Brand advocate

Brand advocate

Influencer

A brand advocate is a customer, fan or employee who recommends a brand on their own, because they like it, often without being paid.

What is Brand advocate?

Brand advocates are the people already talking about you: repeat customers who tell friends, reviewers who tag your products, staff who share launches. Most have small audiences, but their recommendations are trusted because they are unpaid or lightly rewarded. Turning advocates into a program: brands find advocates through reviews, referrals, tagged posts and customer lists, then invite them to a referral, ambassador or creator program with a link, a discount for their friends and a reward for sales. Advocates vs influencers: an influencer is chosen for reach; an advocate is chosen for love of the brand. Many of the best creators in a program start as advocates.

Example

A pet food brand emails its 200 longest-standing subscribers and invites them to share a personal link. Each gets 10% commission, and their friends get 15% off the first order.

Why Brand advocate Matters

Advocates convert well and cost little, because trust is already there.

Brand advocate FAQ

Do brand advocates get paid?

Brand advocates sometimes get paid. Many advocate for free, and programs often reward them with discounts, free product, store credit or a commission on sales.

How do I find brand advocates?

To find brand advocates, look at repeat customers, reviewers, people who tag you on social media and people who already refer friends.

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