Turn Influential Fans Into Brand Ambassadors With B2B Influencer Marketing

What turns an influencer into a brand ambassador?

One answer you might be hearing more often is, “A big ol’ wad of cash.”

But while it’s true that B2B influencers want to get paid (don’t we all?), there’s an enthusiasm and authenticity that money alone can’t buy. And once you have a group of true brand ambassadors on board, you’ve got something wonderful that your competition can’t duplicate.

At the heart of it, creating brand ambassadors means pulling your influencers into a purposeful community united in common interests and goals. It means making an ongoing effort to engage and delight these folks so they can engage and delight their audiences.

[bctt tweet=”“At the heart of it, creating brand ambassadors means pulling your influencers into a purposeful community united in common interests and goals.” — Joshua Nite @NiteWrites” username=”toprank”]

In our 2022 B2B Influencer Marketing Report, we saw that marketers with ongoing influencer programs reported a higher degree of success than those with one-off campaigns. That’s the difference between hiring influencers and cultivating ambassadors.

Here’s how to create an ambassadorship for your brand.

1 — Identify your influential fans

The first step is to find the folks who have an engaged audience, are experts on their subject matter, and ideally are talking about your brand already (that part’s helpful but less essential).

Tools like Traackr and Meltwater can help you find people engaging on a particular topic or even directly mentioning your brand.

Don’t get too wrapped up in who has the highest follower counts — reach is an important part of the equation, but it’s not the only part. Look for:

An engaged audience that shares and comments
An engaged influencer who replies to comments and thanks people for shares
A high degree of relevance to your brand’s area of expertise

Essentially, you’re looking for an influential conversation starter, not just someone broadcasting deep thoughts into the ether. It’s a good idea to look for up-and-coming talent, too: People who may not have built a big audience yet but have big ideas and could use a little promotion.

2 — Build a relationship

One thing all influencers have in common: They want their work to be seen and recognized. So the fastest way to build a relationship is to offer sincere and public praise for their work. And don’t stop at kind words: Share their content from your brand and individual social media accounts.

When you share, pull out a key point they’re …read more

Source:: Top Rank Blog