Brand Advocates

Brand advocates are your most loyal, passionate, and engaged customers. These enthusiastic customers don't just buy your products--they sell your products for you. Brand advocates tweet, blog, and Yelp about you; they praise you with five-star reviews on Amazon and TripAdvisor; they talk you up in social networks, online communities, and over coffee; and they defend you from detractors. According to social media firm, Vitrue, a Facebook fan may be worth $3.28. But, according to a study by customer satisfaction company, Satmetrix, a single brand advocate for an enterprise software company is worth $565,000 based on his referral value.
 
This book is the go-to resource for teaching businesses how to make their customers be one of their most effective marketing components. The book explains how to find your brand advocates by determining levels of customer loyalty, and how to use their resources and power. Once you've found your advocates, the book explains how to get them to fill the gap from customer to advocate, from enjoying their experience to actively promoting their experience. The book gives you the secrets of turning advocates into marketers. You'll learn how to
* Discover who Brand Advocates are and what makes these influential customers tick
* Create and grow your Brand Army by continuously identifying advocates on Facebook, Yelp, and other online reviewer sites
* Energize and mobilize your Brand Army to spread positive Word of Mouth, create and maintain customers, and become your biggest supporters;
* Reward your advocates by giving them what they crave most
* Keep score. You'll learn how to measure results and ROI from online marketing programs featuring brand advocates

Praise for Brand Advocates "Ignite your Advocates! Fuggetta shows you how." SCOTT MONTY, Head of Social Media, Ford "Creating and amplifying authentic Advocates should be front and center on every marketer's agenda. This book is a blueprint for how to turn genuine Advocates into a powerful marketing force." SUSAN HELSTAB, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts "Advocacy is the ultimate goal for every brand. And Rob Fuggetta has given us the ultimate guidebook to brand advocacy. Simple, clear, and filled with practical advice, this book shows you how to turn your enthusiastic customers into a powerful Brand Army." PORTER GALE, former Vice President of Marketing, Virgin America "In an era of connected consumerism, advocacy puts the word in word of mouth. Nothing is more authentic or effective. This book shows you exactly how to find and engage your advocates." BRIAN SOLIS, Principal Analyst, Altimeter Group, and author, The End of Business as Usual "Inspiring Advocates is one of Method's seven obsessions. Get this book and be inspired. Highly recommended!" ERIC RYAN, Cofounder, Method "Fuggetta's equation for building great brands in the social media age is proven and powerful. Every hotel marketer should read this book." CHIP CONLEY, Founder, Joie De Vivre Hospitality, and author, Emotional Equations "Brand Advocates is a book every public relations professional should read. It's the definitive guide to authentic advocacy." AEDHMAR HYNES, Chief Executive Officer, Text 100 Public Relations "Companies aren't trusted, brands aren't trusted, and nor are your executives. People trust each other, and now they have the tools to communicate with each other using social technologies and mobile, with or without brands involved. As a result, trust has shifted to the participants. Many brands, knowing their credibility has diminished, rely on advocacy programs where trusted members of the community are given a platform and encouraged to speak. Fuggetta shows you exactly how to create an advocacy program that empowers your trusted Advocates." JEREMIAH OWYANG, Partner, Altimeter Group

Acknowledgments xvii
 
Introduction 1
 
Turning Advocates into Marketers 1
 
You Can Do This, Too 2
 
What You'll Learn 3
 
Why I Wrote This Book 3
 
How This Book Is Organized 3
 
Your Advocate Army Is Ready. Are You? 4
 
Section One Understanding Brand Advocates 5
 
Chapter 1 What's a Brand Advocate, Anyway? 7
 
The Power of Brand Advocates 8
 
Billions of Brand Advocates 9
 
Advocates All Around Us 10
 
Consumers Trust Advocates, Not Ads 10
 
Different from Fans and Followers 11
 
Money Can't Buy Advocates' Love 12
 
Beyond Loyalty 13
 
Social Media Amplify Advocates 13
 
Top 10 Things Advocates Will Do for You 14
 
Advocates for Life 15
 
Proactive Recommenders 15
 
Most Passionate Advocates 16
 
Off-the-Charts Engagement 17
 
Visible Advocates 18
 
Hidden Advocates 18
 
Active Advocates 19
 
Brand Advocates Are Players (in a Good Way) 19
 
Can't Keep a Secret 21
 
Advocacy Moves Online 21
 
You Don't Need to Own It to Recommend It 22
 
Chapter 2 Not All Advocates Are Equal 24
 
Influence Matters Most 24
 
Measuring Advocate Influence 25
 
Creating Power Advocates 25
 
Measuring Advocate's Klout 25
 
Starbucks Melody 27
 
Chapter 3 What's a Brand Advocate Worth? 30
 
Proof in Advocacy Pudding 31
 
Estimating the Value of an Advocate 31
 
Three Examples 32
 
Conservative Estimate 33
 
Apple of Roy's Eye 34
 
Chapter 4 Five Proven Ways (and One Shocking Way) to Create More Brand Advocates 36
 
Chapter 5 Advocate Personas 38
 
Sally Seller 38
 
Ed Expert 39
 
Chris Creator 39
 
Sonny Sharer 40
 
Hay Floats Microsoft's Boat 40
 
Section Two The Power of Advocate Marketing 43
 
Chapter 6 Unleashing Brand Advocates: An Out-of-the-Box Approach 45
 
Selling with Advocates 48
 
Trusted Advocates 49
 
Sustainable Marketing Force 49
 
Authentic Advocacy 49
 
Word of Mouth Marketing at Scale 50
 
Advocacy Drives Growth 50
 
Advocacy and the Consumer Decision Journey 51
 
Beyond Listening and Engagement 52
 
The Three R's of Advocacy 52
 
Three Major Advocacy Benefits 53
 
Traditional Marketing Model 57
 
The ''Triangle of Trust'' 57
 
Fair Exchange of Value 58
 
Maintaining Balance 59
 
Betting Against Beacon 60
 
Not an Either/Or 60
 
Advocacy in the Online Purchase Path 60
 
Section Three Advocacy Goes Vertical 67
 
Chapter 7 Advocacy Sells Soap (and Other Consumer Products) 69
 
Dirtiest Apartment in San Francisco 69
 
A Sea of Sameness 71
 
Advocacy Is Method for Success 71
 
Energizing Method Advocates 72
 
Peetniks Share their Passion for Peet's Coffee 75
 
Chapter 8 Restaurants Cook Up Success with Advocacy 78
 
Power of Restaurant Word of Mouth 79
 
Turning Happy Diners into Marketers 79
 
Rubio's Unleashes Its Advocates 79
 
Advocacy is Delicious for Restaurant.com 86
 
Chapter 9 Advocates Shape Up Fitness Club Sales 89
 
Fitness Marketing Hurdle 90
 
Advocates Pump Up Fitness Marketing 91
 
Large Fitness Company Activates its Advocates 91
 
Advocates Are the X Factor 92
 
Anytime Advocates 92
 
Chapter 10 Advocates Drive Auto Sales 98
 
Top Benefits of Advocacy for Auto Marketers 99