This is the Alice in Wonderland moment for Influencer Marketing

'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!’

A recent research by Hype Auditor on the state of Influencer Marketing validates this thought. The big influencer bubble has burst. Thanks to fake engagement, followings and more so no real business results.

And over the last couple of years, Influencer Marketing has seen big swings up and down. And the verdict is in (well almost) that the fakism associated with it is not going to be tolerated. Not just by brands and social media channels (Face and Instagram like removal) but by the consumer. And that is the crux of the story.

Not to be mistaken with the “Influencer marketing is just a buzzword” theory, it works and it will deliver. But it’s not a shortcut. And it requires due diligence, strategic thought and ideas to make it work. It is a mix of process and creativity.

What the research found is the arrival of Nano-Influencers as the key segment that is seen as a trusted source of information. It’s back to basics. And that’s where Brand Advocacy comes in. Trusted source. Expertise and people who are believable.

This year is the pivot for Brand Advocacy. Where the quest for authenticity gathers pace. It only goes to show what some research has already found:

Employee Advocacy results in 5X increase in web traffic and 25% more leads.

There’s no doubt that advocacy marketing is the future of word-of-mouth marketing. Importantly, to deliver an upswing to your brands KPIs.

Here are four tips to help you can build a brand advocacy programme:

1. It’s top down. The leadership team first.

A good Brand Advocacy programme needs an enthusiastic community first. And that could be your own employees within the organisation, who in turn, act as your strongest brand ambassadors. Getting the senior leadership into the game early helps building involvement by all the advocates.

It can help you explore a whole new world of customers and communicate through consistent content. Your advocates are the biggest driving force in your journey!

Identify your Advocates — they could be customer advocates, nano-influencers, engaged employees or any other organisational stakeholders, fans, channel partners.

Give your advocates the right platforms to engage. This will help you generate maximum leads and inspire other stakeholders to up their advocacy game.

2. Focus on curating high-value content: 

Context is the cornerstone of an effective Brand Advocacy campaign! In a digital world, which is constantly barraged with content, it is important to make sure, whatever your brand advocates put up on social media is accurate, original yet inventive.

Research to find out what kind of posts, blogs, and articles attract maximum readership and encourage micro-influencers to target communities with apt brand-related content. Thereby reaching the right people. Those searching for authentic reviews and info before deciding to buy your products.

Advocacy Marketing is the best way to get your band noticed. Remember, content is king, and if you want your programme to create a digital storm, you need to focus on creating great content.

3. Focus on branding inside out:

Make sure you realise the social splash that your trusted partners can create in making your brand garner positive attention. Brand advocates have tremendous potential in amplifying your brand visibility through effective social media instruments.

Brand messages are re-shared 24 times more frequently if distributed through employees’ vs the brand channel (Source: MSL Group).

Branded content shared by employees or customers is viewed as an authentic and credible source of information. Choose a platform to share original stories, experiences, blog posts and watch as your internal engagement seamlessly transcends virtual boundaries to create positive brand magnification.

4. Generate high engagement: 

Boost your advocacy campaigns by creating content which has a wide and far-extending social reach. Make sure your content is interesting enough to create conversations, gets maximum likes and is shared by target customer communities.

Reward your loyal followers by interacting with them, giving away titles and holding online content which propels participation levels.

Follow honest and open social communication, be responsive and formulate a constructive online brand presence. A zealous army of brand advocates who endorse your brand passionately can make a world of difference in your bottom-line goals.

Advocacy marketing; a successful collaboration and a win-win for both advocates and the organisation.

Brand Advocacy is a powerful medium that can help your marketing campaign accrue business success. It helps you market your brand in a fun, customer-centric and authentic manner that gains maximum social attention. The future clearly belongs to your brand advocates.

 (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of www.buzzincontent.com and we do not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)