The 5 different types of brand ambassadors

Brand ambassadors are the face of your brand. When hiring brand ambassadors, it’s important to choose people who are aligned with your company values, represent your brand well and are able to connect with your target audience. 

Whilst embodying the company, brand ambassadors work to extend the reach of your brand. It is their job to help create buzz around your products or services. This can be done in different ways, depending on the strategy of the company. However, increasing the visibility of the brand through word-of-mouth is the main objective.

An influencer is a person who has the ability to mobilize opinions due to the credibility they have on a specific topic and their influence and presence on social media. They are online opinion leaders and media figures within a particular area or sector. 

They are not necessarily famous people, but rather experts who are at the forefront of new trends and who have managed to make themselves heard thanks to blogs or social networks. As you can imagine, they can be very interesting advocates for brands because they have a niche and loyal social media following.

Experiential brand ambassadors are the human representation of a brand. They are not just an official spokesperson but someone who must embody corporate values.The purpose of these professionals is to develop and maintain a positive image of the company by actively interacting with consumers.

In other words, the XM brand ambassador not only speaks on behalf of the brand, but embodies its values to establish a connection between a brand’s audience and its products.

As the name suggests, a customer ambassador is a consumer who buys and uses a specific brand’s products and services. He/she/they is not affiliated with the company and decides to promote a certain brand out of genuine love for it. Unlike influencers, customer ambassadors adopt a disinterested and personal approach that is more authentic.

Industry expert ambassadors have specific knowledge related to a specific industry such as fitness, beauty, wellness, photography, fashion, etc. Customers trust their advice and judgment because they have legitimate credentials. Nowadays, brands seek the help of industry experts to stand out, build their credibility in the industry and educate consumers.

Affiliate ambassadors promote a brand’s product or service in return for a commission or percentage of profits according to the sales generated. They establish a marketing strategy that assigns a referral code to the sale of a service or product. The objective of the affiliate ambassador is therefore to inspire and motivate customers to buy in exchange for a pay.

Brand ambassadors are generally customers who love your brand. They are usually individuals who use your product or service on a regular basis. Promoting a brand comes naturally to them as its products or services provides them with genuine value. Depending on the type of brand ambassador, they will not necessarily receive monetary compensation to promote a brand. 

Brand ambassadors have a more casual relationship with the company. They are not necessarily told directly what to do but will continuously promote your brand on their social media accounts, at in-person events, or simply in their everyday life. They raise awareness about your brand on a more personal and grounded level.

An influencer, on the other hand, is usually someone with a public platform who is sought out by the company in order to establish a professional relationship to promote its brand. The most popular social media platform for influencers is Instagram. 

Celebrities, reality stars and influencers all run ads on Instagram for various brands and companies. They upload images and videos showing a company’s product or service and how they use it. This is a great way to get your brand seen by a large amount of people due to the huge social media following influencers have on different social platforms.

Influencers are rarely invested in your product as this is more of a business opportunity for them. You will therefore most likely only work with them short-term to promote specific products. However, occasionally, influencers become fans of the product and a long-term promotional working relationship can be established, especially if they think your company fits in well with their own personal brand.

If you think becoming a brand ambassador might be for you, here are a few expert tips on how to get started and what you should be doing in order to become a successful brand ambassador:

You know what you like, you know the types of brands and products that align with your values, so start there. If you can wholeheartedly say that you enjoy and believe in the product or service you are selling, it will be easier to be genuinely enthusiastic about your promotional work. 

The more confident you are in yourself, the easier it will be for you to identify a USP. A USP is a unique selling point, it will be based on the kinds of things that you advocate for as well as your interests.

As with any profession or career, one of the best tactics available to you is networking. It will help you increase your reach. The more people you talk to and the more you put yourself out there, the more people will be willing to engage with you. 

Networking can help increase and diversify your audience, which is an attractive prospect for brands. It is also a great way for you to get into contact with brands that you would like to work with. A successful brand ambassador gets his/her name around.

As a brand ambassador you are a key member of the marketing team so understanding the ins and outs of marketing will help you optimize the brand’s strategy and its marketing efforts. Overall, an understanding of marketing will help you engage with consumers and be the most effective team player you can possibly be.

Perfecting your communication skill is integral to be a successful brand ambassador. Whether you need to convey things online or in person, you need to be able to reach the target audience in a seamless way. 

Communication skills are especially important for experiential brand ambassadors since they participate in events and are confronted with countless potential customers who they have to connect with.

When carrying out experiential marketing campaigns, brand ambassadors are key to elevate the event and overall experience. Not only do they humanize the brand but they increase brand awareness and elevate an experiential campaign’s success.

Here are the top three reasons why should hire brand ambassadors for your events:

Nowadays, traditional advertising techniques just don’t cut it. Before buying, people generally like to feel like they can trust the brand and product. And obviously, their main trusted source of reference is people. Consumers like to buy products from people. 

Brand ambassadors are passionate about a brand and its product and it’s contagious. Consumers notice this emotional engagement and they associate the positive attitudes and values of brand ambassadors with your brand. Plus, consumers are more likely to buy from brands that share their personal values and that advocate for causes that they cherish. 

As a brand ambassador, you are the face of the company, meaning you hold the responsibility of making real human connections with consumers and representing the brand. If you provide a good experience for the consumer, they will associate this positive experience with the brand.

Brand ambassadors can increase your brand’s presence both online and in person. Whilst they can promote your brand online through their social media accounts, blogs, or whichever medium they use, they can also increase your reach through word-of-mouth.

If you’re an aspiring brand ambassador and this article has invigorated your desire to pursue a career in ambassador marketing, feel free to contact Prime Marketing. We are always looking for sociable and passionate individuals who can help connect brands with their audiences through remarkable experiences. If you think this is something you would like to do, send us your resumé to begin your journey in experiential marketing. 

Become a brand ambassador