Every brand has them. The customer who comments on every photo, who shares your content, who’s always one of the top fans on your page. They’re basically constantly providing your business with free advertising, just because they love you. We’re calling this the “unofficial influencer”.
These people don’t necessarily have any sort of deal in place with your company; they have just come to love your offerings and constantly want to share their love with the world. These types of customers are extraordinarily valuable, as well as hard to come by. When you have an “unofficial influencer”, here is how you can make the most of it.
Finding Your Unofficial Influencers
We will start by saying it is very challenging for a brand to do anything to seek these people out. It sounds cheesy, and can be frustrating, but more often than not, you don’t find your unofficial influencers, they come to you.
That being said, there are definitely things you can be doing as a brand to foster relationships and encourage loyal customers. Anyone who has consistently positive experiences with your brand and develops a sense of loyalty could become an unofficial influencer.
Work on building upon existing relationships and establishing new ones with potential customers on social media. By being consistent in responding to messages, engaging potential customers in the comments, and chatting with those who have purchased about their satisfaction, you can build up strong and lasting relationships.
Making the Most of These Awesome Fans
In addition to doing all you can to curate strong relationships with fans and customers, there are also some ways you can leverage these loyal fans once they are established. First, note that once the relationship is built, the work doesn’t stop. Continue engaging and connecting with your top fans. Maintain the strength of the relationship that you worked hard to build up.
You can also take it a step further, and see if these unofficial influencers might be willing and able to help you drive additional sales. Offering a discount or similar small incentive can be a great way to encourage super fans to share your offerings even more widely with their friends and family. For instance, if you give someone a 15% off discount code they can share with anyone they want, and offer them 5% commission on any sales it brings it, they’ll have two good reasons to spread the word about your business: because they love your offerings, and because they can profit from it!
One word of caution: if you do make a business deal or offer an incentive to these unofficial influencers, make sure it is something that is beneficial to them as well. Also, don’t push too hard or make them feel like a ton of work has been added to their plate. You don’t want to risk souring the relationship you have with your highest-value customers just for the sake of driving a few extra sales. Overall, having “unofficial brand influencers” is a huge blessing and something your business should definitely embrace. Curate these relationships, engage regularly with your loyal customers, and make the most of their willingness to share about your brand. It can greatly benefit you, and can even provide some perks for them as well!
