Influencers are individuals with a certain credibility in a particular field. They can be bloggers, journalists or ordinary people who have built a large network of followers through their social media presence. Their strength lies in the size of their audience. Businesses have long used them in their communication strategies to reach their audience, and the makeup of that audience is a key factor in choosing an influencer. In most cases, the business offers a product or financial compensation in exchange for posts published on the chosen person’s social network(s).
Ambassadors, on the other hand, are individuals who are highly engaged with a brand. They are generally customers who are extremely satisfied with the business’s offering and who use social networks to express their opinion and share it with the people around them. When they have a favourable opinion of a brand, they communicate it on social networks and become carriers of the brand’s message. Their strength lies in the authenticity of their opinion and of the message they share, which stems from a genuine commitment to the brand.
In the era of relationship marketing
Since mass marketing has been making way for a more personalized relationship with consumers, the effectiveness of traditional forms of advertising has been waning. In its annual report entitled “Global Trust in Advertising,” the American research firm Nielsen shows that, on every continent, the most valuable and credible source of information in consumers’ eyes is the opinions and recommendations of the people around them.
That’s why, in many people’s eyes, ambassadors are becoming the new way to reach people on social networks. Their profile as satisfied consumers, ready to recommend the brand and equipped with the communication channels needed to do so, makes them immensely valuable to businesses. Their commitment comes from genuine satisfaction with the business’s service offering, not from a financial incentive that will soon be forgotten.
Attention or Action
The main criterion that will determine the effectiveness of an influencer versus an ambassador for your strategy obviously depends on your objectives. Thanks to their large audience, influencers can be very useful to new businesses looking to get known or to businesses that want to promote a new product line. However, the strength of their influence is often limited to the size of their audience.
Ambassadors, for their part, are more likely to have a real influence on the people around them and to spur them to action, because of the ever-growing importance consumers place on word of mouth. What’s more, their enthusiasm for your brand gives the relationship you maintain with them a much better chance of lasting over a long period.
Social networks represent an opportunity to connect with consumers that every business should seize. By putting a solid social media strategy in place, you can turn influencers and ambassadors into strong allies who carry your message and influence the opinions of potential customers.
