Customer advocacy programs are a game-changer for B2B tech companies, driving over $6 trillion in annual sales through word-of-mouth marketing. They turn satisfied customers into brand champions, boosting trust and growth. For example, Cisco’s advocacy program generated $5.4M in ROI, and Craftmerce increased monthly revenue growth from 25% to 44% using similar strategies.
Key Takeaways:
- Advocacy Impact: Programs can boost Customer Lifetime Value by 65% and improve referral lead conversions by 37%.
- Core Metrics: A 7% rise in NPS can increase revenue by 1%. Companies with 90+ CSAT scores see 1.5x higher lifetime value.
- Successful Tactics: Use testimonials (+62% revenue), identify advocates via NPS, and engage them with rewards and exclusive benefits.
- Tools: Platforms like Influitive and AI-powered tools simplify managing and scaling advocacy programs.
Advocacy programs are a proven way to grow revenue, build trust, and engage customers. Read on to learn how top companies like Cisco and Marketo achieve these results.
The Right Type of Advocacy for Your B2B Customers
Core Elements of B2B Advocacy Programs
Finding and Activating Customer Advocates
Did you know that over half of businesses have no idea who their brand advocates are? The first step is digging into engagement metrics and behaviors. Look for customers with high Net Promoter Scores (NPS) – a twelve-point increase in NPS can double growth .
Here are some key indicators to identify potential advocates:
| Indicator | What to Look For | Action Items |
|---|---|---|
| Product Usage | Extensive feature adoption | Monitor usage metrics |
| Customer Feedback | High NPS scores, positive reviews | Review feedback and surveys |
| Social Engagement | Content sharing, mentions | Track social media activity |
| Referral Activity | Unprompted recommendations | Record organic referrals |
"For B2B organizations, your end-users are not your customers; they’re individuals who currently work at your customers’ companies." – Mirvise Najafe, Product Manager at ecobee
These metrics are the building blocks for creating strong, mutually rewarding advocate relationships.
Creating Win-Win Advocate Relationships
The key to long-term advocate relationships is aligning what customers care about with opportunities to represent your brand . Some proven strategies include:
- Helping customers secure speaking opportunities at industry events
- Offering free resources or consultations
- Providing early access to products or features
- Highlighting their contributions in your marketing materials
"It’s about what you are doing for your users. This is the opportunity to say, What benefits can I give that are exclusive and different and going to provide value?" – Jeanette Gibson, former VP of Customer Experience and Community at Hootsuite
Once these relationships are in place, co-creating content with advocates can amplify their impact.
Content Development with Advocates
Collaborating with advocates to create content can deliver impressive results. For example, regular use of testimonials can boost revenue by about 62% . This approach is especially effective in B2B tech, where 90% of buyers trust recommendations from peers .
| Content Type | Conversion Impact | Best Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Video Testimonials | +34% conversion rate | Product pages |
| Written Case Studies | +45% website traffic | Resource center |
| Social Proof | +380% conversion rate for premium products | Pricing pages |
Focus on creating relevant, impactful content. Testimonials from C-suite executives or senior decision-makers are particularly influential, as 85% of B2B buyers trust insights from industry peers .
sbb-itb-53539a0
Tools and Systems for Program Growth
Software for Managing Advocates
Running a successful advocacy program requires tools that simplify managing relationships and deliver measurable results. Here are some popular platforms tailored to different needs:
| Platform | Best For | Key Features | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Influitive | Gamification | Challenges, rewards, social sharing | Custom pricing |
| ReferralCandy | E-commerce | Automated referrals, commission tracking | $47-$299+ |
| Medallia | Enterprise AI | Predictive analytics, sentiment analysis | Custom pricing |
| ReviewFlowz | SaaS reviews | Review management, testimonial collection | Custom pricing |
"With Influitive, advocacy is fun. The platform lightens my workload because I can create, manage, and track our customer advocacy efforts with a single solution."
– Jenna Feldman, Manager, Customer Advocacy Programs, Genesys
These tools lay the groundwork for leveraging AI to refine and scale advocate engagement.
AI-Powered Advocate Management
AI is transforming how businesses identify and engage their advocates. By analyzing behavior patterns, AI tools can pinpoint high-value users and predict who will actively contribute to advocacy efforts. For instance, Champion’s AI-driven platform identifies trends among top users, helping businesses boost adoption, upsells, and renewals .
Some key features of AI-powered advocacy tools include:
- Automated identification of advocates based on user behavior
- Tailored engagement strategies for individual advocates
- Predictive insights into advocacy potential
- Streamlined review and testimonial collection
- Intelligent segmentation of advocate groups for targeted outreach
Measuring and Improving Results
To ensure advocacy programs deliver results, precise tracking and regular analysis are essential. For example, research indicates that increasing Net Promoter Score (NPS) by 7% can translate to a 1% boost in revenue . Similarly, businesses with Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) scores above 90 see 1.5x higher customer lifetime value compared to those scoring 80 or below .
| KPI | Target Metric | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Net Promoter Score | 7% increase | 1% revenue growth |
| Customer Satisfaction | 90+ score | 1.5x customer lifetime value |
| Referral Rate | Above 2.35% | Industry benchmark |
| Social Media Engagement | Tracked weekly | Reflects advocate activity |
| Revenue Impact | Monitored quarterly | Links advocacy efforts to business goals |
For B2B tech companies, keeping an eye on these metrics not only proves the value of advocacy programs but also uncovers areas to refine. Regular tracking and adjustments ensure sustained growth, making these tools and systems a cornerstone for building scalable and results-driven advocacy programs.
Success Stories and Proven Methods
ABM and Advocacy Integration Example
Marketo successfully combined advocacy with ABM to fuel growth. By engaging customers through targeted in-person events and online experiences, they achieved 538 new product reviews and secured the #1 spot on G2 Crowd in the enterprise segment .
"Reviews were our number one goal when we launched our advocate marketing program. Most of our pipeline comes from AppExchange, G2 Crowd and TrustRadius. Engaging customers across both physical and online channels allowed us to get more genuine reviews and gain a huge competitive advantage."
– Danielle Camara, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at Marketo
Tips for Growing Your Program
Looking at success stories like Marketo’s, here are some strategies to grow and scale your advocacy program:
-
Engage Across Multiple Channels
Cisco’s approach to multi-channel engagement resulted in 55,000 tweets, 200 website posts, and 100 blog posts, driving 44,000 hits . -
Offer Tiered Rewards
Buffini & Company’s "Referral Rally" incentivized participation with exclusive rewards, leading to 3,990 referrals and 1,093 sales . -
Use Technology to Boost Engagement
MuleSoft used ChampBot and awarded 42 badges to increase advocate engagement by 1,300%, grow forum threads by 45%, and generate over 3,000 pieces of user-generated content .
"The Champions Program has become a central component to MuleSoft’s Developer Relations Program and a key part of our developer community. We have big plans for 2016 to expand on our capabilities and continue growing the program aggressively and smartly."
– Mike Stowe, Developer Relations Manager at MuleSoft
- Rely on Data to Scale Effectively
Scaling an advocacy program requires gathering detailed advocate data, setting clear metrics, and fostering strong community connections. Okta exemplified this with their "Okta Ozone" program, which achieved 1.1 million social impressions and a 34% increase in advocate engagement .
Conclusion
Summary of Main Points
Customer advocacy programs have become a powerful growth driver in the B2B tech space. Research shows that increasing participation in advocacy efforts directly correlates with business growth. For example, these programs can boost Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) by up to 65%, and referrals from satisfied customers convert 37% more effectively than other leads . Additionally, a modest 12% increase in advocacy efforts can potentially double revenue growth, while companies prioritizing Customer Experience (CX) have reported revenue increases of up to 80% . These numbers highlight how advocacy directly impacts purchasing decisions and overall business success.
Next Steps in B2B Tech Advocacy
To make the most of these insights, B2B tech companies should focus on the following key areas:
| Focus Area | Key Action | Expected Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Content Strategy | Use the 6-3-1 rule: 6 curated, 3 owned, 1 promotional piece | Better engagement and stronger advocacy |
| Technology Integration | Adopt advocacy platforms integrated with CRM systems | Simplified management and improved tracking |
| Community Building | Develop tiered benefits and recognition systems | Higher advocate retention and participation |
Leave a Reply