Facebook: the new home for brand ambassadors
When social media tools such as blogs, podcasts and then Twitter and Facebook came to the fore, a common comparison for social capital was the peer recommendation. That is, blogging that you like X product is the same as going to a sewing circle (don't laugh; they still exist under the name "Stitch and Bitch") or recipe exchange and saying, "Oh, you know what I found that works really well for that? X product!"
In the early days, we often equated social media mentions with recommendations or criticism, depending on the sentiment. And perhaps when social media was limited to blogs and podcasts, that might have been true.
But a new study by ExactTarget and CoTweets shows that, at least on Facebook, discounts and “social badging” were the primary reasons consumers Like brands.
While 40% of respondents reported their motivation for Liking a brand on Facebook was to receive discounts, the #2 reason was "to show my support for the company to others."
I don't know about you, but as a marketer, this represents a huge opportunity for outreach and engagement. That tells me that 39% of people who Like my brand on Facebook do it because they want to be perceived publicly as brand ambassadors. Not for freebies or to "stay informed" about new products, but specifically because they want to wear my brand on their sleeve.
Now, armed with that knowledge, ask yourself the following questions:
- What tools does your page offer to brand ambassadors? Can they download a badge, add a widget to their blog?
- What rewards does your page offer to brand ambassadors? Can they get special status, invitations or priority access to events, offers or activities?
- What level of interaction do you offer to brand ambassadors? Are their comments and feedback responded to on the page in a timely manner?
In short, knowing that a good portion of your fans are Liking your page because of a specific desire to be a brand ambassador, what are you doing to show your gratitude and deepen their involvement?