How can customer advocacy build trust and increase referrals?

When you sing your praises it's boasting when your clients sing your praises it's advocacy! It's important to identify the clients that will take their story to the marketplace with the goal of inspiring others to take a similar action. Once you identify these clients make sure you stay in close contact with them so that you can learn what their issues, challenges as well as successes and opportunities are. You can convert these into strong testimonials for your brand. When you witness this take place you'll better understand how this level of trust will result in more referrals.

Get out of their inbox and embrace the idea of texting with the champions you connect with. Referrals become a layup at that point

Ask happy customers to share their good experiences through testimonials or reviews. Have a referral program that rewards both current customers and the people they refer. This gives them a reason to spread the word. Share stories of happy customers to build trust. Keep providing value and get satisfied customers to talk about the brand. This way, you can get more referrals and help the business grow.

Here some real examples illustrate how customer advocacy can build trust and increase referrals -Apple’s “Show on iPhone” campaign asked customers to click photos from their gallery and share them on social media with a specific hashtag which really built trust and increased referrals towards the brand. -Uber has referral programs both for riders and for drivers, allowing it to use this technique to grow both segments. It also has specific referral programs for those drivers who previously worked for Lyft, their largest US competitor. -Dropbox’s referral program rewards customers with 500 MB bonus storage data when they invite their friends which boost referrals.

There is no better and more effective way to gain new business than by having advocates. People often seek opinions/advise from other people that have used your product/service before. By having a great product/service and reachable, responsive client service team, then your sales team job will be made easier. Advocates have already bought from you and love your business, they will spread the word. Think of advocates as free publicity. The best is that conversion rates when being referred are much higher than cold reach out. Take advantage of this and make your pool of advocates grow over time to be a leader in your area. First identify them, then reward them and keep them loyal to the brand, make them feel part of the business

Look, customer advocacy isn't just about milking your clients for referrals or patting yourself on the back with reviews. It's about rolling up your sleeves and diving into the trenches with them. You've got to feed their minds, not just with your product, but with knowledge, insights, the whole shebang. Blogs, ebooks, webinars – these are your tools to make your customers sharper, more informed. Teach them, guide them, show them the tricks of the trade. Help them master your product so they can conquer their own battles. It’s not just about selling; it’s about empowering. That’s how you build a legion of loyal followers, not just customers. Be more than a vendor; be a mentor, a partner in their journey. That's real advocacy.

To foster customer advocacy through value and education: → Offer content like blogs, ebooks, webinars, podcasts, or newsletters addressing customer pain points. → Provide training, support, and best practices for maximizing product or service benefits. → Increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention by being a helpful resource. → Position your brand as a trusted authority and partner in your customers' success.

I actually have to disagree somewhat with the referral incentive program. Personally I’ve not taken advantage of any referral incentive to send a friend to a particular business or service. I do however, regularly send my friends to people I trust and like. I think this is where it matters, if you want your clients to advocate for you, it’s not about giving them an incentive. It’s about building trust and long-term partnerships. People naturally want to help the people they like.

To effectively monitor and measure customer advocacy efforts: → Utilize metrics like NPS, CSAT, CLV, referral rate, conversion rate, retention rate, and revenue growth. → Track how customer advocacy influences sales performance. → Use analytics tools, dashboards, and reports to analyze advocacy activities. → Collect data on feedback, reviews, testimonials, referrals, and social media mentions. → Identify strengths and areas for improvement to refine your customer advocacy strategy.

Customer advocacy comes after a consistent positive experience of the Brand. It involves fostering relationships and providing value to customers by the services & products and ultimately contributing to the growth and success of your business. Once customer is happy, his advocacy gives a credibility to the brand which is authentic, a social proof, expands by word of mouth and supports in same industry referrals. It amplified the marketing efforts, creates established credentials, Increases the conversion rates and extend the reach with a recommendation of products and the company. Eg– Purchasers, Engineering and Manufacturing managers have given a referral in automotive and Health care industries, and it increased after their job switch.

In my experience, Market volatility drives a little anxiety in salespeople which makes some lose track and confidence. Therefore Fostering a Positive Culture; Creates a supportive and positive work environment that encourages collaboration and teamwork. A strong team culture can help salespeople stay motivated and focused on their goals, especially during challenging times.