A brand ambassador is the term used to describe someone who is employed specifically to promote products and services via the business brand, promoting a positive business brand and public image.
A good example of a brand ambassadorin 2017 would be Kylie Jenner when she uses social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram to promote her cosmetic brand. Kylie Jenner is a brand ambassador for her own cosmetic company, Kylie Cosmetics.
It is important to have a dedicated brand ambassador for your business on social networking sites to manage the brand’s public image.
Brand ambassadors can use social media management tools, such as Hootsuite to post content such as videos, articles, photographs, and even snaps (from Snapchat) across a number of social networks simultaneously. These tools allow users to easily and accurately manage multiple social media accounts without the hassle and difficulty of swapping between accounts and individually making posts, interacting with users, and sharing content.
The Influencer
Another marketing technique is an ‘influencer’, this refers to a situation in which a business reaches out to an influencer to market their products and services. This influencer can be anyone from the head of a business, to a celebrity, to a standard customer/client of the business. This is commonly seen in the technology and sporting industry when businesses sponsor groups or individuals and use their influence over other people to promote themselves – professional sportsmen may receive free/discounted equipment or clothing to encourage them to make public statements (often via social media) about the quality and service of the business.
Influencers are not an essential element of marketing for most businesses, however they can offer significant benefits if used appropriately. A business with a number of influencers indirectly promoting effectively can have huge advantages over businesses inappropriately managing influencers or not using them at all. Influencers can be difficult to identify without prior knowledge of any deals or transfers, often the influences themselves will not announce their partnership and the businesses are hesitant to confirm any links, unfortunately most influencers cannot be a guaranteed source of positive promotion due to the nature of the partnership.
Following up a change in sentiment by customers about a business is a task best suited to a number of influencers that have the ability to encourage alternate opinions of a large number of people.
Social Media Management Tools
Influencers can be managed in a similar way to brand ambassadors, using social media management tools to promote and twist the public image and perceived style of a product/service to most accurately fit with the business type. The most significant difference between influencers and brand ambassadors is that ambassadors are typically employed by the business they are promoting, whereas influencers are often celebrities, customers, athletes etc.
For more information about our social media management and online marketing services, visit the Firefly New Media Contact Page.
