Brand advocacy is becoming a pillar of e-commerce marketing strategies.
A satisfied customer who recommends your brand to their friends and family often has more impact than an advertisement and, best of all, costs you (almost) nothing.
In this article, we explain what brand advocacy is, why it makes a difference, and how it fits into your loyalty and referral strategy.
Brand advocacy refers to all the actions that encourage your customers to become true ambassadors for your brand.
These are the people who speak positively about you, recommend you spontaneously, and share their experiences with their friends and family or on social media.
They do all this without being asked to. It is a sign of trust, but also a powerful weapon for gaining visibility and credibility.
It is important not to confuse brand advocacy with customer loyalty and one-off recommendations.
A loyal customer comes back to buy again.
A satisfied customer may recommend you once.
But an advocate acts on a regular basis.
They defend you, promote you, and mention you in their conversations.
Sometimes even without you knowing it.
Let's take a concrete example. Julie orders a cream from a cosmetics brand.
She loves the texture, the scent, and the packaging.
She talks about it on Instagram, leaves a review, and even gives one to her sister.
That's a brand advocate.
Julie wasn't paid. She was just won over.
And you can turn this type of customer into a growth lever if you know how to identify and activate them intelligently.
Advocacy marketing encompasses actions that turn your customers or employees into active ambassadors.
Unlike a loyal customer, an advocate speaks up.
They recommend, share, and comment.
They become a credible and natural extension of your brand.
This concept goes beyond brand advocacy. It also includes employee advocacy and partner engagement.
The common thread is active engagement. We move from a satisfied but silent customer to a customer who takes action without direct incentive.
It is a powerful lever for organic acquisition. In an e-commerce journey, advocacy comes into play after the purchase, when satisfaction is high.
When well integrated into the marketing funnel, it extends the customer experience and generates lasting visibility without direct advertising costs.
Consumers are increasingly turning to the opinions of their peers.
Word of mouth has never been so powerful.
It influences purchasing decisions far more than a sponsored ad.
At the same time, the cost of online advertising is skyrocketing, campaigns are becoming less profitable, and audiences are more volatile.
It is therefore essential to find new ways to capture attention.
Focusing on loyal customers and their ability to convince those around them offers a profitable and sustainable alternative.
Brands are also witnessing the emergence of highly engaged micro-communities.
On WhatsApp, in Facebook groups, or via UGC content on TikTok, circles of trust are forming and these spaces are becoming places for exchange where sincere recommendations carry weight.
This change in behavior can also be explained by a growing need for authenticity in the purchasing process.
Customers want proof, real testimonials, and real-life experiences.
They are no longer looking for a sales pitch, but a credible relationship with the brand.
You can learn more about this topic in our article on the purchase journey.
Brand advocacy ticks all these boxes.
It puts people back at the heart of recommendations, while serving your acquisition, retention, and image objectives.
Not all of your customers will become ambassadors, and that's okay.
What matters is identifying those who can be ambassadors and tailoring your strategy to their profile.
Because yes, there are several types of brand advocates, and they don't all act the same way.
These are the most natural advocates.
They buy regularly, leave reviews without being asked, and talk about you to their friends and family.
They don't necessarily have a huge audience, but their recommendations carry weight.
They are often the ones who start the word-of-mouth cycle.
And if they are well supported, they can become your brand's best ambassadors.
They may not have 100,000 followers, but their impact is very real.
These are the customers who create content around your product.
An Instagram post, an unboxing video on TikTok, a story with a promo code.
They offer you visibility, often for free, because they are genuinely committed.
This type of profile deserves to be identified and valued.
You don't need a massive influencer budget, just good interpersonal skills.
When your employees speak up to promote your brand, this is called employee advocacy.
It's powerful because they are the ones who embody your culture from the inside.
They know your products, your values, and what goes on behind the scenes.
They can promote a launch, share behind-the-scenes glimpses of the company, or simply show that they are proud to work for you.
LinkedIn is their playground.
They talk about their daily lives, congratulate colleagues on internal promotions, and share inspiring content related to your brand.
This can't be forced. It requires a genuine corporate culture, a high level of transparency, and, above all, internal communication that makes people want to get involved.
For this to work, you have to give them space. No rigid guidelines, no imposed tone.
Offer them tools and content ideas, but let them express themselves freely.
That's where the impact is strongest.
They're not always on the front line, but their role is crucial.
A reseller who is convinced of the quality of your product will be more likely to recommend it.
A partner who is satisfied with your support will spread the word.
These are powerful levers that are often underutilized in B2B or retail.
By maintaining a genuine relationship of trust with them, giving them clear arguments and communication tools, you can turn them into committed ambassadors.
And that changes everything.
Activating a brand advocacy strategy is not just about crossing your fingers and hoping that a customer will talk about you.
You have to create the conditions, the triggers, the opportunities.
And in the world of e-commerce, there are several levers that can set the ambassador machine in motion.
This is the foundation. Customers must have a good reason to recommend you (beyond the product itself).
A well-designed, transparent, and engaging program transforms a satisfied customer into a true promoter.
It's not just about accumulating points or getting a discount.
The reward must be aligned with the brand's values and the customer's expectations.
That's when loyalty becomes active, almost automatic.
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Brand advocacy is key for your brand, and we can probably help. Check out our platform!
The content generated by your customers is worth its weight in gold.
A photo, video, post, or story is much more trustworthy than an advertisement.
The challenge is to encourage these expressions.
A well-packaged order, a polished customer experience, or a personalized message are all elements that encourage sharing.
Creating the right conditions increases your chances of being visible organically.
Before buying, customers consult reviews. It has become a reflex.
Highlighting credible customer testimonials builds trust and can trigger spontaneous recommendations.
Video formats humanize customer feedback.
They work very well in retargeting or on product pages.
A well-placed review is sometimes the missing piece of the puzzle.
Social media is the natural playground for brand advocacy.
It's where everything is shared, commented on, and goes viral.
Customer storytelling comes into its own here.
Valuing your ambassadors, reposting their content, and mentioning them in your posts encourages them to do it again.
Successful brands have often been able to turn their customers into true co-creators of their communication.
Some campaigns shine through their simplicity.
A cosmetics brand that reposts its customers' selfies.
An e-merchant that showcases the best photos of its products in real-life situations.
These simple gestures activate engagement without forcing it.
Implementing these levers can quickly become time-consuming if you don't centralize them.
The Loyoly platform allows you to manage your entire brand advocacy strategy.
You can easily create referral programs, collect UGC, and stimulate reviews, all in an interface designed for customer engagement.
Rather than multiplying tools, centralize, automate, and measure.
That's when the strategy becomes scalable.
Launching a brand advocacy strategy without measuring its results is like sailing blind. It's not enough to activate a few levers.
You also need to know what works, where it works, and how to adjust.
To do this, certain indicators are essential.
Quantitative data provides a clear initial reading.
The number of referrals generated, shares on social media, UGC posts, or even the reach of content.
Earned Media Value (EMV) also allows you to estimate the equivalent advertising value of these actions.
The higher these indicators are, the more your strategy will naturally shine.
Qualitative indicators complement this reading.
Customer satisfaction scores or NPS (Net Promoter Score) measure the likelihood of a customer recommending you.
These are valuable signals for identifying your potential ambassadors and understanding their commitment.
With Loyoly, these indicators are accessible in real time.
Referrals, generated content, and social media interactions are grouped together in visual, actionable dashboards.
You don't just measure what has been done, you drive what's coming next.
To learn more, check out our dedicated guide to tracking the right KPIs for your referral program.
Implementing a brand advocacy strategy may seem simple on paper. In reality, certain mistakes can hinder its effectiveness.
These mistakes are common, but they can be avoided by building a consistent approach from the outset.
A customer has no reason to recommend you if they don't see any personal or emotional benefit in doing so.
Offering them a generic referral without personalization, or asking them to post a review without having had a remarkable experience, doesn't work.
Brand advocacy is based on authenticity. If the relationship is too artificial, the engagement won't last.
Many brands stop at the customer's first action.
They refer someone once, post a photo, leave a review, and then nothing.
Without follow-up, recognition, or appreciation, the connection fades.
An ambassador needs to feel like they are part of something.
You have to nurture that relationship and help it grow.
Otherwise, the effect wears off.
Brand advocacy is not a campaign. It's a dynamic that is built over time.
If it's not integrated into the overall brand strategy, it remains anecdotal.
You need tools, indicators, and regular engagement.
And above all, you need a team that is aligned to carry out this project on a daily basis.
That's how ambassadors become a real growth driver.
In just a few clicks, you can create referral or loyalty programs tailored to your audience.
Trigger the creation of customer content, collect authentic reviews, and track your ambassadors' performance in a clear and comprehensive dashboard.
All without any operational overhead.
It's not just a tool, it's a new way of thinking about customer relations.
An approach that values your communities, involves your employees, and finally gives a real place to those who already support you.
With Loyoly, you turn every recommendation into an opportunity for growth.
You turn your customers into your best partners.
You engage your entire brand in a win-win dynamic.
And you lay the foundations for a solid, sustainable, and profitable advocacy strategy.
Discover how to activate your brand advocacy strategy with Loyoly
Loyoly is a loyalty and referral platform combined with UGCs, which helps to engage customers in 40+ ways to increase LTV and social proof, while reducing CAC.
