How to leverage brand advocates in your social media program.

1. 
Brand Advocates
How To Amplify Your Marketing With Social Media

2. Introductions
Alexandra Tursi (@tursita)
 Social Media Strategist,
Fletcher Allen Health Care
Sarah DeGray (@revindoorcyclin)
 Owner, REV Indoor Cycling

3. Tweet to win!
 Tweet one of your takeaways for a chance to win
REV Indoor Cycling swag!
 Tweet your takeaway with the hashtag
#SmallBizSummitVT
 Facebook: facebook.com/revindoor
 Twitter: twitter.com/revindoorcyclin

4. WhatWe’ll CoverToday
 Introduction to brand advocacy
 How to identify brand advocates
 How to work with brand advocates
 How to measure success
 Examples from Fletcher Allen Health Care and REV
Indoor Cycling
 Q&A

5. DifferentWords, Same Meaning

6. Who are brand advocates?
People who love your brand…and create and share
content with their social media following
92%
Trust recommendations from people they know over all
other forms of advertisement

7. Why do consumers share content?
 Remember, it’s human nature amplified by living in the
“Information Age”
 We share more, from more sources, with more people, more often,
more quickly
 To bring valuable & entertaining content to others
 To define ourselves to others
 To grow & nourish our relationships
 To get the word out about causes or brands
 Self-fulfillment
 Types: Altruists, Careerists, Connectors, Hipsters, Selectives

8. What 1,000 brand advocates can do

9. Your brand in their social feeds

10. Example: REV Indoor Cycling

11. Why work with brand advocates?
 Advocate content is less expensive
 Brands spend 25% of overall budget on professional
content creation
 Advocate content performs better
 10x more engagement than branded paid content
 Advocate content is a solution to your pain point:
the need for more content!

12. How to identify brand advocates
 Customers
 Bloggers
 Employees
 Social influencers

13. Examples of brand advocates

14. How to work with brand advocates
 Appeal to their motivation to connect with each
other – not just with your brand
 Trust is the cost of entry for getting shared
 Keep it simple…and it will get shared…and it won’t
get muddled
 Appeal to their sense of humor
 Embrace a sense of urgency

15. Customers
 Where to find them
 CRM and email databases
 Social networks
 Existing loyalty program
 Invite advocates in store
 How to engage with them
 Keep it fun and engaging
 Keep it always on
 Provide a variety of content
 Don’t be prescriptive
 Say “Thanks!” & recognize customers with shout-outs, samples and
brand goodies
 Surprise & delight customers

16. Example: REV Indoor Cycling
 Knowing our audience
 Our brand content: Keep it fun with pop culture references
 Make it exclusive: Facebook-only offers
 Making the social media experience interactive
 Playlist recommendations
 Encourage clients to share their experience online right after class
 Tagging people
 Timing is everything
 Posting right after class
 React quickly to social conversations

17. Pop culture, hyperlocal happenings

18. Facebook-only offers & information

19. Making it interactive & engaging
 Taking song
requests
from our
customers…a
nd using the
suggestions!

20. Timing: Posting before & after class

21. Thank yous
 Social media
 Emails
 In-person

22. Assessing what works…& what doesn’t

23. Assessing what works…& what doesn’t

24. Bloggers
 Where to find them
 Start with research:
 How large is their social reach?
 How engaged is their audience?
 Are the audience interests aligned with your brand
focus?
 How to engage with them
 Create a polished invitation
 Make is personal, offer something of value
 Allow for creative freedom
 Maintain the relationship

25. Example: REV Indoor Cycling
Seven Days
story instead
of a print ad!

26. Employees
 Where to find them
 Employee databases
 Internal social networks & intranets
 New hire on-boarding
 Offline: In-office and at events
 How to engage them
 Start with your most passionate employees
 Establish and communicate social media policies
 Provide light-weight social media training
 Make it easy!
 Relevant industry articles
 Company news, events, initiatives
 Give shout outs

27. Example: REV Indoor Cycling
 Shining a light on our
employees
 Tagging
 Geolocating

28. Social Influencers
 Where to find them
 Look beyond celebrities
 Focus on niches
 Search social networks for relevant conversations
 How to engage them
 Activate existing fans and followers
 Start small and build into a larger program
 Incentivize with content (exclusives, first access, events)
 Avoid one-offs: maintain a pattern of engagement
 Don’t forget to measure!

29. Example: REV Indoor Cycling
Student Ambassador Program
 Step #1: You must REV at least 5 times - at least 2 of those classes needs
to be with me.
 Step #2: Meet with me in person to discuss REV's community mission
and fitness goals. It's a chance for me to learn more about you and for
you to learn more about REV.
 Step #3: Receive free promotional materials - you will receive some
business cards and items to distribute at your school or with friends. You
will receive a free REV tee shirt and sick hat that you can wear as well.
 Step #4: Recruit your friends and classmates - share your experiences
with them and bring them to REV.
 Step #5: You earn free rides when others purchase ride packages!

30. Bringing it all together
 Don’t start and stop
 Keep it easy
 Provide a variety of content to create & share
 Don’t be too prescriptive
 Thank advocates and recognize them!
 Surprise and delight
 Repurpose advocate content on your brand channels

31. One final point: handling negativity
 Turn social complaints into a stronger reputation
 Be proactive!
 Thank complainer
 Explain why you appreciate feedback
 Apologize for the mistake
 Take responsibility and do the right thing
 Ask for necessary information
 Take swift action
 Prevent future mistakes
 Have a social media comment policy
 Know when to say “No”

32. 
Q&A