The Marketing Journey: Measuring Advocacy

In marketing, we measure. On our social media accounts, the numbers are always present, our profiles showcasing our follower growth, likes per post, and so many more. But here's the thing - we often have these numbers available, but what do they mean? Yes, we know the number of comments is, well, the number of comments, but what can we learn from that number?

Every data point on your social media means something different. Harnessing those numbers to inform your strategies and campaigns is key, and we want to go on the journey of discovering what that means for you together.

Welcome to "The Marketing Journey: Measuring Advocacy." This is the final part of a 5-part series diving into the intricacies of each pivotal stage in the customer journey, starting with awareness and following your customer down their path towards becoming a brand champion.

But why does this matter for your business?

Champions are not born, they're made.

Customer advocacy is more than just word-of-mouth. It's a powerful force that drives growth and builds trust. In today’s competitive market, turning customers into loyal advocates can be the difference between success and obscurity.

In this blog post, we'll explore the role of advocacy in the customer journey, the key metrics to measure it, and practical steps to enhance and track it. By the end, you'll understand how advocacy closes the loop on your customer journey and introduces more of your target audience to your brand.

Ready to dive in? Let’s get started.

Understanding Advocacy in the Customer Journey

Customer advocacy is the pinnacle of the customer journey, where satisfied customers actively promote your brand. It's more than just loyalty; it's about customers becoming vocal supporters and influencers for your business. Advocacy is crucial because it drives organic growth, enhances brand reputation, and can significantly lower acquisition costs.

💸 The Customer Journey Stages

The customer journey comprises several stages: awareness, consideration, conversion, retention, and advocacy. Each stage plays a vital role, but advocacy is where the real magic happens. At this stage, customers not only return for repeat business but also recommend your brand to others, creating a ripple effect.

💸 The Power of Loyal Customers

Loyal customers are the backbone of advocacy. They trust your brand and feel a strong connection to it. This emotional bond makes them more likely to share positive experiences, write reviews, and refer friends and family. Building this kind of loyalty requires consistent delivery of value and exceptional customer service.

💸 Bridging Retention and Advocacy

Your product and its experience may elicit retention, but retention does not inherently equal advocacy. No one really wants change, so people may be sticking around 'just because'. However, actually becoming a champion for your brand? That requires some heavy-lifting on your end.

Customers should feel pride in being associated with your brand. Let's talk about how you can make that happen.

Key Metrics to Measure Customer Advocacy

💻 Online Reviews and NPS

Online reviews are a goldmine for understanding customer sentiment. Positive reviews boost your brand’s credibility, while negative reviews offer insights for improvement.

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a critical metric. It measures the likelihood of customers recommending your brand to others, providing a clear indicator of overall satisfaction and loyalty.

Social media is a powerful tool for measuring advocacy. Monitor comments, shares, and tags to gauge how often customers are talking about your brand. High levels of engagement indicate strong advocacy, while low levels signal the need for improved customer interaction.

Here are some simple metrics to measure advocacy on socials:

Shares: When people are sharing your content, they're indicating that they're comfortable associating themselves with the message you're sharing.
Tags: Whether people are tagging your brand in posts or tagging their friends on your posts, it's clear that they're thinking of you as an integral part of their day-to-day life, almost like another one of their friends.

💻 Closing the Customer Journey Loop

Advocacy closes the customer journey loop by feeding new prospects into the awareness stage. When advocates share their positive experiences, they introduce your brand to a wider audience, creating a continuous cycle of growth and engagement.

A community of advocates.

Practical Tactics to Enhance and Track Advocacy

✅ Creating Compelling Referral Programs

Referral programs are a straightforward way to encourage advocacy. Offer incentives for customers who refer new clients. These incentives could be discounts, exclusive access to new products, or other rewards that add value, depending on the market segment you serve.

✅ Encouraging and Gathering Testimonials

Customer testimonials and use cases are powerful endorsements. Encourage satisfied customers to share their stories through written reviews, video testimonials, or social media posts. Make it easy for them by providing templates or prompts, and always thank them for their contributions. Social proof is essential for building trust, as we discussed in the consideration stage.

You can reward them for their testimonials in other ways, too. Consider product-related incentives like discounts on future subscriptions or early access to new releases from your company.

✅ Utilizing Feedback for Continuous Improvement

Feedback is invaluable for continuous improvement. Regularly solicit feedback through surveys, social media, and direct communication. Use this information to make informed decisions and show customers that their opinions matter. When customers see their feedback implemented, they feel valued and are more likely to become advocates.

Next Steps

By focusing on the strategies outlined in this series, you will transport your target audience from being vaguely aware of who you are to becoming your own community influencers. Building a sense of identity and reciprocal value with your users is essential - simply having a product isn't enough in today's business landscape.

If you missed the earlier posts in this series, we recommend you start from the beginning with learning about how to generate awareness within your target audience - you can follow the links from there to build up a toolkit for the complete marketing journey.

The Marketing Journey: Measuring Advocacy