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September 7, 2023

What is a customer advocacy program? Definition and strategies

Businesses can be just too transactional at times. They simply concentrate on their bottom line as they sell their customer their product or service and move on to the next. Long-term costs for the company will result from this mindset, which prioritizes the customer over the company's interests. Customers want to feel appreciated and valued in addition to purchasing products and services. A customer advocacy program is helpful in this situation.

Customers will frequently refer and return to companies that prioritize customer advocacy for repeat business.

But what is customer advocacy really, and how can you make use of it? In this article, we'll review everything you need to know about:

  • What is customer advocacy?
  • What is a customer advocate?
  • Why is customer advocacy important?
  • What is a customer advocacy program?
  • How to increase customer advocacy?
  • Conclusion

What is customer advocacy?

Putting the needs of your customers first and attempting to provide them with support that is solution-based through your products or services is known as customer advocacy. Moreover, with this information, you may create focused strategies to fulfill these demands beyond customer expectations. However, in order to increase your customers' pleasure with your business, you must encourage customer advocacy. 

Businesses that focus on providing solutions for their customers and improving the customer experience might differentiate themselves from competitors. Research shows that 33% of customers have paid a premium for companies because they trust them. In addition, building solid ties with customers is one of the main advantages of customer advocacy. You may increase your customers' trust and loyalty by taking the time to comprehend their demands and offer them specialized solutions fully. 

What is a customer advocate?

According to the study, 36% of customers will share their customer experience with others, whether good or bad. Loyal customers who are willing to share their interactions with your company with others in order to guarantee that they receive the most benefit from your product or service are known as customer advocates. Further, this person goes above and beyond the typical delighted customer. They enthusiastically and actively promote the brand, spread the word about their positive interactions with the business, and support its products. Customer advocates are often motivated by a true passion for the company rather than any financial incentive.

Businesses that successfully build and nurture these company advocates can benefit from improved brand loyalty, positive word-of-mouth advertising, and a better overall reputation.

Why is customer advocacy important?

Customer advocates are crucial when it comes to building trust and awareness, given the general mistrust of businesses and advertising. Therefore, their efforts enhance the work of your sales and support teams and make it simpler for your company to develop relationships with new customers.

However, customer advocacy is a priceless resource that may significantly affect a brand's success, customer connections, and reputation. Businesses can establish a beneficial feedback loop that benefits both the company and customers by putting a priority on customer satisfaction and encouraging advocacy.

What is customer advocacy program?

A customer advocacy program is a strategy for involving your most loyal customers, bringing them closer to your company, and inspiring them to tell others about their positive experiences with you and spread the word about your company. 

The main objective of a customer advocacy program is to motivate these advocates to actively promote the company through multiple channels, share their positive experiences, and offer referrals. These initiatives are made to convert satisfied customers into passionate, vocal advocates who may promote a brand's growth, trust, and awareness.


How to Increase Customer Advocacy?

For any business to succeed and develop, increasing customer advocacy is essential. When customers become your brand's advocates, they not only keep doing business with you but also actively spread the word about it to others. Here are a few strategies to increase customer advocacy:

1. Offer exceptional customer service

Customer advocacy is built on providing excellent customer service. This entails providing timely answers to inquiries, personalized interactions, and going above and beyond expectations. Develop the attention, receptivity, and empathy of your personnel. Quickly address customer issues and go above and beyond to resolve them.

2. Engage on social media

Make sure that there is a two-way connection with your customers. Answer any questions that are posed by others. If someone talks about your product, like them and say thanks. It's not necessary for you to control the conversation. Just be there, learn about your audience, and listen to your customers. Utilize the power of social for multi-channel messaging for sales, marketing, and support. Live platform can automatically capture new leads from social media while enabling seamless support for your customers.

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3. Provide incentives for reviews

Create referral programs that reward current customers for referring their friends and family. Offering incentives like discounts, free products, or exclusive access can encourage advocates to talk about their positive experiences. Customer satisfaction testimonials can greatly increase your credibility and attract new customers.

4. Gather customer feedback

If you are unable to comprehend the problems your customers are dealing with, you cannot effectively assist them.

Understanding your customers will help you to better represent their interests. The exploratory phase is essential for this reason. Making the wrong assumption about how your customers feel is less likely when you use surveys to collect information and feedback to create a precise strategy. Accurate data reduces guesswork in the development of an effective advocacy effort.

When you use surveys to gather data and feedback to develop a detailed strategy, it is less likely that you will make an incorrect assumption about how your customers feel. When creating a successful advocacy effort, accurate data helps eliminate guessing.

5. Build lasting relationships

Engaging with your customers personally will help you build lasting relationships with them. Personalized interactions increase loyalty and create a sense of belonging. By routinely connecting with customers through several channels, including email, social media, and personalized offers, brands may demonstrate a genuine interest in their wants, preferences, and feedback. 

Conclusion

Today, any company should place a high premium on creating incredible customer experiences throughout the whole customer journey. Long-lasting customer advocacy is based on this. Loyalty and stickiness are produced by a customer advocacy program.

Businesses may build a network of advocates who support brand growth, customer retention, and overall success by concentrating on providing extraordinary experiences, creating loyalty, and promoting genuine word-of-mouth promotion. Moreover, genuine recommendations from advocates of a brand stand out as an indication of trust and integrity in a world saturated with advertising noise.

However, customers are, the more likely they are to continue supporting your business, as has been scientifically demonstrated. They'll most likely support your brand if you've implemented a strong program for customer advocacy.

Don't hesitate to get in touch with us today if you want to learn more about how the Live product family can help you to boost your global customer experience strategy. 

Learn more about how the Live product family can help you support and improve your customer experience strategy.

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