Wed. Jun. 18, 2008
My friend Jake is very savvy in social media and community management, when we had the opportunity to chat recently; I was very curious what he was working on. The Q&A below is a result of our conversation, I hope you find value in this discussion and be sure to post your ideas and comments below.
Q: What is an ambassador program, and why is it necessary to create ambassador programs?
A: Ambassador programs (also known as Customer Advisory Boards, and several other names) are typically small groups that have an ongoing, and fairly deep relationship with a company. Unlike traditional focus groups, ambassador groups are ready and willing to help for long stretches of time. Think grand jury vs. short-term trial jury.
In today’s business environment customers are clamoring for more interaction with the companies they love and do business with. With the online social tools we see launching daily, there are more and more ways to connect with businesses we want to talk to. How do businesses, especially small businesses keep up with the potential (or real) wave of customer input?
This is where ambassador programs come into play. These small groups (typically 15-25 people) allow the business to gain insight, have discussions about product ideas, and find out what how the customer base is feeling about various issues. The members are not randomly selected, but hand chosen representatives from the larger customer base. They are the customers that you can connect with and ask for help in driving participation with the larger customer base.
When you build an army, you don’t start with the privates, you start with the generals. They then work to build out a structure based on the vision set forth. The ambassadors are generals, and the business is the commander-in-chief.
Q: In your opinion, what makes a successful ambassador program?
A: My mantra for community development has always been quite simple: “Everybody Goes Home Happy”. Nowhere is this more important than in an ambassador program. It’s crucial to understand that both groups, company and community member, needs different things to find success. Success likely looks different depending on which side of the fence you’re sitting on.
Businesses will need to have specific, measurable objectives and tasks in order to feel like the program is worthwhile. Set those objectives before inviting your first participant, and share them with the ambassadors early on. The better they understand them, the more they will and can help you achieve them.
Of course, it’s also crucial to respect the interests of the ambassadors as well. If you spend too much time talking about what your business needs from the program, the less interested the ambassadors will be in the program overall. Understand how you can excite the ambassadors, and be ready to excite them on day one.
How do you understand what excites them? Easy – you listen, and you participate. An ambassador program is a piece of a larger community development strategy and implementation, and almost always comes at step 10, certainly not step 1.
Q: What key component is invaluable for SMB’s to offer in their ambassador program?
A: A small, yet growing number of people (myself included) are starting to spend a great deal of their career efforts on building tools and processes for these types of programs, so it’s hard to pick just one. That said, there are several crucial elements for success:
1. A great communication toolset
These programs nearly always span time and space, drawing together people from multiple locations who have ability to participate during different times of the day and in different ways. Putting in place a fantastic set of communication tools is a crucial element of any program.
Now, to be completely clear, I’m not talking about a more expensive toolset. I’ve been using a collection of open source tools for years now to great effect. (Contact me [jake@communityguy.com] for a demo) There are, however, some solid tools out there such as Passenger that can help out.
2. A gameplan
Imagine going to a party where the party host was still on the phone arranging for the delivery of the food while guest were arriving. Not very impressive. Ambassador programs need to be well thought out in advance so that you can excite the participants the moment they arrive.
Q: You’ve blogged previously about the role of the community manager. What role would a community manger play in an ambassador program?
A: Yes, I’m a big proponent of having a community manager in general, but certainly involved in and probably running the ambassador program. Typically a community manager is the person who helps bridge the divide between the company and the community. Nowhere is this more important than in a small, focused, fairly raw ambassador program. The community manager in these programs acts as a facilitator, helping ensure Everybody Goes Home Happy.
There’s a desire to outsource this function to a third party, writing a check and asking for a report when it’s completed. Unfortunately it’s not that easy. While third parties can certainly help the business, they can’t and shouldn’t do it alone. These programs are primarily about building a relationship and creating leadership within the community that can be pushed out to the larger community. Your customers want to work with you (the company they love), not your vendors. Imagine asking a friend to date your new boy/girlfriend so you can do other things… that’s probably not going to end well!
Q: If you could give one piece of advice around the creation and deployment of an ambassador program, what would it be?
A: Treat these groups as an extension of your company. They are not marketing groups, they are virtual colleagues, looking to help out and have fun at the same time. Share the results, not just the tasks. Keep them informed of how their ideas are being received internally and how they’re being implemented.
The more the ambassadors can see and understand their impact on your business, the more they feel like they are a member of your team, the more inclined they are to pitch in and volunteer time and energy to helping your business.
About Jake:
Jake McKee is an evangelist for online and offline community building, social media, and customer-company interaction. He has been working with online communities, fan groups, and consumer groups since the early days of the Internet, and has a rich background in Web development, community management, business strategy, and product development.
Jake is the Principal and Chief Ant Wrangler at Ant's Eye View, a Dallas-based customer collaboration strategy practice. In a past life, Jake was the Global Community Relations Specialist for the LEGO Company, where he spent five years on the front lines of customer-company interaction.