Brand ambassadors are some of the most valuable advocates a business can have. They represent your brand long-term, promote it authentically, and bring in customers who trust their recommendation.
But the wrong ambassador can do more harm than good. And the way you ask matters as much as who you ask. This guide covers how to find the right people, screen them, build a relationship, and make the ask — with templates you can use right away.
Who is a brand ambassador?Â
A brand ambassador is someone who loves your brand and agrees to be a long-term advocate for your business. They promote your brand authentically based on how they use it in everyday life, help it gain traction in new markets, and build relationships with prospective new customers. Ambassadors can promote you online (such as on social media), offline (at events), or both. Unlike influencers, who represent your brand for a short period, ambassadors typically work with you for at least a year.
Do you need ambassadors or a referral program?
Before you start recruiting ambassadors, it’s worth asking whether an ambassador program is actually what your business needs.
Ambassador programs are curated and high-touch. You hand-pick a small group of advocates, build individual relationships with each one, and manage their activities closely. That takes real time and effort, and the payoff depends on choosing the right people.
A customer referral program takes a different approach. Instead of selecting a few advocates, you open it up to your entire customer base. Anyone who loves your product can share it with friends, and the program tracks and rewards those referrals automatically. There’s no recruitment, no screening, no relationship management. It captures the word of mouth that’s already happening.
Choose ambassadors when you want a small group of dedicated, visible advocates who actively create content and represent your brand in public.
Choose a referral program when you want to capture recommendations at scale from the customers who already talk about you. Less overhead, broader reach, and it runs alongside your day-to-day operations.
Many businesses run both. But if you’re not sure where to start, a referral program is usually the lower-lift first step.
Where to recruit brand ambassadors
There are many places to find potential ambassadors. Here are the most effective:
- Your existing customers and email list: These people are already fans of your work. Recruit customers who have bought from you most frequently, or who have already shared with the most friends.
- Social media: Find out who’s already talking about you. Look for people who have tagged you or used a branded hashtag, then reach out and ask if they’d like to be involved in your program.
- Blogs run by niche authorities: These people are already talking about your industry and have a reputation for being experts in their field.
- Influencer and ambassador databases: Lists of people who have already agreed to be ambassadors for brands in your industry. A good starting point when building a program.
- Your workforce: Leveraging employees as brand ambassadors is an excellent idea. They already understand your company’s mission and values, and they have a vested interest in its success.
If you don’t have a brand ambassador application already, consider creating one. It lets interested people come to you and helps you gather the information needed to screen them.
Want more details on sourcing? Check out our full guide on how to find brand ambassadors.
Essential criteria for brand ambassadors
Who should you reach out to? Screen all potential ambassadors against these criteria. Remember, your ambassadors will be long-term representatives of your brand.
- Genuine passion for your brand: They should already love and use your product in their daily lives. If someone has already shared you authentically and without prompting, they’ll likely be a great fit to represent you officially.
- Values aligned with yours: If your brand’s mission is sustainability, someone who lives that value will represent you more convincingly than someone who doesn’t.
- Authority in a relevant niche or audience: Whether online or offline, they should have built trust with people who will listen to their recommendations. Look for an audience that overlaps with yours.
- Strong relationship-building skills: Choose someone who connects authentically with new people, whether online or offline. Communication and conversational skills matter more than follower count.
- Consistent, high-quality content (for online ambassadors): Look at their posting cadence and engagement rates. The audience doesn’t have to be large, as long as engagement is high.
- Strong in-person communication (for offline ambassadors): They should be able to attract and connect with people at events, keep them engaged, and build relationships.
- Ethical track record and good reputation: Unethical actions will reflect badly on your brand. Make sure they haven’t acted shadily before.
For a deeper dive into the selection process, see our guide on hiring brand ambassadors.
Example brand ambassador requirements from Morning Willow.Â
Screening questions to ask potential ambassadors
Before making the ask, interview your candidates. Asking every potential ambassador the same questions lets you compare answers directly. Use a brand ambassador application, email, social media messaging, or Zoom.
About their connection to your brand:
- Why do you love our brand? What’s your favorite product or service, and why?
- What have you done in the past that shows your enthusiasm for us?
About how they’d promote you:
- How would you promote our brand as an ambassador?
- What would you do to help us build brand awareness?
About audience understanding:
- How would you describe our audience, and how would you engage with them?
About relevant experience and skills:
- What previous experience do you have as an ambassador, and what did you accomplish?
- What valuable skills would you bring to the role?
Depending on the type of ambassador you’re recruiting, add questions accordingly. If you’re recruiting a blogger or social media creator, ask about the content they create and the tools they use. If you’re seeking student ambassadors, ask about on-campus involvement and leadership roles.
Building relationships with potential ambassadorsÂ
Before asking someone to be an ambassador, create rapport by engaging with them first. Leave comments on their social media content. If they’re an existing customer, thank them for helping your brand grow, or invite them to share through a customer referral program first.
This way, the eventual ask doesn’t feel like a cold email or cold DM. When you have an existing relationship, it’s easier for them to say yes, and the working relationship will be smoother from day one.
How to ask someone to be a brand ambassadorÂ
Once you’ve built rapport and confirmed they’re a good fit, it’s time to make the ask. Send a direct message via email or social media. In your ambassador invitation, be sure to:
- Thank them for sharing your brand previously.
- Explain why they’re a good fit: Mention that you share a niche or audience, and highlight posts or actions that align with your mission and values.
- Detail what ambassadorship means for both parties:
- Rewards: Cash, store credits, product discounts, free products, gift cards, or other tangible items. Many ambassadors will promote you for free, but rewards recognize dedicated effort.
- Other benefits: Training, public recognition, leadership experiences, or exclusive access.
- Support: What your brand will provide to help them succeed.
- Expectations: Will they promote online, offline, or both? Specific platforms or content types? Events? Metrics goals?
- How the program will run: Frequency of rewards, communication cadence, and any other logistics.
- Ask if they have questions about your business or the ambassadorship.
Some of the requirements and responsibilities of being a Bumble Honey campus ambassador.Â
Templates for asking someone to be a brand ambassador
To simplify the process of asking someone to be a brand ambassador, we’ve created two templates that cover all the essentials. One template is longer and best suited for asking via email. The other is shorter, so it’s great for a social media DM.
Email template (detailed)
Hi [content creator’s name],
My name is [your name] and I’m with [your company name].
We’ve checked out your [social media profile or blog] and we love your posts about how you use [your brand or product. Thanks so much for sharing how much you love [your brand] with your followers and the world!
We’d love to invite you to become a [your brand] brand ambassador!
We think your [niche or content topic of focus] aligns well with our company’s focus, your audience of [describe the shared audience demographics] is similar to ours, and your [post that aligns well with your mission and values] shares our values of [reference your brand values that it aligns with].
If you choose to become a brand ambassador, you will [briefly talk about the online and offline expectations for brand ambassadors].
As thanks for promoting us, we’d like to offer you [rewards or incentives] for [briefly explain what ambassadors must do to earn a reward]. The brand ambassador program will also [share any other benefits to the ambassador, beyond the incentives].
If you’re interested, I’d love to talk more about the [your brand] ambassador program and how it will benefit both you and our brand.
Thanks, [Your name]
[Leave any other contact information if you’re ok with the ambassador contacting you in other ways]
Social media DM template
Hi [creator’s name],
It’s [your name] from [company name]. Thanks for sharing [brand] with your friends and followers!
We love your post about [your product that was featured] because [briefly highlight how it aligns well with your brand], and we want to ask if you’d like to become a brand ambassador for us.
Being a brand ambassador involves [briefly talk about the responsibilities]. As thanks for being our ambassador, you’ll receive [rewards] and enjoy [any other benefits].Â
If you’d like to become our ambassador or want to know more, feel free to reply!
Thanks so much, [Your name]
Next steps after they say yes
Once your ambassador says yes, get the terms in writing with a brand ambassador contract. Then shift your focus to onboarding and keeping them engaged. The best ambassador relationships are built on consistent communication, not a one-time handshake.
For a full walkthrough of setting up and managing your program, check out our brand ambassador program template.
