The final stage of the marketing funnel model is Advocacy. It’s the aspect that gives the greatest returns. After all, potential customers believe reviews before whatever you say in an email marketing campaign. Get advocacy sorted and so is your company’s future.
It is not the easiest aspect of the marketing funnel to crack, though it is fairly straightforward. The advantages are quite spectacular. Let’s go through some.
1/ The peer group of the subscribers to your email marketing lists will be targeted.
Your reviews will be viewed on social media by the friends of the advocator. This person has already proved their worth by buying your products, and here they are, singing your praises to those you want to target. Can it get any better than this?
2/ Increased, and free, non-commercial exposure.
It does get better. You might struggle with the niceties of what is, and what is not, allowed on various platforms. Your satisfied customers will have few such restrictions and will be familiar with the processes. It is a case of letting slip the dogs of war.
3/ Cheaper lead generation.
That is music to anyone involved in email marketing. Without expensive adverts, and no dependency on people coming to your website, your message will be out there being viewed by those who are most likely to respond.
You might be wondering what contortions you will have to go through to generate a decent level of advocacy. The most important way to turn customers into advocates is to ensure they believe you are worth recommending. The first step in this process is to be honest and straightforward in all your dealings with them.
If you want them to recommend subscribing to your email marketing lists, then ensure your offers are worth recommending. If you want them to say how trustworthy you are then eschew deceitful trickery and empty promises.
Many companies act in a cavalier fashion with regards to being straight with their customers. The vast majority will not tell lies, but some will not tell all the truth. The classic example is the cost of postage being mentioned for the first time when payment is asked for. Fall into this trap and wave goodbye to advocacy.
If you acknowledge aspects of a product that would make the product unsuitable for some, you will probably reduce the number of returns. It will also generate in the minds of your subscribers the belief that your company can be trusted.
Imagine the benefits of someone on social media posting that they’ve read on your website that a product sold elsewhere that might not be suitable for a specific purpose. They will provide a link, and by doing so, provide a lead.
Demonstrate that you treat your customers with respect and not just as a revenue stream. It is an indictment of certain email marketing companies that a recommendation of a company saying ‘they told it as it was, and didn’t try to hide anything’ is regarded as praise rather than the norm.
