How to Become a Brand Ambassador on Instagram in 2021
June 3rd, 2021
If I could choose, I would love to be a brand ambassador for The Sill. I currently own 14 planets, and I want more. No, I need more. I like the air in my bedroom to be crisp.
Alas, my 200 followers don’t really have a lot of pull when representing brands.
On the other hand, if you want to become a brand influencer, you have come to the right place for information. 74% of consumers look to social media to inform their purchasing decisions. Let’s make sure they are looking and listening to you!
What exactly is a brand ambassador
The short definition: A person who represents and promotes a brand within a specific community.
Instagram brand ambassadors become the face of a brand as well as share and promote their values. Unlike influencer marketing, the ambassadors are not simply short-term partners that a brand will pay for a couple of posts and stories they share.
The relationship between a brand and its brand ambassador works more like a partnership. So, the ambassador serves as an individual spokesperson who works with the brand to build up awareness and increase sales.
Ambassadors have a strong passion for a brand and are comfortable advocating it to their followers. As an ambassador, you market your partner brand within your specific community using word-of-mouth marketing tactics. Establish a connection between your followers and the brand’s services or products.
Brand ambassadors vs. Influencers
There is no clear and defined line between brand ambassadors and influencers. However, based on established trends, we can highlight some of the main differences.
Brand ambassadors tend to run accounts with a smaller following than an established influencer. Therefore, they tend to be required to purchase a brand’s products but are given a significant discount. Profit can be generated as a brand ambassador by encouraging followers to buy a product using their personal promo code. Once they successfully convince their audience to purchase the brand’s products, they begin to make money off the partnership.
Occasionally brand ambassadors will be chosen by a brand because they have a large social media following and are considered influencers who specialize in content creation.
Influencers tend to have massive followings. Unlike brand ambassadors, brands often send their products to influencers free of charge. Then they may even pay the influencer to post and comment about their products to their community of followers.
Remember, there are no established rules that draw a clear line between the two categories.
Responsibilities of a Brand Ambassador
Bear in mind that there are multiple different responsibilities that you will have as a brand ambassador. Here are a few; however, the responsibility list will vary by brand.
- Positive representation of the brand
- Promote the brand via your Instagram account
- Enhance people’s awareness of the brand
- Share your feedback on the products
- Provide analysis and comments on the products
- Participate in sales campaigns and marketing events
- Produce eye-catching content
The list may feel like a lot, especially considering you are purchasing your own products to then promote. However, there are a lot of benefits to becoming a brand ambassador.
As the ambassador, you have set yourself up with a new stream of income. Depending on how involved you are, it can serve as a side hustle or even your principal occupation. Linking the brand’s products and services to potential customers will get you paid in return.
You will also establish yourself as an opinion leader in your community. Quickly, people will begin to take you and your opinions seriously and trust you enough to be willing to buy the items you suggest.
Become a brand ambassador
Ok, now you know some of the critical info–let’s take a look at the steps to becoming a brand ambassador.
1. Who do you want to be?
>The first step is choosing what kind of brand ambassador you want to be. Are you looking to join the fashion and beauty space? Or are you more interested in gaming and gardening? The best tip we can give you is to start this process by looking at your passions and interests. Define a niche you feel comfortable in, as well as knowing you can excel within that niche.
2. Develop your profile identity
Now that you know what community you will be targeting with your amazing content, it is time to build a profile that suits the niche. Your visual identity should be appealing and cohesive with the type of content you are creating. Simply create your account for professional representation. When looking to work with a brand, they will be reviewing your social identity and whether or not you will be a professional and successful partner.
3. Build up your metrics
You need to have a clear area of influence to be a successful brand ambassador. In other words, you need an audience on your chosen social media platform, whether that is Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, or across multiple platforms.
To grow your audience, you need to make sure that you are engaging with them. When followers comment on your posts, respond and take the opportunity to build a relationship with your followers to show off your personality. When people engage with posts, particularly through comments, they show they care and are attentive to your content.
Your core following is the first piece of the puzzle when it comes to social influence. Establishing an audience is critical to open up brand ambassador opportunities.
4. Contact your favorite brands
Once the above steps are complete and you’re happy with how your profile is progressing, begin looking for brands you’d love to work with. After identifying the brands, reach out and let them know you are interested in promoting their products.
Contacting these companies allows you to identify if they are hiring and what kind of representation they might be looking for. Send a message to the company’s social media account and ask about the possibility of you representing them. If they message you back showing interest, well, then you are off to the races.
Be prepared for a lot of rejection. Just because one company declines the opportunity to work with you does not mean it is hopeless. Start with smaller companies that could use the promotion; leave the big corporate ambassador programs to prove your quality as an ambassador.
5. F$%#ing kill it
Seriously, have fun with this while staying professional. Always respond quickly and clearly to brand communications, and be fun and creative with your content. Being a brand ambassador is a professional job and career, don’t take it for granted. The better the relationship between you and the brand, the more likely you are to raise your income stream and get recommended to other brands.
Brand ambassador programs for you and brands
A brand ambassador program creates an ongoing, working relationship between the ambassador and the brand. The program organizes and manages all the ambassadors involved with the company and provides ongoing training, instruction, and support.
Brand ambassador programs typically sit within multiple business areas, including sales, customer service, product design, and, of course, marketing.
The conversation around your brand on social media represents the voice of your brand, just as much as your own content does. It is important not to lose control of that conversation by ignoring social media marketing techniques.
Brand ambassadors have more influence than ever before. They are a significant step to being involved and managing the social conversation about your brand. The lifetime value for customers gained by brand ambassador programs is 16% higher than your other customers.
Tips for brands looking to start their own brand ambassador program
Brand ambassadors specialize in word-of-mouth marketing, which generates twice the sales of paid advertising.
If you are managing a brand, there are a few ways you can go about creating your own program. Recruit brand ambassadors by letting your audience know you are looking. Put a call to action on your website, or mention it in your newsletter or social media posts. You can even post it as a job on hiring sites.
Most brand ambassadors are paid for their work. However, suppose you are a small business. In that case, some ambassadors are happy to represent your product for free if they are genuinely passionate about it. Best practices ensure that if you are not paying your ambassador for their promotions, they can access your product for free.
Get involved in the social conversation
At Nowadays, we’re experts at fine-tuning the social conversation around your brand. Our campaigns are unique, spicy, and emotion-packed. We specialize in making people take action, whether downloading an app or retweeting a branded video.
Are you ready to take it to the next level? Then let’s create some f*#king magic.
Sources:
Is Social Media the Biggest Influencer of Buying Decisions? | Social Media Today
Newswire | Consumer Trust in Online, Social and Mobile Advertising Grows | Nielsen – Nielsen
A new way to measure word-of-mouth marketing | McKinsey & Company.