should be a prerequisite for any brand ambassador. Their content should be engaging enough to inspire consumers to trust and purchase from your brand. The best brand ambassadors are the people who are promoting a product in a manner that seems completely organic and not overly salsey. Natural enthusiasm for the brand and passion for social media are the main factors in quality brand ambassadors.

Reach, Resonance & Relevance
To have influence doesn’t mean someone has to be a celebrity or have a huge following. A person can have influence with a matter of the right reach, resonance and relevance. Brand ambassadors may be closer than you think, such as your customers and employees. It’s easy to overlook these groups because they’re already engrossed with the brand, but that’s why it works. Since some of these people are already genuinely impressed and in love with a brand, they’ll be open to sharing honest experiences about why they love it so much. Reaching theses different networks is a whole new audience for brands.

Conclusion
Identifying passionate customers or enthusiastic employees is just the beginning of building a pool of authentic brand ambassadors. Once advocates are selected, it’s important to nurturing those relationships and engage with them on a regular basis. Influence is not a one-size-fits-all model. Trustworthy, genuine and enthusiastic brand ambassadors come from all sorts of places, the trick is finding the right ones in order to build a dependable network of people who will represent a brand with true authenticity.