Introduction
In today's digital age, word-of-mouth recommendations carry more weight than ever before. Customer advocacy programs have emerged as powerful tools for businesses to harness the enthusiasm of their most loyal customers, turning them into brand champions who drive growth and build trust. Advocates not only amplify your brand's voice but also enhance customer trust and loyalty.
In this article, we'll explore effective strategies for building advocacy through customer advisory boards and converting NPS promoters into active advocates. This foundational step sets the stage for our subsequent discussions on leveraging advocates for success stories and speaking opportunities, as well as connecting them for sales references and customer requests.
Why does this matter?
Building advocacy is essential for several reasons:
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Increased brand loyalty: Advocates are loyal customers who not only stick with your brand but also encourage others to do the same.
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Enhanced credibility: Recommendations from advocates carry more weight and trust, influencing potential customers' decisions.
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Sustainable growth: A strong base of advocates helps drive sustainable growth through word-of-mouth and personal endorsements.
How to get started
Step 1: Engage through customer advisory boards
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Identify strategic customers: Select a subset of similar customers who can provide valuable insights and feedback.
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Organize participatory workshops: Invite these customers to workshops designed to understand their needs and expectations better.
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Utilize feedback for product development: Use the insights gained to inform new release features and improvements.
Step 2: Convert NPS promoters into advocates
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Close the loop with promoters: Ensure that every promoter's feedback loop is closed with follow-ups that include engagement opportunities.
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Offer advocacy opportunities: Ask promoters to participate in activities like case studies, white papers, and speaking engagements.
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Track and nurture relationships: Use tools like automated CTAs and playbooks to maintain and deepen relationships with promoters.
Gainsight features you'll need
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Timeline: For documenting interactions and tracking customer engagements.
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CTA Reasons: To automate reminders and follow-ups with potential advocates.
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Playbooks: To provide CSMs with structured plans for engaging promoters and advisory board members.
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Health Scores: To integrate advocacy activities into overall customer health evaluations.
What’s next?
Having established a solid foundation for building advocacy through customer advisory boards and NPS promoters, you're now ready to leverage these advocates for more public-facing roles. Our next article will dive into strategies for utilizing advocates in success stories and speaking opportunities, providing a comprehensive approach to maximizing their impact.
Further reading and inspiration