Many companies are seeing the benefits of working with brand ambassadors, which is creating a lot of opportunities for bloggers to connect with brands, and to benefit from the opportunities that come with working directly with a brand. Unfortunately, these relationships can cost brands a lot of money, and the results may not always be what they hoped or planned for.

Why Brand Ambassadors?

The number one reason for this is usually the ambassador’s inability to convey the brands message correctly or in a way that allows the readers/followers to see the need or benefits of that brand.

The Brand/Influencer connection is essential for a successful brand ambassadors program, it’s very difficult to sell a product or service that you do not know or understand. Which is why the smart brands are beginning to understand the importance and benefit of turning their own employees into brand ambassadors.

1. No One Knows Your Brand Better!

Those that work within the company, understand the brand better than those who buy your brand. Your employees understand the ins and outs of building the brand, and creating an engaged community to support the brand. No one does it better.

Hence, not only saving you valuable time, that would otherwise be spent educating an ambassador, but ensuring that the brand’s message will be clear.

2. Create a Passionate Workplace Environment

Creating an environment that enhances employee productivity is essential for success, but creating an environment that allows your employees to be passionate about not only their careers, but the success of the company is very important.

Paul Alofs wrote a great piece for Fast Company, offering 8 Rules for Creating a Passionate Work Culture.  There were a few standout tips that can help take to transform the work culture within your organization.

A. Hiring The Right Employees

Do be picky about the people that you hire, because they are the face of your brand. Many companies have strict guidelines for the way their employees represent them outside of the work environment. If you are wearing anything that is attached to the company the way you behave can affect whether you will have a job the following day.

The passion and knowledge that potential employees have about your brand is important as well. If they walk through the door with an idea of how you work, and where you hope to go, they have already displayed an ability to be prepared and to take the time to understand the brand they hope to work with.

B. Work Hard, Play Hard

Do you take the time to recognize when your team makes the effort to go above and beyond? Create a culture that recognizes the hard work of it’s employees, and they will be willing to do more.

C. Communicate!

When is communication not essential? Whether it’s in our personal relationships, professional connections, and with our employees, communication plays a big role in our ability to succeed or fail.

Be clear, discuss, but remember to listen.

3. Be Clear

Your employees will need you to be clear about your guidelines in order to feel comfortable sharing on the different platforms, especially social media. With the many restrictions that companies have when it comes to the social engagement of their employees, relating to their representation of the organizations that they work with, some may feel reluctant.

Offering clear guidelines will simplify the process for your employees, and will allow them to feel comfortable in their role of brand ambassadors.

4. Provide Training

Not all your employees may feel comfortable with social media, providing training will help to help them feel comfortable navigating the rocky terrain that can be social media. It takes time to understand how each platform works, and what the differences are when it comes to intelligent approach.

5. Identify Passionate Employees

Some employees will be more willing to go further than others when it comes to representing the brand and culture. Pinpoint these employees and work with them directly since they will be your best brand ambassadors.

The best way to track them will be by providing hashtags and following the results, or paying attention to those that go above and beyond during training.

Using employees to represent your brand creates more affordable advertising that comes from within the brand itself. They know your brand inside and out and if you are creating a great work culture, they will be more passionate about the brand than anyone else.

—–

Nancy Laws is publisher of the blog, Afro-Chic Mompreneur