Some of the most passionate advocates for your brand are often your volunteers. In this session, Krisleigh Hoermann gave the tools to recruit your most passionate volunteers, and engage them in executing your mission online. Learn how the American Heart Association | American Stroke Association has given more responsibility to it’s social media ambassadors to move the mission forward and meet people where they are.

1. Social Media Diplomats: Building an
Experiential Program To Drive Mission

2. It’s nice to meet you
• Krisleigh Hoermann, Director of
Operations | Digital and Social
Media Consultant
• 5 years at AHA/ASA
• Prior PR/social media to a variety
of industries including nonprofit,
healthcare, event, retail, energy
and finance
• Grew up #volunteering
• #Passionate about using social
media to create connections
@krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np

3. Organic social media reach is on the decline
@krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np
Brands’ posts on social networks reach only 3 percent of fans
– at best – without paid advertising.
Source: Forrester

4. • Only 33% of buyers trust the brand whilst 90% of
customers trust product or service
recommendations from people they know. –
Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey
• 72% say reading a positive customer reviews
increase their trust in the business; it takes reading
between 2-6 reviews to get 56% of them to this
point. - BrightLocal
• 84% of consumers reported always or sometimes
taking action based on personal
recommendations. 70% said they did the same of
online consumer opinions. - Nielson
Brand ambassadors FTW
@krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np

5. Ladders of Engagement
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Adore
Love
Like

6. Where did we start?
@krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np

7. Program Goals
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Increase engagement among community, including social media events, within communities
and through social media listening
Deepen the relationship between the social media diplomats, general community and the brand –
from like to love, and from love to adore
Gain valuable feedback on organizational projects, like programs, creative, content, etc.
Create content, like video and editorial, that can be used within social media

8. • Reached out to those most
active on our social media
presences
• Call for Diplomats
• Peer-to-peer recruitment
Moving up the ladder
@krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np

9. The role of the advocate
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Ambassadors have:
• Become local fundraisers
• Live-tweeted events
• Become survivor speakers
• Been featured in national media
Uses personal SM
platforms & occasionally
supports AHA/ASA
initiatives on personal
pages
Responds directly to
customer needs; is
engaged in conversations
and/or owns a social
media presence on behalf
of AHA/ASA
Certified to speak on
behalf of AHA/ASA with
the media
Personal SMaC Enthusiast
SMaC
Professional
SMaC
Spokesperson
Professional EngagementPersonal Engagement

10. Turning community into ambassadors
@krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np

11. @krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np

12. @krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np

13. • Increased participation of volunteers using #WeAreHeart
• Growth of social media diplomat program
• Increased ladders of engagement and overall sentiment
for community
• Instrumental in creation of programming
• Thousands of “virtual hugs” given
Measuring Success
@krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np

14. From Brand Ambassador to Support Group
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15. @krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np

16. @krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np

17. @krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np

18. Thank you
@krisleighh | @American_Heart | #sm4np
Krisleigh Hoermann
Director of Operations | Digital and Social Media
Consultant
krisleigh.hoermann@heart.org
@KrisleighH |@American_Heart