4 Tips for Building Brand Advocates

As a professional, you are your brand. In other words, how you are perceived by others is your brand, and everyone that has interacted with you has the ability to strengthen or weaken your brand. So, building an enthusiastic group of Brand Advocates should be high on your priority list.

Brand Advocates are clients that constantly and positively refer you to others. They’re a powerful marketing tool because potential clients are more likely to listen to a third-party passionate advocate.

Here are a few ways to help encourage Brand Advocates:

1. Ask. It may sound simple, but it’s the first rule of sales. You have to ask. You might be surprised at how enthusiastically your top clients will “brag” about you if simply ask them to refer you when appropriate.

2. Give Them Something to Talk About. Don’t assume your Brand Advocates know everything that is going on with you. When you’ll be speaking publicly, tell them. When you receive an award, thank them.

3. Listen to Your Clients. Periodically, ask your top clients for their input. When you encourage clients to help you improve your practice, you infuse a sense of ownership. When your clients feel they own your brand, they’re more likely to promote you.

4. Set the Stage. Create social situations where your Brand Advocates can comfortably share with others. Summer barbecues, art show sponsorships, and amateur sports team sponsorships are just a few opportunities for you to ask clients to invite others to social, non-work gatherings.

Brand Advocates are powerful, so make it easy for them to give out your name. Always show up on the first page of GOOGLE®, YAHOO!®, and BING® when prospective clients search for your name.

Increasing Clients: The Unexpected Opportunity.

Imagine the weekend has finally arrived. You're at your kid’s baseball game (or maybe your niece’s). You’re not in “sales” mode. You’re relaxing.

However, your “bleacher neighbor” just happens to strike up a conversation that ends with her obvious need for a top-notch professional. Rather than turning a relaxing weekend ballgame into a hard sell, it’s the perfect time to give out your name and ask your new, prospective client to find you on GOOGLE®, YAHOO!®, or BING®. She’ll be able to learn more about you, and connect with you by phone, email, and mapped directions.

Discover how JABBERCLICK™ can turn an unexpected situation into a new client opportunity!

Increasing Clients: The Social Circle You’re Not In

You’ve spent a lot of time cultivating your top client list. Wouldn’t it be nice if all your new clients were just like your top clients? Your best prospects are socializing with your current clients right now. After all, “birds of a feather flock together.”

Alas, there is no easy way to insert yourself into your client’s social scene. If you hand a stack of business cards to your top clients, they'll most likely lose them. You just hope that when it matters, your clients remember your contact information.

When phone numbers, email, and web addresses can be hard to recall, your name is easily remembered. You can trust that your best clients will mention your name within their social circle, and tell people to find you on GOOGLE®, YAHOO!®, or BING®.

Now all you have to do is make sure you always show up on GOOGLE®, YAHOO!®, and BING® when qualified, prospective clients are searching for your name. Then make sure you proactively inform your current clients and associates that they should tell folks in their social circle that they can learn about you by searching for your name on their favorite search engine.

If you haven't done so already, sign up to try JABBERCLICK™ for FREE for the next 30 days!

Online Presence

These days, it's become more and more important to control and manage your online presence. Employers, friends, coworkers, often "google" peoples names to find out about them. JabberClick helps you manage your online presence. Our blog articles will discuss topics ranging from social networks, to employer due diligence. Please drop by often.