How to Become a Brand Ambassador
Have you ever wondered how to become a brand ambassador and make money online promoting products you love?
Content creation is a booming industry. According to WordPress, the creator economy is worth an estimated $104.2 billion (and the market is expected to double by 2027). This, along with the huge popularity of social media, means that becoming a brand ambassador is an achievable goal for anyone with an online presence. Companies of all types and sizes are eager to work with real people who can provide authentic, relatable endorsements of their products.
In this post, we’ll explore how to make the dream of becoming a brand ambassador a reality – and how Knowadays can help you get started.
What Does It Mean to Be a Brand Ambassador?
A brand ambassador represents and promotes a company’s products or services. They are typically thought of as the face of a brand. They can help boost a company’s relatability and build their rapport with customers. Businesses often prefer working with brand ambassadors rather than other marketing tactics because of the authentic connection it creates with their audience. This connection has been shown to boost customer loyalty and sales.
People use the terms influencer and brand ambassador interchangeably to describe someone who promotes products online. However, the two have different job descriptions. Unlike influencers, who may work with multiple brands on a short-term basis, brand ambassadors typically have a longer-term, more exclusive relationship with the brands they represent.
Brand ambassadors can be compensated in various ways, depending on the agreement with the brand and the nature of the work.
Some brand ambassadors, especially those working on long-term contracts or as part of a company’s internal team, receive a fixed salary. Freelance brand ambassadors typically receive payment per social media post or marketing campaign.
Another payment method is commission based on the number of sales generated by a unique referral link provided by the company.
Brand ambassadors often receive free products from the companies they represent, and access to new products before they are widely available.
Brand Ambassador Job Description
The role of a brand ambassador can vary based on the company they work with and the type of content they produce. It typically involves:
- Promoting the brand on social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok
- Creating content such as blog posts, videos, and photos featuring the brand’s products
- Using personal networks to increase brand awareness
- Providing feedback to the brand about customer reactions and preferences
- Providing testimonials after using a product or service
- Demonstrating and explaining products to potential customers
- In some cases, attending events hosted by the brand and engaging with potential customers
Brand ambassadors are typically expected to represent the values of the companies they partner with and present a positive image of the products to the public.
How to Become a Brand Ambassador
If working with businesses as a brand ambassador piques your interest, take the following steps to get started:
Build Your Personal Brand
Your personal brand is what sets you apart from others and helps you find your target market. Essentially, your brand is your personality and allows customers to easily recognize you. To begin creating a personal brand, define your niche and what you stand for. Then, make sure this is consistently reflected in your online presence. This helps companies related to your niche identify you to work with.
For an example of targeted collaboration, see the content created by petite fashion blogger Jean Wang for clothing company Nordstrom.
While your personal brand includes your core message, it also includes things like the logo, color scheme, and typography of your website and social media pages. For inspiration, check out this list of personal branding examples.
Grow Your Online Presence
While you need an online presence to become a brand ambassador, you don’t need a massive platform with millions of followers. Many companies are interested in working with specialized content creators with smaller followings. They tend to have higher engagement rates and the potential to reach a more targeted audience.
No matter how many followers you start out with, it’s important to build a strong online presence if you want to work as a brand ambassador. Focus on creating high-quality content, posting on your website or social media pages consistently, and engaging with your followers. Use relevant hashtags combined with trending ones to increase your visibility. You could even consider collaborating with other content creators in your niche to expand your reach.
Research Compatible Brands
To be successful as a brand ambassador, be selective about the companies you work with. Identify brands that align with your values and interests. Look at popular content creators in your niche to see the type of content they typically promote, what brands they work with, and what gets them the most views.
Make a list of brands that you genuinely admire (famous or less widely known) and would love to represent. While you may not reach out to all the companies on the list, making a list of dream companies to work with helps give you direction when planning your outreach.
Build a Media Kit
A media kit is a professional document that showcases your personal brand and what you can offer to potential brand partners. Include information such as:
- Your bio
- Analytics data
- Audience demographics
- Examples of your work
- Any previous collaborations
If you don’t have previous examples of your work, focus on the types of sponsored content and reviews you can create.
A media kit can take several different forms, such as a shareable file, PDF, or section of your website. Regardless of the format you use, it should be attention-grabbing and clearly demonstrate your value as a brand ambassador. Take a look at some examples from the cooking blog Pinch of Yum and the travel blog Honeytrek.
Some companies also publish relevant data directly on their website for potential brand partners to see. For example, check out this information published by Lia Griffith on her crafting website:
Contact Brands
Once you have your media kit and list of companies ready, start reaching out to brands. Craft personalized cold pitches that explain why you want to work with them and how you can benefit their brand. Highlight your unique strengths and past successes and be clear about what you can offer.
You can also visit the websites of companies and see if they offer brand ambassador programs. Many allow you to apply online. For instance, sporting goods company Asics has an ambassador scheme, and so does Xbox if you’re a keen gamer. And there is even an ambassador program here at Knowadays!
Join Brand Ambassador Platforms
If you’re struggling to think of brands you’d like to work with – or you’re not sure how to start reaching out – you could join a brand ambassador agency or user-generated content (UGC) platform. These websites and apps make brand ambassador schemes more accessible or connect creators with companies looking for people to promote their products. What’s especially useful is you don’t need a big social media presence to get started. In fact, joining a UGC platform can be a way to grow your audience – and your experience – as you go.
On UGC platforms, brands search for creators who match their aesthetic, and many also allow you to browse and apply to brand campaigns that interest you. It’s a neat way to start building relationships if you’re a little nervous of pitching directly.
For example, Influee is a popular UGC platform that’s open to creators of all experience levels. It focuses on video content, so it’s a great option if that’s your preferred medium. After setting up your profile, you browse available campaigns, apply to ones that align with your style, and submit content directly through the website. If a brand requests a collaboration with you, you’ll receive the product and content guidelines and then make your promotional video content. Once it’s approved, you’ll get paid securely, without the need to invoice.
There are a range of platforms out there, including IZEA, Twirl, and the inventively named #paid. Each site may focus on a different medium, platform, or industry, but they all have one thing in common – they all help creators like you set up brand collaborations.
Becoming A Brand Ambassador
Are you interested in learning more about the exciting world of brand partnerships? Check out our comprehensive Becoming A Brand Ambassador course to discover what it takes to make your goal of working with brands you love a reality.
Your email address will not be published.