--- title: Creating an Advocacy Marketing Strategy description: Your customers should be your brand’s biggest advocates. Advocacy marketing strategy gives them something to talk about. image: https://blog.talkable.com/hubfs/advocacy-marketing-phone.jpg --- [![Talkable Logo Blog](https://blog.talkable.com/hs-fs/hubfs/full%20color%20logotype-min.png?width=120&height=26&name=full%20color%20logotype-min.png)](https://www.talkable.com/) - [Blog Posts](https://blog.talkable.com) - [Case Studies](https://blog.talkable.com/case-studies?hsLang=en) - [Guides and eBooks](https://blog.talkable.com/ebooks?hsLang=en) [Talk to an expert](https://lp.talkable.com/lets-talk-referral?hsLang=en) Referral Marketing # Creating an Advocacy Marketing Strategy Your customers should be your brand’s biggest advocates. Advocacy marketing strategy gives them something to talk about. [Erika Carmichael](https://blog.talkable.com/author/erika-carmichael) Dec 21, 2020 --- ## What Is Advocacy Marketing? Advocacy marketing is marketing that encourages customers of a business to share their experiences with (and opinions of) the company and/or its products and services. This public feedback is important because studies have shown that consumers trust recommendations from their peers far more than any form of traditional marketing or advertising. Advocacy marketing taps into the idea of social proof, indicating that if a product is good enough for one of their peers it will likely be good enough for them as well. While there has been an emergence in “online influencers” over the past decade, advocacy marketing acknowledges that all people and customers carry influence - albeit to different degrees. Regardless of a person’s status or online following, an honest assessment, review, or endorsement of a product or service can have a significant impact on how others perceive a business and their offerings. ## What Are Some Examples of Advocacy? While advocacy marketing includes the transfer of ideas through word-of-mouth, it also goes well beyond it. Common forms of advocacy marketing includes online reviews and ratings, testimonials, and case studies. **Online Reviews and Ratings** It is common consumer behavior at this point to check online reviews before making a purchase. This occurs for online shopping, but also in-person at physical stores through the use of mobile devices. Interestingly, more than 80% of customers will [research a product](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130712005396/en/GE-Capital-Retail-Bank%E2%80%99s-Annual-Shopper-Study) or service online before visiting a store. This underscores the value of positive ratings and reviews for any consumer-focused business. In addition, 91% of 18-34 year olds [trust online reviews](https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/) as much as personal recommendations, demonstrating that reviews are mostly seen as unbiased and worth factoring in to purchase decisions. **Testimonials** By displaying positive customer testimonials on their website and other forms of outbound communication, businesses can appeal to their audience with higher effectiveness. [One study](https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/customer-testimonials/#marketing-materials) suggests that 72% of consumers believe that positive testimonials and reviews result in them trusting a business more. When the content is genuine and reflects how good a typical experience that customers have with a product, it can make a meaningful difference in purchase decisions for potential customers. Testimonials can have a [dramatic effect](https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/customer-testimonials/) on a business’ sales as well, generating up to 62% more revenue per site visitor. In addition to formal testimonial content, social media may be a strong source for personal opinions about a business and their products or services. These can be repurposed or re-shared organically within social media for a similar effect. **Case Studies** Case studies, while requiring more attention and time investment from consumers, have the power to relay highly detailed data and information that can influence purchase decisions. By utilizing customer surveys and relevant information gathering, a business can demonstrate the overall satisfaction levels that a customer base has with a product or service. This could include ratings, frequency of purchase, level of improvement of related issues, and more. ![advocacy-marketing-bike-shop-guys](https://blog.talkable.com/hs-fs/hubfs/advocacy-marketing-bike-shop-guys.jpg?width=1200&name=advocacy-marketing-bike-shop-guys.jpg) ## What Are the Strategies of Advocacy? ### Customer Experience Different types of businesses will undoubtedly have different strategies when it comes to advocacy marketing, however a fundamental part of encouraging advocacy is through overarching improvement of the business in ways that serve the customers. By improving the customer experience, businesses improve the likelihood of customers recommending a product or service to others or leaving an online review. Some things to keep in mind: - **Quality of Product or Service**Above all else, a business must lead with a great product or service. When the offering is as-advertised and at least meets the expectations of the consumer, businesses will (at a minimum) avoid a significant amount of negative feedback that could inhibit their advocacy marketing strategy. When the offering exceeds expectations or the standards that the consumer is accustomed to it will be much easier to generate positive feedback that can influence future purchases. - **Customer Service and Care**Customer service has the potential to substantially influence consumers’ perception of a brand and their purchasing habits - both positively and negatively. According to Microsoft’s [Global State of Customer Service](https://clouddamcdnprodep.azureedge.net/gdc/gdcPiLLQw/original?ocid=mkto_eml_EM582302A1LA1) report, 90% of consumers believe that customer service is important to their choice and loyalty to a brand. Additionally, nearly [two-thirds of consumers](https://clouddamcdnprodep.azureedge.net/gdc/gdcPiLLQw/original?ocid=mkto_eml_EM582302A1LA1) are willing to sever a relationship with a business because of a poor customer service experience. By making the customer service experience a positive one, businesses can easily earn the appreciation of their customers. Start by having easy access to friendly and informed customer service agents who are empowered to make transactional decisions for the company. For instance, a no-hassle return or exchange policy can make a huge difference in how a company is perceived (and is even more important now with online purchases). By treating customers with respect and by actively trying to solve any problems they may encounter in the most painless way possible will earn any business goodwill and respect. - **Put the Customer First**The customers should always be the priority and focal point of business decisions and across most sectors of the business. This includes customer service and support, marketing, and product development teams within the brand. Businesses that alternatively aim to cut costs at every possible opportunity to maximize profit margins may be met with adverse consequences that can affect the customer experience. Instead, brands should keep an eye on the customer feedback they are receiving and take action on areas of the product that are consistently mentioned as being less-than satisfactory. Additionally, listening to customers can provide opportunities for direct engagement or additional content that can be created to inform or assist the customer base. - **Clear Branding and Messaging**Strong branding and messaging can be surprisingly beneficial when it comes to advocacy marketing. This is because by touting the key benefits of a product or service consistently, brands are able to both attract the right type of customer as well as signal to them what key benefits they can expect. If the product or service can consistently deliver on those expectations, the feedback should be generally positive and those advocating for a brand will have key talking points to tout when pointing out the merits of any given offering. ### Tactical Strategies Once the foundation of a business has been established in ways that support and enable a broader advocacy marketing strategy, there are many tactical approaches of creating brand advocates to support marketing efforts. - **Create Advocacy Opportunities** - **Referral Marketing**Advocacy marketing is at its best when brand advocates are at the forefront of the strategy. Referral marketing is an effective way to empower customers loyal to your brand to share incentivized offers with their friends and family in an effort to generate new customers for a business. As mentioned before, there are higher levels of trust from consumers when they receive direct recommendations from their peers rather than brand messaging. Referral marketing taps into this idea with perhaps the most proactive approach for an advocacy marketing strategy.  A benefit of referral marketing is its custom-targeting nature, as brand advocates are able to provide offers directly to people who they know or think may be interested in a product or service that they love and would recommend. In the case of [Talkable](https://www.talkable.com/)’s referral marketing software, [product sharing](https://blog.talkable.com/product-sharing-101?hsLang=en) is also an option that allows loyal customers to share a specific product within a brand’s website This allows products to be paired with individual consumers’ interests or needs to maximize the effectiveness of the referral offer. - **Loyalty Marketing**If a brand has a loyalty program, this can be a powerful tool within their advocacy marketing strategy. Loyalty programs promote repeat business and help deepen the connection between the brand and the consumer, further increasing the likelihood that they will act as advocates on behalf of the brand. By assessing the people who are leaders within a loyalty program, their true customer advocates can be easily identified.  This can be incredibly useful and create a positive long-term ROI if a relationship can be established between the brand and the advocate. These advocates can be tapped for special campaign promotions, product seeding, product feedback, or even be provided with special gifts or rewards from time to time as a ‘thank you’ for their support. This individualized attention will likely deepen the advocate’s connection with the brand, and heighten their advocacy for the business. ## Conclusion While an advocacy marketing strategy begins with solid business principles, it excels with strategic initiatives that promote further engagement from customers. If managed well, customers can turn into true brand advocates that have meaningful impact on sales. The opportunity to share feedback and information about a brand are key tenets of an effective advocacy marketing strategy. It is that publicly shared information that builds trust, awareness, and engagement amongst new people in one’s personal social network. Both referral and loyalty marketing have the ability to supercharge advocacy marketing efforts by incentivizing brand interaction, outreach, and engagement amongst their best advocates and customers. The people who already support a brand will be the most authentic options to share why they love what it offers. If your marketing program needs more advocacy, reach out to Talkable for a [free demo](https://www.talkable.com/demo_request) of its referral and loyalty marketing tools and capabilities. [Referral Marketing](https://blog.talkable.com/tag/referral-marketing) ## Similar posts Referral Marketing ### [Advocacy Marketing 101](https://blog.talkable.com/advocacy-marketing-101?hsLang=en) Everything you need to know about advocacy marketing, and how the voice of loyal customers can bring substantial value to any business. Erika Carmichael Jan 11, 2021 Referral Marketing ### [Loyalty Plus Referral Marketing: Marketing in the Sharing Economy](https://blog.talkable.com/loyalty-plus-referral-marketing?hsLang=en) Incentivised referral programs are a natural extension of loyalty that allows brands to benefit from their customers' brand advocacy and patronage. Erika Carmichael Jul 22, 2020 eCommerce Trends ### [Identify, acquire and retain high-value customers in eCommerce](https://blog.talkable.com/identify-acquire-and-retain-high-value-customers-in-ecommerce?hsLang=en) How to identify, acquire and retain high-value customers for an eCommerce brand. Customers that have high LTV and AOV and identify as brand... Eugine Dychko Sep 28, 2021 ### Get notified on referral marketing insights Be the first to know about new Referral Marketing insights from eCommerce industry leaders to build or refine your growth strategy. [![Logo-1](https://blog.talkable.com/hubfs/Logo-1.png)](https://www.talkable.com/) 2261 Market Street #4588 San Francisco, CA 94114 ### Talkable Products - [Referral Programs](https://www.talkable.com/referral-program) - [Loyalty Programs](https://www.talkable.com/loyalty-program) ### Resources - [Case Studies](https://blog.talkable.com/case-studies?hsLang=en) - [Ebooks & Guides](https://blog.talkable.com/ebooks?hsLang=en) - [Blog](https://blog.talkable.com/) ### Company - [About Us](https://www.talkable.com/about) - [Customer Success Team](https://www.talkable.com/customer-success) - [Careers](https://www.talkable.com/jobs) - [Contact Us](https://lp.talkable.com/lets-talk-referral?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=footer&utm_content=link&hsLang=en) © 2026 Talkable. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy](https://www.talkable.com/privacy) [Terms of Service](https://www.talkable.com/terms-conditions)