In the marketing world, influencers and brand ambassadors have become popular terms to describe individuals who can promote products and influence the opinions and behavior of their followers. Partnering with the right influencers and ambassadors can help increase brand awareness, boost conversions, and drive sales for building product manufacturers. While these roles may seem interchangeable, there are distinct differences between them that should be understood for a successful campaign.
In this article, we’ll explain the difference between an influencer versus a brand ambassador partnership, explore the benefits of having a brand ambassador program, and the steps to create an effective ambassador program that can help take your brand to new heights.
Difference Between an Influencer and Brand Ambassador
Upfluence defines an influencer as someone who can influence a specific community’s thoughts, beliefs, and behavior. They possess specialist knowledge, engage their audience with authentic content, and have a significant following. Building product manufacturers can effectively reach their target audience by partnering with influencers who can promote their products. However, influencers typically represent a brand for a specific campaign, and their relationship concludes after the campaign ends.
[HERE’S A LOOK AT THE BEST TYPES OF INFLUENCERS FOR BUILDING PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS ]
The key difference between an influencer and a brand ambassador is that an influencer partnership involves payment for the influencer to carry out a specific campaign, such as creating a YouTube video, a static post, a shared post, hosting a live event, appearing on a podcast, creating Reels or a series of TikToks, and so on.
On the other hand, brand ambassadors establish a deeper and more long-term connection with a brand. They use the products and services to publicly represent the brand and share their positive experiences in exchange for benefits such as free products, swag, invites to special events, and cross-promotions. Brand ambassadors are recruited as part of a network to raise brand awareness and credibility, leveraging their personal experiences to provide authentic product recommendations. Their relationship with the brand extends beyond a single campaign as they have a vested interest in its success, resulting in more effective and long-term partnerships.
For many building product manufacturers, a primary goal is to raise awareness among professional installers and educate tradespeople about product solutions and installation techniques.
Consider activating brand ambassador partnerships with tradesmen and women who are also micro-influencers. Micro-influencers have a small social media audience of 5,000 – 20,000 followers. This helps them build close, authentic connections with their followers, who look to them as trusted experts in their niche.
Instagram and TikTok have become popular platforms for remodeling, building, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical professionals to promote their businesses and crafts. This presents a unique opportunity for building product manufacturers to connect with these trade influencers’ audiences.
Benefits of Having a Brand Ambassador Program
- Increased Brand Awareness: Partnering with brand ambassadors allows building product manufacturers to reach their target audience with laser-focused targeting. This ensures that the products are promoted to an audience more likely to convert, leading to increased brand awareness and, ultimately, more sales.
- Boosted Conversions with Social Proof: Brand ambassadors can provide social proof by sharing their positive experiences with the products. This helps to build trust and credibility among potential customers, ultimately boosting conversions. Sharing their experiences with followers creates a sense of community and trust that can influence buying decisions.
- Various Campaign Types: Brand ambassador programs can be structured differently, including referral campaigns, organic social promotion, giveaway campaigns, loyalty programs, and more. Each campaign type has its benefits and can be tailored to suit the goals of the building product manufacturer.
- Benefit Options: Brand ambassadors can be incentivized through various benefit options such as free products, company swag, event passes, and cross-promotions. This motivates brand ambassadors to promote the products and strengthens their brand loyalty.
- Improved Innovation: Brand ambassadors become part of your research and development process and play a vital role in innovation by providing feedback and insights on improving products or introducing new ones, ultimately helping to grow your brand.
- Content: Manufacturers often face challenges when it comes to creating real-world, jobsite content internally. However, an ambassador program provides ample opportunities for content creation, especially user-generated content (UGC) that can be shared on social media feeds, stories, websites, and YouTube channels. Additionally, ambassadors can contribute short testimonials for your website and help identify opportunities for larger case studies.
Steps to Create a Successful Brand Ambassador Program
Building a solid ambassador program takes a clear understanding of your brand’s values and goals and how to communicate them to your ambassadors effectively. Here are some steps to create a successful brand ambassador program:
Choose the Right Ambassadors
When launching an ambassador program, it is crucial to choose ambassadors who align with your company’s philosophy and genuinely believe in your products. Look for passionate individuals who are actively engaged on social media and maintain professionalism.
Start by reaching out to contractors who have already expressed satisfaction with your products. These individuals likely have an established relationship with your brand and can provide valuable input as ambassadors. Additionally, consider contractors or influencers with larger social media followings who are already using your products. Their endorsement can greatly enhance your brand’s reach and credibility.
Set, Share, and Track Program Goals
To help your ambassadors become effective advocates for your brand, specify program goals and communicate with them clearly from the beginning. An important part of your Ambassador Program should be creating a contract agreement for the Ambassadors that states their responsibilities and expectations. From there, you can work with ambassadors to track progress and measure the impact of their advocacy.
Provide In-Depth Product Knowledge and Resources
Give ambassadors detailed background information about your brand, including the features and benefits of your products. Provide them with resources such as product guides, brochures, and actual products to help them become well-versed brand experts.
Build Rapport with Ambassadors and Keep Them Updated
To ensure a successful ambassador program, it’s essential to maintain strong relationships with your ambassadors. Keep them informed about your company’s progress and be open to their feedback. Regularly recognize and encourage their successes, and schedule check-ins to address any concerns they may have.
Consider holding a monthly call with your brand ambassadors to discuss upcoming focuses and any action items, such as creating a 30-second how-to video, or explaining a new product or launching a giveaway. Alternatively, you could send a monthly brand ambassador e-blast, which is a convenient and non-time-consuming way of keeping them updated and leveraging your brand.
Apply Some Guidelines and Encourage Authenticity
While it’s essential to provide structure to ensure ambassadors represent your brand properly, encourage them to tell their authentic story and have creative control over their content.
Form a Mutually-Rewarding Relationship
Work to build a strong relationship of trust with your ambassadors. Make an effort to get to know them and support their goals in addition to promoting your brand. This will create a mutually rewarding relationship that supports your growth.
By recognizing influencers’ and ambassadors’ distinct roles and benefits, brands can tailor their marketing strategies effectively to reach their target audience and drive meaningful engagement. Leveraging these partnerships can lead to long-term success, as brand ambassadors forge deep connections with the brand and influencers provide valuable expertise and reach.
Embracing the power of influencers and brand ambassadors can elevate building product brands to new heights, fostering lasting relationships with consumers and establishing a solid presence in the competitive marketplace.
If you want to enhance your social media marketing strategy and increase brand awareness, the GreenHouse team is here to help. With our extensive social media experience, we can work with you on your influencer and ambassador partnerships to effectively reach your target audience and drive engagement. Contact us to learn more and take your brand to the next level.