How to Ask Someone to Be a Brand Ambassador [+ Template]

Are you currently looking for brand ambassadors? Or, are you trying to narrow down a list of potential brand reps?

If so, you may be wondering how to ask someone to be a brand ambassador. When you want to recruit more people into your brand ambassador program, it can be hard to come up with the right strategy for finding them and persuading them to sign on. 

First, you’ll have to figure out what kind of ambassador will be best for your needs. Then, you’ll need to come up with an offer that will convince them to represent your brand officially. 

We’ve gathered best practices for how to recruit brand ambassadors that we want to share with you. We’ll cover everything from how to screen potential ambassadors and make a shortlist of people who might be interested, to the best ways to approach them (including what to say during your “ask”). Let’s dive into this brand ambassador recruitment guide! 

Who is a brand ambassador? 

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. Thanks to their trusted position and focus on authenticity, their audiences will be more likely to buy from you. 

Ambassadors can promote your brand online (such as on social media posts), offline (at events), or both. Unlike influencers, who only represent your brand for a short period, ambassadors will work with you on long-term marketing campaigns. Usually, an ambassador will represent you for at least a year. 

Source

Where to recruit brand ambassadors? 

There are many places that you can find and recruit brand ambassadors from. Here are a few of our favorite places for brand ambassador recruitment: 

• Your existing customers and email list: These people are already fans of your work, so it’s easy for them to spread the word about what you do. Recruit customers who have bought from you most frequently, and/or who have already shared with the most friends. 
• Social media: Select ambassadors from social media based on who’s already talked about you. Find out who has featured your products (look for people who have tagged you or used a branded hashtag), then reach out and ask them if they’d like to be involved in your program. 
• Blogs run by niche authorities: These people are already talking about your industry, so it’s easy to get them involved. Plus, they have a reputation for being experts in their field. 
• Influencer and ambassador databases: These are lists of people who have already agreed to be ambassadors for brands in your industry. They’re a great place to start when you’re building an ambassador program. 
• The pool of people who have applied to become an ambassador: If you don’t have a brand ambassador application already, consider creating one. This helps you build a pool of potential ambassadors by letting already interested people come to you. It also helps you gather the information needed to screen them, so you can make sure you’re recruiting the best-fit ambassadors. 
• Your workforce: Leveraging employees as brand ambassadors is an excellent idea. They’re an extension of your company, so they already understand its mission and values. You can ask for their help in spreading the word about your brand, especially since they have a vested interest in the success of your company. 

Before you ask someone to be an ambassador: essential criteria 

Who should you reach out to and ask if they’d like to be a brand ambassador? To find the best-fit ambassadors for your brand, screen all your potential brand ambassadors and ensure they meet the criteria below. Remember that your ambassadors will be your long-term representatives – the faces of your brand. 

Example brand ambassador requirements from Morning Willow. 

Brand ambassadors:

• Must be passionate about your brand and genuinely enjoy using it: You want someone who will be an effective brand ambassador, so they should love it and truly use it in their daily lives. 
• Should already have shared your products with their friends or their social media following (ideally): Brand ambassadors are enthusiastic about sharing your brand with others – if someone has already shared you authentically and without prompting, they’ll likely be a good fit to represent you officially. 
• Must have values that align well with your brand’s values: For example, if you have a brand with a mission to help people live more sustainably, then someone who limits their consumption of single-use plastic would be a good fit. 
• Must have authority in a niche or among an audience that aligns with yours: Are they an expert in your industry? Or, do they have a similar audience to yours, who considers them to be a trusted authority? Whether online or offline, you want ambassadors who have already built a following of people who trust them, and who will listen to what they have to say. 
• Must be skilled at cultivating relationships: Choose someone who can build a rapport and connect with new people, whether online or offline. They should focus on authenticity and connection first, before making sales. Strong communication and conversational skills will also play a big part in their ability to build relationships.
• Must act ethically and have a good reputation. Make sure they haven’t acted shadily before, as unethical actions will reflect badly on your brand. 
• Must be confident and assertive, with at least some leadership skills: Choose someone who can take the lead and be a high-quality representative of your brand. 
• Must have a strong online presence and an engaged audience: Look at their content’s average comment and share amounts. The potential ambassador’s audience doesn’t have to be large, as long as their engagement is high. 
• Must create high-quality content on a regular basis (if they’re promoting you online): Select someone who can consistently create relevant, interesting, and valuable content that will help your brand. 
• Must be skilled at in-person communication, and at managing events (if they’re promoting you offline): They should be able to attract and connect with people offline, keep them engaged, and ultimately build relationships with them. 

Screening ambassadors: questions to ask 

Before asking someone to be your brand ambassador, ask them a few questions. This way, you can better gauge whether they’re a good fit for the role. And if you ask every potential ambassador the same questions, you can also compare everyone’s answers directly. 

Ask your questions of choice via a brand ambassador application, brand ambassador email, social media messaging, or Zoom.

Here are some interview questions you might want to ask when hiring brand ambassadors: 

• Why do you love (brand)? 
  • What one thing do you like most about us? 
  • What’s your favorite product or service that we offer, and why is it your favorite? 
• Why do you want to be a brand ambassador for us?
  •  What excites you most about being a brand ambassador for us?
  •  What have you done in the past that shows your enthusiasm for (brand)? 
• How would you promote our brand as an ambassador? 
  • What would you do to help us build brand awareness? 
  • What is your preferred method of communicating with people? 
• How would you describe our audience? 
  • How would you engage with them? 
  • What would be your favorite way to interact with our audience? 
• What previous experience do you have as an ambassador, if any? 
  • Could you describe what you accomplished during the experience? 
• What valuable skills would you bring to us as an ambassador? 
  • What do you think it takes to be a successful brand ambassador? 
  • What experience do you have as a social media creator? (if applicable)
  • What experience do you have in event management? (if applicable)

Depending on the type of ambassador you’re recruiting, additional questions may also be appropriate during the brand ambassador recruitment process. For example, if you’re recruiting a blogger ambassador or social media creator, you might ask what types of content they create and what tools they use to do so. 

Or, if you’re trying to recruit certain demographics of ambassadors, you might tailor a question accordingly. For instance, if you’re seeking student ambassadors, you may want to ask about their involvement in on-campus clubs and leadership roles. 

Building relationships with potential ambassadors 

Before asking someone to be a brand ambassador, it’s best to create a rapport by engaging with that person in other ways first.

• An easy way to engage with potential social media brand ambassadors, or with potential blogger-ambassadors, is by leaving comments on their content. 
• If you’d like to recruit a customer, you might have another personal conversation first to build rapport (thanking them for helping your brand grow is always a good idea). Or, invite them to share your brand in other ways first, such as through a customer referral program. 

This will help you build a relationship with the potential ambassador before making your request, so the eventual ask doesn’t seem like a cold email or cold DM. Rather, when you have an existing relationship with the person, it will be easier for them to say “yes” to your request. 

Your rapport will also help make the process of working together much smoother overall – and this connection and teamwork are essential to a successful ambassadorship. 

Only once you’ve cultivated a relationship, and earned the trust of your prospect, should you ask them to become an ambassador for your business. 

How to ask someone to be a brand ambassador? 

You can ask someone to become a brand ambassador once you’ve established rapport with them and determined that they would be a good fit for your business.

Send them direct messages via email or their social media accounts. Zoom is also another direct contact channel you may use, but it’s not as common.

The message (personal note) you send, or conversation you have, is known as an ambassador invitation.

In an ambassador invitation, you should:

• Thank the ambassador for sharing your brand previously. 
• Let them know why you think they’re a good fit for your brand:
  • Mention that you share a niche and/or audience with them, to demonstrate how relevant the offer is. 
  • Highlight their posts or actions that align well with your mission and values, as further reasons that they should sign on. 
• Go into the details of what ambassadorship will mean for both parties. 
• Ask them if they have any questions about your business or the ambassadorship. 

Be sure to cover the following program details: 

• What kinds of payments and rewards are available?
  •  Many ambassadors will promote you for free, but rewards are extra motivation that recognizes dedicated ambassadors. 
  • Rewards should be motivating to your potential ambassadors. 
  • Cash, store credits, product discounts, free products, gift cards, or other tangible items of value are all potential reward options.
• How often will ambassadors receive rewards? Once a week, monthly, or on some other schedule? 
• What other benefits will they gain from the program beyond tangible incentives, such as training, public recognition, or leadership experiences? 
• What type of support will the ambassadors receive from your brand? 
• What will be expected of ambassadors? 
  • What duties will the ambassador perform?
  • Will they promote you online, offline, or both?
  • Will they need to use any specific social platforms or create specific content types?
  • Will they need to plan and/or run offline events?
  • Will you be setting weekly or monthly metrics goals for them? 
• What will the program look like, and/or how will it run?

Some of the requirements and responsibilities of being a Bumble Honey campus ambassador. 

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.

Template for asking via email (the long template)

Template for asking via social media (direct message)

Wrapping up 

So, that’s it! You now know how to ask someone to be a brand ambassador, and you’ve got some great tips for selecting the right people to represent your brand. You also know how to recruit brand ambassadors, where to find them, and what questions to ask.

Once an ambassador says yes to your request, and decides to represent you formally, have them sign a brand ambassador contract where they agree to the terms of the program.

And what comes after the contract? Managing the ambassadors you’ve recruited, and keeping them in the loop, are your next tasks on the list. 

For more details on how to get started with your brand ambassador program, including brand ambassador management essentials, check out our brand ambassador program template.