Like most Instagram users out there, you’ve probably wondered how to become a brand ambassador. After all, they’re all over social media promoting everything from protein powder to clothing brands to teeth-whitening systems.
And you know what?
You’ve probably felt a twinge of envy as well.
I mean, what’s better than actually having a dedicated social media following and getting paid for supporting brands you love? Also, the freebies!
Fortunately, being a successful brand ambassador isn’t hard at all – it just needs a careful strategy. You can easily start receiving money for posts or some good old freebies from brands you love) in no time.
If this is something that you’ve always been interested in, then take note.
I’ve created a detailed 15-step guide to help you reach your dream of becoming a successful brand ambassador.
What is a Brand Ambassador?
A brand ambassador is someone who represents a company, either in person or online.
Brands are usually looking for people to “personify” the brand’s identity and turn their values to life.
Your main mission is to spread awareness of the brand through more of a “word of mouth” strategy, instead of direct marketing.
Companies use brand ambassadors so they can have a medium to connect them and put them in touch with the customer base.
Some ambassadors endorse the company on social media or via blogging, while others do that through events.
After all, why wouldn’t companies want brand ambassadors? 20 to 50 percent of all purchasing decisions are a direct result of positive word of mouth.
15 Ways To Become a Brand Ambassador
1. Create a compelling social media profile.
The harsh reality of becoming a brand ambassador is:
- Follower count, content and engagement rates matter more than anything. In today’s social-media-controlled world, this is the first place most brands start looking.
- Build your own image and create a brand out of yourself. This is the most important step. Before you consider becoming a brand ambassador, think of yourself as a brand.
- Find out what makes you different than anyone else. Why would a brand want to work with you?
- Exude a positive vibe. Your social media profiles need to have a “cohesive” look, a positive feel, and lively and “real” vibe.
- Incorporate the right keywords. Which results do you want to come up in? Do you want to become a brand ambassador in the fitness niche? Travel? Clothing? Think of that and then ensure that your profile seamlessly incorporates the right keywords.
2. Stay active on social media.
It’s not just about having 20k followers, it’s about engagement.
There are plenty of companies who will completely ignore your number of followers and look at your engagement rate.
Brands will not be interested in contacting you if you are not engaged with your followers. They want to see that your followers trust your opinion, like having “conversations” with you, and that you are a likable person in general.
3. Post incredible content.
Staying active doesn’t mean that you should be posting just for the sake of posting, though.
You need to catch the attention of your existing followers and any potential ones. Make sure your feed is interesting enough for big brands to contact you.
Try to post content that is geared towards a defined target audience, and get creative!
The more compelling your content is, the better. Be it videos, Instagram pictures, infographics, tutorials, or written blogs – you will need to constantly create exciting content.
4. Create a personalized hashtag.
Pick a hashtag that represents you as a brand.
This helps keep all your posts in one place and will show brands that you pretty much know what you’re doing.
5. Know your audience.
Again, having interesting content and staying active is not enough. Your overall reach is a substantial aspect of whether or not a brand will hire you as a brand ambassador.
You need to grow an audience that resonates with the type of brands you want to partner with. This is why you need to understand:
- The type of audience your brand has.
- The type of audience you already have.
- How to create content that attracts the type of audience the brand is looking for.
6. Work with a brand network.
The best place to start getting brand deals is to sign up on a brand network site that facilitates the whole process for you.
You will need to have an established profile, following, and engagement by then.
Create an influencer profile on websites like Socialix, Socialstars or Collectively Inc, and upload your information and status and then sit back and wait!
7. Target small businesses and start-ups at first.
Usually, small businesses look for “micro-influencers” instead of established influencers because they’re “cheaper” and easier to contact.
Basically:
They’re usually looking for someone who will help spread the word about their products in the most genuine way possible.
That’s why it’ll be much easier for you to build up a portfolio if you start with small businesses and gain credibility along the way. It will take you half the time to secure a deal and get paid!
8. Look for brands that you love.
It always shows when influencers promote products that they’re not particularly fans of. Find a company that sells products that you actually would incorporate into your lifestyle and then contact them.
Don’t go out looking for fitness-related brands if you’ve never been to the gym yourself!
What differentiates successful brand ambassadors from normal ones is how much they can embrace the company that they’re promoting.
Needless to say:
The more you can identify with what you’re selling, the more genuine it will come off.
9. If you don’t know what you love, look to your favorite hobbies as a starting point.
Hone in on your hobbies to uncover what brands you’d love.
If you’ve taken up a hobby recently, or if you’re a big fashion fan, then you know exactly where to start looking! It’s like you’ve already lived the brand experience!
10. Passion is king.
An unrelenting attitude is what will make you stand out. It’s what will make your profile stand out amongst the thousands of other profiles that are all searching for the same thing.
Here’s the thing:
Becoming an incredible brand ambassador requires practice. It requires passion, convicting and time investment.
Only someone who is truly passionate about what they’re promoting is unstoppable.
11. Set up a contact or a sponsorship page.
Create a page that explains what types of brands/companies that you want to secure, and showcase your general stats and what you can offer to the brand.
12. Network, network, and network a bit more.
Wherever you go: Network.
Be it in person, online, through social circles or even at work events. The more people you know, the better.
After all, brands want someone who has a strong network around them.
Not only will it strengthen your profile as a brand ambassador, but it will also increase your potential chances of getting hired as one.
13. Think like a marketer.
Trust me on this one: You will need to be educated on how you can rock online marketing.
Brands want someone who can guarantee them social reach and engagement.
There are plenty of online courses that will take you through the main pillars of online marketing – from Instagram ads to SEO.
You’ll actually start to notice the difference once you implement what you learn along the way.
14. Carry yourself in a professional manner.
When it comes to being a brand ambassador, you might find yourself caught in the middle of some un-needed drama. All you need to do is stay polite, humble and let your account be a reflection of your values.
Get your account ready for presentation because brands will stalk you (this might be time to remove any cringy holiday pictures!).
15. Don’t take shortcuts.
You might be thinking:
“Why can’t I just buy followers? And likes? And comments?”
I’ll tell you why.
It’s because brands know. You can’t fake being a brand ambassador, it just doesn’t work that way. Brands are very wary about engagement and will check your engagement compared to your number of followers.
Buying that will simply do you more harm than good. You really don’t want to be on the wrong side of the fence.
Becoming a brand ambassador opens up a lot of opportunities for you to make money, both, online and offline.
You can easily learn how to make money off of Youtube or Instagram, as a brand ambassador, or even how to get paid to travel.
