With social media at the core of our modern culture, influencer marketing is one of the best ways to get the word out about your event. Those with social sway can boost your brand, raise awareness, and help you sell more tickets.
On a grassroots level, you might already be benefitting from positive social media karma. People who’ve had a great time at your past events make excellent online brand advocates when they post and share about you. But influencer marketing doesn’t stop with casual mentions.
When you want to get serious about event promotion, it’s time to bring out the influencer marketing big guns: official brand ambassadors.
What are brand ambassadors?
Brand influencers are a subset of influencers who you hire to cultivate a long-term relationship with your brand. Similar to a spokesperson in traditional marketing, a brand ambassador might be a celebrity who agrees to endorse your event. They get paid to talk about your brand and maybe even show up in person.
A household-name example is Taylor Swift as a brand ambassador for Apple Music. She appears in the company’s ads, casually tweets about their brand, and even released her album “1989” on their platform.
But not every brand ambassador is a bona fide celebrity. Social media has made it possible for everyday Joes and Joanne’s to become online influencers. Now, regular citizens with a passion for a brand can be very influential. You just need to know who to look for, and where to look.
Characteristics of brand ambassadors
Charismatic. Genuine. Passionate. Connected. These are some of the key characteristics any decent brand ambassador possesses.
Brand ambassadors are also experts at online marketing. They have an impressive network. They intuitively know how to get a positive brand message across. And they have the platform to support those efforts.
Typically, they thrive on at least one social media platform. Business influencers populate LinkedIn. Nearly every journalist or thought leader is on Twitter, along with most celebrities. Foodies, artists, and fitness stars who care deeply about aesthetics are found on Instagram. Some of the most influential people online today built their status on their own blogs. And YouTube has provided an incredible platform for video content, cultivating a community of diehard users and creators with deep sway.
One thing to keep in mind, though: just because someone has countless social media followers does not mean they’d be a worthy brand ambassador. People can be popular online, but unpredictable and volatile to work with. You’re looking for someone who is professional, not divisive.
And of course, you’ll want to find a brand ambassador who aligns with your brand.
How to find brand ambassadors
The first step to finding a brand ambassador is to think about your audience demographics and your budget. Morgan Freeman is a charismatic talent. But is he the right choice to convince Millennials to come to your festival? More importantly, can you afford him?
Brand ambassadors don’t need to be Oscar-winning actors. Sometimes, a local celebrity or popular blogger is a better choice for your brand and your budget. As you seek out ambassadors, look for influencers of all stripes.
One of the best places to look is within your own ranks. Who are your most vocal fans and advocates on social media already, and how can you further empower them?
SocialLadder is one specific tool you can use to discover brand ambassadors within your existing social media fans. First pinpoint your most popular and passionate followers, then engage with them. (And if you’re using Eventbrite for your ticketing, you can manage your SocialLadder activities right through your event dashboard.)
How do you work with brand ambassadors?
Approach your relationship with specific goals in mind. Are you hoping to simply raise awareness, or actively sell more tickets? Knowing exactly what you hope to achieve empowers your brand ambassador to talk about your event in the right way.
Important: Make sure you have the compensation conversation up front. Your brand ambassador might expect cash. But sometimes there are other, more creative arrangements that benefit you both.
For instance, you could provide your brand ambassadors free VIP access and custom vanity promo codes. Often, being able to offer their followers this “insider perk” is an ample reward. They share the codes with their followers; you track the performance of each individual code. This is a particularly useful method if you’re working with more than one influencer. You can easily assess which relationships are most profitable and rewarding.
Working with brand ambassadors in particular is a powerful way to reach new audiences and sell more tickets. Done right, this type of influencer marketing can deeply impact the success of your events.
Interested in learning more? Take a deeper dive how you can use technology to pinpoint potential brand ambassadors in The Best Social Media Tools for Event Marketers.
