How can you ensure customer advocacy programs are genuine?

1 Define your goals and metrics

Before you launch any customer advocacy program, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. Do you want to increase awareness, retention, sales, or referrals? How will you track the impact of your advocates on your bottom line? What kind of incentives and rewards will you offer them? How will you segment and target your potential advocates? Having a solid strategy and plan will help you align your program with your business objectives and avoid wasting time and resources.

2 Choose the right advocates

Not every customer is a suitable advocate for your brand. You need to identify and recruit those who have a strong affinity, loyalty, and satisfaction with your products and services. You can use surveys, reviews, feedback, social media, and other data sources to find out who are your most engaged and happy customers. You can also ask for referrals from your existing advocates, as they are likely to know other people who share their enthusiasm. Once you have a list of potential advocates, you need to qualify them based on their relevance, influence, reach, and fit with your brand values and message.

3 Provide value and recognition

To motivate and retain your advocates, you need to provide them with value and recognition. Value can come in different forms, such as discounts, freebies, access, education, or networking. Recognition can be expressed through public praise, badges, certificates, or leaderboards. You need to find out what your advocates value most and tailor your rewards accordingly. You also need to communicate with them regularly, thank them for their efforts, and solicit their feedback and suggestions. By showing them that you appreciate and respect them, you will foster a lasting and mutually beneficial relationship.

4 Monitor and moderate

To ensure that your customer advocacy programs are genuine, you need to monitor and moderate the activities and content of your advocates. You need to make sure that they comply with your guidelines, ethics, and regulations, and that they do not engage in any spammy, misleading, or harmful behavior. You also need to check the quality and relevance of their testimonials, reviews, referrals, or social media posts, and provide them with constructive feedback and guidance. You can use tools and platforms that help you track, manage, and measure the performance of your advocates and their impact on your goals.

5 Showcase and celebrate

One of the best ways to boost the authenticity and effectiveness of your customer advocacy programs is to showcase and celebrate the achievements and stories of your advocates. You can feature them on your website, blog, newsletter, social media, or case studies, and highlight how they benefit from your products and services. You can also invite them to share their experiences and insights with other customers, prospects, or stakeholders, and leverage their influence and credibility. By showcasing and celebrating your advocates, you will not only reward them, but also inspire others to join your program and become loyal fans.