{"id":10038,"date":"2019-05-02T12:34:18","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T16:34:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/?p=10038"},"modified":"2024-07-04T01:17:16","modified_gmt":"2024-07-04T05:17:16","slug":"brand-ambassadors-vs-influencers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/brand-ambassadors-vs-influencers\/","title":{"rendered":"Brand Ambassadors vs. Influencers: A Comparison"},"content":{"rendered":"

Both brand ambassador programs and influencer programs are effective ways to gain new customers. After all, people trust recommendations from their network far more than they trust traditional ads. But the terminology in the word-of-mouth marketing<\/a> world can be quite confusing. What\u2019s the difference between a brand ambassador and an influencer?<\/p>\n

Brand ambassadors are fans who have an established relationship with your brand, and serve as its long-term representatives. Meanwhile, influencers work with a brand for only a short time, and might not have used a brand’s products before becoming its influencer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Still, both brand ambassadors and influencers share your product with their audience, which helps grow your customer base. But several other key factors separate brand ambassadors vs. influencers. Let\u2019s examine the similarities and differences between the two in detail.<\/p>\n

Who is a brand ambassador?<\/h2>\n

Brand ambassadors<\/a> are real people who love your brand and your products. These individuals actively use your products or services, and are passionate about your brand.<\/p>\n

Ambassadors are also experts at sharing your products with others<\/a>\u00a0via word-of-mouth. They aren\u2019t always celebrities, and they don\u2019t always have a gargantuan network of social media followers. But they are<\/em> usually authorities in their field \u2013 and the field your brand serves.<\/p>\n

For example, a dentist would make a credible brand ambassador for mouthwash. Or a fitness instructor would be a reliable brand ambassador for Lululemon.<\/p>\n

But a brand ambassador doesn\u2019t have to be a noted authority, either. As long as they\u2019re committed to spreading the word about your brand, your best brand ambassadors<\/a> can even be an employee, partner, or customer.<\/p>\n

\"lululemon-ambassador\"<\/p>\n

This <\/em>fitness instructor<\/a><\/em>\u00a0is a Lululemon brand ambassador. <\/em><\/p>\n

Most brand ambassadors agree to maintain an ongoing relationship with your brand and will continue to repeatedly promote it on social media, at trade shows, events, and through networking. Instead of using a script, they like to talk to others organically and one-on-one, as if they were having a conversation with a friend (although they may have to follow a list of guidelines that you provide). This is why brand ambassadors are so important\u00a0for your marketing strategy.<\/a><\/p>\n

They might receive money or free products as an incentive for their services, but it’s not a requirement. Often, brand ambassadors are more than happy to assist you without compensation \u2013 seeing you succeed is incentive enough.<\/p>\n

\"makers-mark-ambassador\"<\/p>\n

After seven years of loyalty, Maker\u2019s Mark Ambassadors receive the opportunity to purchase <\/em>bourbon from a barrel that bears their name<\/em>. <\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s one of the best parts of having a brand ambassador program?<\/a> Ambassadors will usually create high-quality content, like social media posts, product images, and blog articles, for you for free. They\u2019ll use their unique perspective to talk about your brand, so it\u2019s easy for them to genuinely connect with their audiences.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear to audiences that a brand ambassador isn\u2019t trying to push products or opinions. After all, they aren\u2019t explicitly saying \u201cbuy this.\u201d Rather, they are simply sharing why they love a product based on their own experience. As a result, brand ambassadors give potential customers a compelling reason to trust you.<\/p>\n

In a nutshell, brand ambassadors are your informal (and extremely cost-effective) spokespeople, serving as the faces and voices of your product.<\/p>\n

Who is an influencer?<\/h2>\n

An influencer is a content creator with a substantial reputation, and often a substantial social media or blog following, who promotes your brand. Instead of sharing your brand through word of mouth, they influence by example. Influencers authentically show others how they use your product, with their own voice, and on their own blog or social media channels.<\/p>\n

A quick search for #ad or #sponsored hashtags on social media will reveal some examples of influencer marketing<\/a> at work.<\/p>\n

\"redrhinestone-influencer\"<\/p>\n

Influencer <\/em>Redrhinestone<\/a><\/em> shows how the mobile game Best Fiends helped her pass time at the airport. <\/em><\/p>\n

Unlike brand ambassadors, your relationships with influencers will likely be short-term. An influencer will usually promote a product only once or twice.<\/p>\n

An influencer may not have used your product before, either. Instead, you choose influencers for their reputation, dedicated following, and ability to reach a target audience. For example:<\/p>\n