crash course on advocate marketing

An advocate for my company is someone who…

…engages with influencers, prospects & customers by being… “one of them”

…actively recommends… to their vast network

without any compensation …has credibility when they talk about their real

business gains and achievements…

…is an evangelist for my company. …believes the …customer-business relationship

far exceeds the function of our product.

…is willing to share… tangible benefits… after their experience with our software/solutions.

@explorics #AdvocateCC

What is advocate marketing?

How do you organize for it?

Who are the players?

What do programs look like?

B2B Customer Loyalty & Advocacy Programs

@briangladstein

A personalized roadmap for measuring and increasing organic advocacy. •  Who are my advocates? •  What is their potential? •  What is my action plan?

http://explorics.com/aa

Get an Advocate Assessment!

What the Heck is Advocate Marketing?

Advocate Marketing Defined

Including customers, fans, and influencers as a programmatic part of your marketing engine

reviews!references!

referrals!social media!

content!

intelligence!

usability!training!

strategy!

PR!

community!

speakers!

@explorics #AdvocateCC

Advice from peers is the #1 most influential source of information during the B2B buying process.

– BuyerSphere 2013

Advice from a friend

Search Engine

Supplier Website Email

Industrial Intermediary

Sent by a friend

Online display ad

Social media

Wider advice

Industry community

Buyers get 57% of the way through the buying process before they talk to a sales rep.

– Marketing Leadership Council

57%  

Searching within communities is the top way B2B decision-makers discover new approaches.

– Forrester Research

Searching within communities

Vendor content

Peer content

Q&A

58%  

31%  

22%  

20%  

What’s Driving The Need for Advocacy?

@explorics #AdvocateCC

Fundamental Changes at Work

These dynamics are forcing companies to develop stronger strategies for

customer success, retention, loyalty, and word-of-mouth

SaaS Social Media

•  Easier to sign up •  Easier to switch •  Pay-as-you-go

•  Unbiased expertise •  Vendor validation •  ROI proof points

@explorics #AdvocateCC

Organizing for Advocacy

Exec team

Tech Support

Sales Product

Management Customer Success

Marketing

The customer

Perceived as Protective

Perceived as Exploitive

Who Owns the Customer?

@explorics #AdvocateCC

Is Your Organization Aligned?

Support

“My job is to maximize the value customers

receive from us”

Marketing

“My job is to maximize customer

lifetime value”

The customer @explorics #AdvocateCC

Achieve Alignment Through Shared Customer Vision

Support Marketing

The customer

“I believe in this company. The more I get involved, the more they can help my career.”

@explorics #AdvocateCC

“We Thought If We Didn’t Get A Press Release, We Failed” (WRONG!)

Strategy

Product Development

Testing

Launch

Training

Marketing

Sales

Brainstorm sessions

Usability

Beta Testing Community Liaison

Educational Expert

Spotlight

Referral

Appeals  to  

job  exper.s

e  

Appeals  to  s

ense  

of  community  

Appeals  to  d

esire  

to  self-­‐brand

@explorics #AdvocateCC

The customer

Exec team

Tech Support

Sales

Product Management Customer

Success

Marketing

The Advocacy Champion

The champion

Customer success? Customer marketing?

Client services? Account rep?

engage  

match  

@explorics #AdvocateCC

The Players

Superstars

Jenny Berthiaume Liz Richardson

Evan Jacobs

Naysa Mishler Danielle Camara

Jeffrey Linton

@explorics #AdvocateCC

B2B - Enterprise

Services ↓

Reference management

SaaS Customer Success

B2B Advocate Marketing

B2C Advocate Marketing

B2C Advocate Programs

B2B Advocate Programs

B2B - SaaS B2C

Product ↑

@explorics #AdvocateCC

Analysts & Influencers

“If you haven’t put structure and process around advocacy marketing, start now. One of the first discoveries that marketers encounter is that more than half their customers are willing to publicly advocate their favorite products online.” Bob Peterson

SiriusDecisions

Richard Fouts, Julie Hopkins Gartner

Peter O'Neill, Zachary Reiss-Davis Forrester Research

Mack Collier

@explorics #AdvocateCC

Customer Reference Forum

Community Roundtable

Customer Success Association

Customer Success Management Forum

@explorics #AdvocateCC

Program Design

Advocate programs are based on relationships Key Concepts

•  People, not companies •  Give first, then receive •  Recognition, not bribes •  Mutual benefit •  Micro-community

@explorics #AdvocateCC

I’ll scratch your back. You scratch mine.  @explorics #AdvocateCC

Recruit Engage Reward

Human Resources

Technology & Communications Stack

Analytics

Harvest

@explorics #AdvocateCC

Measuring ROI Sales metrics –  Deal influence –  Pipeline influence –  Revenue influence –  Renewal rate –  Churn reduction

Customer success metrics –  Customer satisfaction –  Net promoter score –  Product usage –  Service calls

Marketing metrics –  Lead referrals / conversions –  SEO –  Page views / downloads –  Content production costs

Internal metrics –  Membership rate –  Engagement rate –  Engagement frequency –  Advocacy rate –  Advocacy frequency

@explorics #AdvocateCC

A personalized roadmap for measuring and increasing organic advocacy. •  Who are my advocates? •  What is their potential? •  What is my action plan?

http://explorics.com/aa

Get an Advocate Assessment!

Contact (617) 758-8998

www.explorics.com info@explorics.com

@explorics