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How to Build a Customer Advocacy Program That Puts Your ...
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Why Should You Keep Reading? “We all have champion users who work high-pressure jobs and report to executives. They're working to see a positive ROI and solid value attainment from your solution; they are notworking to make you look good. They work hard using your product so they can earn a promotion for themselves, expand their business unit, or prove their team’s impact and get more headcount.” Advocacy programs need to be about what’s in it for customers, not what’s in it for program or brand leaders. Here’s a quick framework for how I think about building a legitimately customer-obsessed advocacy program, along with a few pieces of advice to help you tailor your organization’s approach.
Here’s what I’m seeing: CS leaders, customer marketers, and advocacy program coordinators default to treating customer advocacy as a way to source case studies, website logos, industry-specific quotes, event speakers, and referrals — and that’s about the extent of it. “This approach, though probably better than nothing, is transactional at best and burdensome to customers at worst.” If we haven’t met, my name is Haig Kingston, and I’ve been in the CS space for 11+ years. Today, I lead Customer Success at OpenBlend, and part of my job is championing our customer advocacy efforts. I’m convinced that customer advocacy programs need to go beyond the asking-for-a-quick-favor model and instead flip the script so customers advocate for your brand because of how helpful you’ve been to them in their careers.
We all have champion users who work high-pressure jobs and report to executives. They're working to see a positive ROI and solid value attainment from your solution; they are notworking to make you look good. They work hard using your product so they can earn a promotion for themselves, expand their business unit, or prove their team’s impact and get more headcount. “Advocacy programs need to be about what’s in it for customers, not what’s in it for program or brand leaders.” The Customer Advocacy Framework I Use at OpenBlend
This approach, though probably better than nothing, is transactional at best and burdensome to customers at worst. Isn’t the point of someone being a customer advocate that they enjoy interactions with your brand so much that they can’t help but talk about what you’ve done for them? “I’m convinced that customer advocacy programs need to go beyond the asking-for-a-quick-favor model and instead flip the script so customers advocate for your brand because of how helpful you’ve been to them in their careers.” Why Should You Keep Reading?
The Customer Advocacy Framework I Use at OpenBlend “Whether you’re building an advocacy program from scratch or modifying one you already have in place, start by thinking about what types of advocacy you and your team already do.” Most companies, especially in the SaaS space, want:
I’m noticing a dated approach to customer advocacy lingering at too many organizations today. But thankfully, there’s a way to fix it. “Here’s what I’m seeing: CS leaders, customer marketers, and advocacy program coordinators default to treating customer advocacy as a way to source case studies, website logos, industry-specific quotes, event speakers, and referrals — and that’s about the extent of it.” This approach, though probably better than nothing, is transactional at best and burdensome to customers at worst. Isn’t the point of someone being a customer advocate that they enjoy interactions with your brand so much that they can’t help but talk about what you’ve done for them?
Here’s what I’m seeing: CS leaders, customer marketers, and advocacy program coordinators default to treating customer advocacy as a way to source case studies, website logos, industry-specific quotes, event speakers, and referrals — and that’s about the extent of it. “Isn’t the point of someone being a customer advocate that they enjoy interactions with your brand so much that they can’t help but talk about what you’ve done for them?” If we haven’t met, my name is Haig Kingston, and I’ve been in the CS space for 11+ years. Today, I lead Customer Success at OpenBlend, and part of my job is championing our customer advocacy efforts. I’m convinced that customer advocacy programs need to go beyond the asking-for-a-quick-favor model and instead flip the script so customers advocate for your brand because of how helpful you’ve been to them in their careers.
One recent case study we published celebrated how successfully an advocate and their team had been at retaining, motivating, and attracting employees as of late. It was so focused on that person and their company that they’ve literally used our case study as a recruiting tool for prospective candidates as a “look how great it is to work here — people who work here stay!” resource, and also as a data point for their investors. “It should be more like, “They’re always doing things for me, and it’s refreshing.”” 3 Quick Hits of Advice for Building a Program Like This
This approach, though probably better than nothing, is transactional at best and burdensome to customers at worst. Isn’t the point of someone being a customer advocate that they enjoy interactions with your brand so much that they can’t help but talk about what you’ve done for them? “I’m convinced that customer advocacy programs need to go beyond the asking-for-a-quick-favor model and instead flip the script so customers advocate for your brand because of how helpful you’ve been to them in their careers.” Why Should You Keep Reading?
List out everything you can think of. Then, sort these items into one of four quadrants: Exposure, Credibility, Targeted, and Control, with“The Customer Experience” at the center. “Make it your mission to give your customer advocates one (or more) of these four “perks” with every invitation you present and every ask you make.” One recent case study we published celebrated how successfully an advocate and their team had been at retaining, motivating, and attracting employees as of late. It was so focused on that person and their company that they’ve literally used our case study as a recruiting tool for prospective candidates as a “look how great it is to work here — people who work here stay!” resource, and also as a data point for their investors.
Structure: Steal my framework or come up with one of your own, but ad-hoc advocacy isn’t sustainable. “Selflessness: Remind yourself, your team, your leaders, and even your customers that customer advocacy’s job is not to advocate for your brand or product, but to advocate for your customers and the amazing things they’re doing. It’s not a transactional favor-exchange program; it’s a partnership.” I’ll leave you with this: Put your customers at the center of every story you tell and every request you make, and then take a humble backseat. You only helped bring their win to life. This approach will make for the kind of customer advocacy program customers can’t wait to join.
Selflessness: Remind yourself, your team, your leaders, and even your customers that customer advocacy’s job is not to advocate for your brand or product, but to advocate for your customers and the amazing things they’re doing. It’s not a transactional favor-exchange program; it’s a partnership. “This approach will make for the kind of customer advocacy program customers can’t wait to join.” -----
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