How to engage brand advocates

Kristina: How can brands better use WOM and social media efforts to boost sales?

Rob Fuggetta, Found and CEO, Zuberance: Turn your Brand Advocates into a virtual sales force! Put Advocate recommendations in the purchase path and watch your sales grow!

For example, Parallels - a software company that provides a popular tool for running Windows on Mac - got a whopping 30% sales conversion rate when Parallels Advocates shared testimonials and offers with their friends. That's 60X higher than traditional online marketing conversion rates. Club One, a leading fitness company in Northern California, generated $525,000 in membership revenue in two months from an Advocate marketing program, a 29X ROI. And Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, famous for its fantastic fish tacos, is boosting sales by energizing over 75,000 Rubio's Advocates powered by Zuberance.

Kristina: Once identified, how can the brand advocate help the brand?

Rob: Brand Advocates are a company's most loyal, engaged, and enthusiastic customers. They're eager to help the brand in multiple ways. Here are things your Brand Advocates are willing to do now:

1. Write highly positive reviews of your products, boosting online ratings and ensuring that there are lots of fresh and relevant reviews about your products online

2. Create glowing, memorable stories in highly personal and emotional tones. (Did you hear the story about the Rubio's Advocate who named her daughter Ruby?)

3. Answer prospects' questions, cutting shopping cart abandonment and boosting conversion rates

4. Share content and offers, enabling brands to drive referral traffic and sales

With the holiday shopping season approaching, now is the time for retailers and online brands to start building their "Advocate Armies" and energizing them to become a powerful marketing force!

Tags: brand advocates, social commerce, social marketing, social media, social tips, Zuberance