KEY Examples of Brand Ambassadors

What is a brand ambassador? Simply put, a brand ambassador is a person who wants to help spread the word about your nonprofit to increase your impact and recruit others to join your cause. 

who can help

The great news is that nonprofits already have these brand ambassadors who are ready and willing to help – they just haven't been identified yet! Have you sat down lately to think about those loyal individuals who already know your organization? Your mission? Your values? If you haven't started this valuable list, here are some very common categories your brand ambassadors would fall under:

• Board members

• Old and new volunteers

• Donors

• Current corporate sponsors

• Social Media Fans

• Old and new staff members

• Program alumni

what do you need to do?

After identifying key people to become brand ambassadors, put together an agreement that outlines the goals of the program and sets clear expectations and guidelines for participation. Make it simple and include what they can expect from your nonprofit in terms of support, training and content ideas. It's important to also include a plan of action for potential risks, like if something goes against your privacy policy. It's also important to include content guidelines which would include details like specific links and hashtags that you want ambassadors to use as well as a list of things that would be inappropriate.

tools you can use:

You want to make being a brand ambassador as easy as possible, and providing them with adequate resources at their disposal is key. Here's a few ideas to get you started:

• Social Media Messaging - Provide a reference list with key points about your nonprofit including your mission statement, values, and some related statistics.

• Brand photos and videos - Store media you would like them to share like photos, infographics and videos in a easy-to-find location like Google Drive or Dropbox

• Create a Brand Ambassador E-mail List - Creating a segmented e-mail list with all of your ambassadors makes it easy to send campaign updates, news and social media tips.

• Create a Facebook group - Creating and managing a designated Facebook group for your ambassadors helps keep everyone engaged and talking to each other.

how you can reach out:

Once you've completed the steps above, reach out to your potential ambassadors on social media or email with your pitch. Inquire about their interest in the program and occasionally donating their Facebook newsfeed or Twitter timeline to your mission. Don't be discouraged if your full list doesn't want to participate; just 5 people can be enough to get the program started!

Remember, we trust people more than we trust companies. It’s that simple.

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Author Shannon Fernandez