An Introductory Guide to Becoming a Brand Ambassador /
Social media content creators have a big impact on our buying decisions. In fact, 49% of consumers say they depend on recommendations from ambassadors and influencers. Brand ambassadors act like a cheerleader, and brands are able to piggyback on the trust between ambassadors and their audiences.
Gaining influencer status in an increasingly competitive digital landscape is challenging, however, you no longer need hundreds of thousands of followers to help promote brands. There is no set number of followers you need to be a brand ambassador - you could have as little as 1,000 followers and still be a desirable choice for a brand, as they are often more interested in your engagement rate and the relationship you have with your audience.
We’ve spoken to Megan Croucher (@megs.sj) who has helped us put together these five expert tips for any equestrian who is interested in becoming a brand ambassador. Meg has nearly 30k followers across her Instagram and TikTok channels and works with brands such as Rhinegold and Ancora Equestrian.
Let’s take a look at how you can get started…
1 - Optimise your social media profiles
They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. That is why optimising your social media profiles is so important, whether you are using one or multiple social channels.
Here are some tips to help you put this into practice:
Switch from a regular account to a business account so you can access additional engagement metrics and more promotional options.
Write an engaging bio that explains who you are, showcases your personality, and makes a personal connection with your audience.
Make sure all your personal information and any links are filled in, and that your contact details are easily accessible.
2 - Build your online presence and audience
We did say that having a ginormous audience isn’t crucial in becoming a brand ambassador, however building quality connections and a strong presence is undeniably important.
This is where knowing your audience’s likes and dislikes is important, as is consistently posting quality content. Working out why your followers are supporting and engaging with you is really important if you want to create meaningful and interesting content. We appreciate this all takes a considerable amount of time, but if you want brands to invest in you, you will need to put the work in!
Meg explains “My Instagram platform isn’t a full-time job, I do it in my spare time. I tend to spend an hour in the evenings working on posts, contacting and communicating with companies and then I create my content on the weekends. To create successful content you have to come up with ideas, a suitable location, a clean horse (I tend to bath Dexter before which is an hour of my time already!), find someone who is good with a camera, shoot (if the weather is good!) and then edit and plan your post”.
3 - Interact with brands on social channels
If you are genuinely interested in helping a business to promote its products or services, then connecting with them on social media is one of the best places to begin!
Meg tends to find and follow brands she likes: “If I see the potential that I can work with them and promote their products to benefit them, then I start to interact with them by keeping up-to-date with what they are doing. I will like and comment on posts, and also watch their stories and reply to start a conversation. I want them to know that I’m passionate about what they do and that I am interested in working in a way that benefits them and not just myself”.
4 - Be proactive about reaching out to brands
It’s perfectly normal for brand ambassadors to directly reach out to brands who they would love to work with. For this, we recommend putting together a media kit which you can use to approach brands.
As Meg’s audience has grown, she feels lucky that she can wait for collaborators to approach her, however when she first started her account she would always contact them first: “I would explain what content I can produce (with examples) and also be open to suggestions so they can receive content that they are happy with. I’ll also share my insights with them so they can see my audience demographics (gender, age, country, etc). I also make it clear that I want to work on a close basis, keep in touch, and also be happy to hear criticism and ways I can improve”.
“Reaching out to small, upcoming businesses is a great way to get started. This way you can help the business grow while learning and gaining experience. I’ve worked with up-and-coming brands who are now established, recognisable brands, and it’s so rewarding watching their journey and seeing how they develop and feeling part of that!”.
5 - Don’t forget why you started your account!
Ultimately, your audience is the reason you get to work with exciting products and brands, so creating high-value content should always be a priority. Meg agrees that the worst thing you can do is to approach every brand out there just to get freebies. Becoming a successful brand ambassador is about complete authenticity and relationship building - people can tell if a partnership is forced or ill-fitting!
Meg explains “I will only reach out to a brand if I generally love their products and would find a use for them. I want to promote items that I have hands-on tested and that I know are high quality and worth people's money!”.
View Meg’s Instagram profile to see how she creates content for some well-known equestrian brands.
Key Takeaways
Becoming a brand ambassador is absolutely possible for influencers of all sizes.
Only reach out to brands that you admire or share similar values with - don’t do it for five minutes of fame!
And lastly, remember to not sell yourself short - you could be generating considerable traffic and sales for the brands you work with!
If you found this post useful, make sure to follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more tips and advice! And for any questions related to this topic (or any of our marketing services) please do not hesitate to get in touch.
