Research shows that:

• 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising.
• 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations.
• 40% have purchased something after seeing it on Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram.
• 60% of consumers have been influenced by social media or a blog while shopping at a store.
• 72% of consumers say they trust online customer reviews.

Because of these stats and more, many companies and brands are turning to brand ambassadors to help generate leads and sales of their products. This is also known as influencer marketing.

Being a brand ambassador requires knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of the job, all of which have evolved over the years with changes in social media and brand awareness goals and strategies. However, it boils down to representing a brand you love and helping to market them to grow their customer base.

Read on to learn more about what a brand ambassador is, how to become one, and the top things to know about being a brand ambassador.

What is a brand ambassador?

A brand ambassador is considered the “face” of a brand and uses their influence to promote a brand and its products or services to their network with the goal of increasing brand awareness, generating leads, and driving sales.

Typically, these people already have an established network and following, especially on social media platforms, and can use those relationships to market a brand through different marketing tactics like referring friends, posting online about the brand or products, etc.

Other responsibilities may include:

• Assisting in content creation (such as blogs, newsletters, videos, product reviews, etc.)
• Generating brand awareness through word-of-mouth marketing
• Providing insights or feedback on new products/services
• Representing the brand in a variety of settings, such as at events

A brand ambassador is expected to constantly engage with their community to generate brand awareness and interest. This could be through blog posts, representing the brand at an event, wearing the brand on your clothing, or simply talking to people about it.

In this role, brand ambassadors are also expected to help market and tell the story of the company via social media, which makes it critical for the ambassador to have a professional presence online while also having a robust presence and engaged following. Examples of social media platforms that can play a key role include LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok.

7 steps to become a brand ambassador

Here's a quick seven-step guide that can help put you on the right track to becoming a successful brand ambassador:

1. Have a social media presence

One of the top requirements to be a brand ambassador is to have a public social media presence. If you don’t already, develop profiles on the top social media platforms. Keep in mind that your profile has to be public, so remaining professional and consistent is important.

It can be helpful to also have a business or creator account, like those offered on Instagram, for additional benefits.

Part of your social presence should be optimizing your profiles. For example:

• Make sure your bio shares who you are, what you do, and why someone should care.
• Choose a profile picture that shows your personality but also your professionalism.
• Add links to your website or a call to action, like contacting you in your DMs, to encourage your followers to engage with you.

2. Define your personal brand

Your brand is how you represent yourself to the public, especially online and through your social media. This can be a great way to set yourself apart from others in the space. Share your values, vision, excitement, passions, and personality through your posts. The more authentic you are, the more your followers will connect with you, and the more likely they are to trust your recommendations.

3. Build a following

The best way to do this is by posting great content on a regular basis.

• Post content your followers will be interested in or entertained by.
• Use relevant hashtags.
• Post often and consistently.
• Experiment with different types of content, like text, videos, images, etc.

The more you can plan ahead and schedule in advance, the better and easier for you.

You’ll also want to be sure to engage with your followers. Ask questions, “like” comments, and comment back. Respond to DMs. The best way to build trust and continued engagement with your followers is to show you care about them and value their time and support.

Finally, share your social profiles every chance you can. The more that people know about who you are and what you do, the more likely they are to follow you.

4. Research brand ambassador programs

There are dozens of brands out there looking for brand ambassadors. Requirements can vary, but most expect someone with a social media following who will help spread the word about their brand. Find a brand you already use, love, or are passionate about. Your promotion of the product should feel natural for your followers. Also, check out the different perks the brand offers to its ambassadors and find one that’s most suited to your wants.

5. Start networking

Start by interacting with large brands in your niche. Get to know those brands, what they post, how they share and market their products, and how they interact with prospects and customers. Follow, like, and comment on these brand accounts, but avoid spamming them.

Then, you can move on to affiliate marketing, which is promoting a link or promo code for a brand. Be sure the brand and products resonate with your followers, so they don’t feel like you’re pushing unwanted content on them.

6. Apply for a role

Most companies have an application for people who want to be brand ambassadors, similar to a standard job application. Once you fill out the application, you’ll be contacted by someone from the brand to start an interview process and ideally, get hired.

You can also start with small businesses and startups that need help promoting their products. While you may be working for free at first, they may offer you free products or discounts. Plus, it can help build your portfolio so the bigger brands will take you more seriously.

7. Always be optimizing

Analyze your campaigns to get a firm understanding of what does and doesn’t work. Learn about what you can do better, not only for your brand but for your followers. Look at numbers like clicks, engagements, and conversions. Ask for feedback from the brand to understand if your posts are driving leads or sales.

You can also keep an eye on the demographics of your following to better design your content and campaigns to resonate better with them.

Top things to know about being a brand ambassador

• Candidate requirements: If you want to be a brand ambassador, you should be enthusiastic, energetic, outgoing, and have a sizable social media presence and following. Ideally, you are already familiar with the brand you’re representing and are willing to endorse it and its products/services. Having flexibility in your schedule can also be helpful, as can experience with marketing and social media.
  
• Salary: Another thing to know is that you can be a brand ambassador as a side hustle, or you could make it a full-time effort, depending on the brand. Salaries can vary greatly, especially since you’ll likely get to choose your hours and level of effort, and companies compensate differently. However, the national average ranges from about $20,000 to $58,000 per year or more. Hourly sage is about $10-16 per hour. Additionally, some brands may offer a commission to incentivize the brand ambassador to generate leads and promote products. In this case, your compensation would greatly depend on the level of effort you put in.
  
• Free products: Sometimes, brands offer their brand ambassadors free products. These could be sneak peeks at new products, existing products to post about and share with their followers, or even free products as an incentive and reward for being a brand ambassador. You may also be eligible for discounts or get discount codes you can share.
  
• Long-term relationship: Many brand ambassadors work with the same brand over a long period of time. Unlike some other types of influencers, who may do a variety of one-off sponsorships or partnerships with brands, brand influencers try to build a long-term relationship with the brand.