Brand advocates speak louder than any ad your brand can produce. In this slideshare, we outline a route for converting more people into advocates for your B-to-B brand.

2. When you’re a potential buyer, the most powerful brand endorsements
come from trusted peers. More than content or traditional ads,
word-of-mouth marketing drives buyer decisions. In today’s modern
marketing environment, B-to-B brands need to be in the business
of brand advocacy. The following will provide some insight on
how you can create your own plan for building brand advocates.
2© Copyright 2016 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.

3. 3© Copyright 2016 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Start from the Inside
Any brand advocacy program should start with the employees.
Motivate your team by creating a work environment where employees
feel involved and invested. Once the culture is right, train them on how
to share their positive work experiences on social. You may even provide
them with assets and suggestions about messaging to drive home the point.

4. 4© Copyright 2016 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Revamp your Buyer Personas
To build brand advocates, you must understand what your customers
want. Buyer personas provide the needed knowledge. Eighty-five percent
of B-to-B companies don’t use personas, despite their value. Update your
personas often, making sure the information is always current, relevant,
and includes feedback from across the organization.

5. 5© Copyright 2016 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Tap an Influencer
Social influencers work well for brands because they already have
a dedicated following who trusts them. Find active social influencers
with relevance to your target customer and employ them for a campaign.
Have them share engaging content and encourage their audience
to create their own content around your brand or product.

6. 6© Copyright 2016 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Maintain the Relationships You Have
Eighty-three percent of satisfied customers are willing to become
brand advocates. While growing your customer base is important,
brand advocacy programs are reliant on a great relationship with
existing customers. Focus on having consistent two-way conversations,
where customers can express concerns and grievances. Regularly check
in to make sure they’re getting the help they need.

7. 7© Copyright 2016 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
All content for this slideshow has been aggregated from the ANA’s Marketing Knowledge Center.
Want to dig deeper? We’ve got you covered:
Rally the Troops
From PDFs to Action: Reinventing Your B-to-B Personas
How to Find Your Brand Influencers
Five Ways to Improve Your Millennial Marketing Strategy
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