Traditionally, brands have rushed to work with influencers based on their hyper-visibility and their ability to create engaging content. But now, all of that is changing…
In fact, customers referred by brand advocates have a 37% higher retention rate.
Brands are now partnering with brand advocates, AKA “genuinfluencers”, who are more thought-leaders than tastemakers, and are less interested in promoting products than they are in spreading ideas. This new wave of influencers are becoming advocates for brands that align with the values they represent, and whose engaged communities match with the core market of those brands.
WHO CAN BE A BRAND ADVOCATE?
- Loyal customers: those who buy into your brand and have a genuine affinity for your products/services but may not have a substantial following on social media.
- Key opinion leaders (KOLs): influencers who are experts in their respective fields, who post trustworthy and authentic content, and typically have a large and highly engaged audience.
- Employees: Content shared by employees achieves 561% more reach than the same content shared by brands.
⭐ BRAND EXAMPLE:
Olaplex has one the most passionate advocate communities among beauty brands in the Americas. The hair care brand achieved an engagement rate double that of the industry average in Q1 2021 and this can be attributed in large part to its focus on engaging knowledgeable advocates who are passionate about all things hair-related.
Their brand mission has been “to share the work of real artists on our social media platforms. We don’t use professional model photographs shot in a studio; rather, we use real work that results from stylists using Olaplex.”
Earlier this year, they also launched a professional hair-stylist app intended to close the gap between online and offline and serve as a hair stylist’s main resource for information on the brand.
Want to learn more about how brand advocacy can be your key to winning post-pandemic? Contact us!
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