Brand Ambassadors: Why you already have your best brand ambassadors in the company
Reading time: 5 min
Sure, anyone can publish posts on company profiles and place advertisements. But who do you trust more? A faceless company that praises itself – or real people who speak from their own experience? This is exactly where brand ambassadors, corporate influencers, corporate voices, brand ambassadors – call them what you will – come into play. They all have one thing in common: they are employees who represent your company.
According to ALL.AIRT, authenticity will continue to be one of the most important social media trends in 2025. People, especially Gen Z, no longer want slick advertising messages – they want real insights, honest opinions and personal stories. Companies that empower their employees as brand ambassadors on social media often benefit from this trust. What is a brand ambassador program, why is a brand ambassador program worthwhile for your company and how do you set it up? Read on to find out!
Brand Ambassadors Definition
Brand ambassadors are employees who share their experiences, expertise and insights from the company and their daily business on social networks. This is not clumsy advertising, but authentic content that generates reach and credibility. And best of all, you already have your best brand ambassadors on your team!
By the way: Which social network you focus on in your program is basically decided by the target group. LinkedIn is often the obvious favorite, but Instagram and TikTok also often have great potential – whether B2C or B2B!
Why brand ambassadors are worth their weight in gold
Your employees become authentic voices for your brand, create real connections and ensure greater visibility. Whether through expertise, personal insights or industry insights – with a strong Brand Ambassador program, you transform your team into credible multipliers, harness the power of real networks and create real competitive advantages:
- More trust, less bullshit: people prefer to follow people rather than “faceless” company profiles. When your employees talk about their work and share their expertise, it comes across as honest – and not as slick marketing blah-blah.
- Organic reach, without an extra budget: Social media loves content from real profiles. A post from a private individual is often played out much better than one from a company page. The result? More reach without you paying for ads.
- Employee loyalty & recruiting boost: Brand ambassadors not only strengthen the external image, but also the team spirit. Those who represent their company to the outside world identify more strongly with it. And: Applicants get a real insight into what they can expect from you.
- B2B advantage: Making expertise visible: Brand ambassadors are a game changer, especially in B2B communication. Instead of clumsy advertising, you share valuable specialist knowledge, insights and exciting projects – and position your company as a genuine thought leader.
How to start a Brand Ambassador program
However, such a program requires a clear strategy and structure. Here you can find out step by step how to set up an effective Brand Ambassador program.
1. develop vision and strategy
Before you begin implementation, you should be clear about why your company needs such a program. The vision and strategy set the direction and should align with the overarching brand strategy.
Questions for orientation:
- What added value should the program create in the long term?
- How do you want your brand to be perceived by the Ambassadors?
- What emotions and values should be conveyed?
- What goals are being pursued?
2. analyze objectives & target group
For the program to be successful, it needs a clear objective. Don’t just involve employees in the communication, but create strategic added value for your company. Do you want to increase brand reach? Attract talent? Generate new leads? Without a clear goal, the program can quickly get lost.
Your Brand Ambassador program can be aimed at various internal and external target groups:
- Potential applicants
- Existing employees
- Customers and business partners
- Industry experts & multipliers
- Media & Public
Depending on your corporate strategy, you can focus on specific target groups to achieve the greatest possible impact.
3. maturity audit – finding the right brand ambassadors
Brand ambassadors do not necessarily have to be managers or department heads. Employees with personality, passion and enthusiasm for social media are much more exciting.
These questions will help you make your choice:
- Is the person enthusiastic about the company and its values?
- Is the person willing to actively share content with a certain frequency?
- Does she enjoy networking?
- Does she have a certain level of expertise?
- Is she a good communicator?
4. convince brand ambassadors
To turn your employees into enthusiastic brand ambassadors, their commitment should be linked to real added value. Promote their personal brand and give them greater visibility – both internally and externally. Offer exclusive training opportunities and valuable network contacts. In addition, show appreciation through meaningful recognition, be it through certificates or special events.
If employees recognize a personal benefit in their role as ambassador and identify with it, they will represent your company to the outside world with conviction and authentic enthusiasm.
5. conception of the guidelines (profile, content, reporting)
Not everyone is a social media pro – and they don’t have to be. Support your employees with clear guidelines and training on the following topics:
- Profile structure & optimization
- Storytelling & content ideas (e.g. behind-the-scenes insights, professional insights, short video statements, casual content with a wink)
- Understanding and using social media algorithms
- Do’s & don’ts for communication
- Reporting structure for measuring success
6. development of the appointment structure & implementation of regular appointments
A successful Brand Ambassador program needs fixed structures in order to be sustainable. Recommended appointment structure:
- Kickoff workshop: Introduction to the program, clarifying goals and expectations
- Training on the guidelines:
- Basic Guideline: Profile check and platform information
- Content Guideline: Social media algorithm, do’s & don’ts, content ideas
- Reporting Guideline: Performance measurement and evaluation of activities
- Quarterly check-ins: updates, feedback rounds, reporting and exchange of best practices
- Monthly 1:1 meetings: support with topic research, content creation and open questions
Remember: Brand Ambassadors are volunteers – an appreciative culture is therefore crucial. Recognize their efforts through regular feedback and demonstrate their influence and reach. Allow time in the working day for the creation of contributions so that their commitment is not an additional burden. On top of this, targeted incentives and inspiring competitions increase motivation. However, it is most effective when managers and colleagues actively recognize the efforts of brand ambassadors and thus create a supportive environment.
Mistakes you should avoid
🚫 Compulsion instead of voluntariness: Nobody should be forced to post. If you don’t feel like it, you will show it in your posts.
🚫 Rules that are too strict: If everything has to go through umpteen approvals, authenticity is lost. Better to give trust!
🚫 Content dictates: No employee wants to feel like a corporate mouthpiece. Autonomy is what makes content exciting.
🚫 Lack of success measurement: You should track what works – but without pressure. Reach, engagement and brand perception are good indicators.
Conclusion: Brand ambassadors are the new marketing – and you should use them!
A strong Brand Ambassador program not only brings more reach, but also genuine trust in your brand. The mix of personal stories, expertise and authentic insights beats any glossy advertisement.
So: Recognize the potential in your team, support your people and let them show what makes your company special!
