How can you use your brand advocates and influencers to protect your brand in a crisis?

1 Identify your brand advocates and influencers

Brand advocates are loyal customers who love your products or services and are willing to recommend them to others. Influencers are people who have a large and engaged following on social media or other platforms and can influence their audience's opinions and behaviors. Both groups can be valuable assets for your brand, especially in a crisis, as they can provide authentic and credible testimonials, reviews, and feedback that can counteract negative publicity and restore confidence. To identify your brand advocates and influencers, you can use tools like social listening, surveys, reviews, referrals, or loyalty programs, and segment them based on their level of engagement, reach, and relevance to your brand.

2 Communicate with your brand advocates and influencers

Once you have identified your brand advocates and influencers, you need to communicate with them clearly and honestly about the crisis and how you are handling it. You should inform them about the facts, the actions you are taking, the expected outcomes, and the apologies or compensations you are offering. You should also ask them for their feedback, support, and suggestions, and show them that you value their opinions and loyalty. You should also provide them with the resources and guidelines they need to communicate with their networks, such as FAQs, talking points, images, videos, or hashtags, and encourage them to share their positive experiences and stories with your brand.

3 Monitor and measure your brand advocates and influencers

As your brand advocates and influencers share your messages and engage with their audiences, you need to monitor and measure their impact and effectiveness. You should track the reach, engagement, sentiment, and conversions of their posts, as well as the feedback and reactions they receive from their followers. You should also acknowledge and thank them for their efforts, and reward them with incentives, recognition, or exclusive access. You should also use the data and insights you gather from their activities to improve your crisis management strategy, identify gaps or opportunities, and adjust your messaging or actions accordingly.

4 Avoid common pitfalls with your brand advocates and influencers

Managing your brand advocates and influencers correctly is key to protecting your brand in a crisis. Avoiding common pitfalls such as ignoring or hiding the issue, forcing or pressuring them, and neglecting or exploiting them is essential. Instead, be transparent and proactive in addressing the issue, respect their autonomy and choice, and treat them as partners and collaborators. Also, don't take them for granted or ignore their needs and concerns, and don't overuse or abuse them. By following these tips and best practices, you can turn your brand advocates and influencers into your brand champions and ambassadors, while enhancing your brand reputation and trust in the face of adversity.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?