Software as a Service (SAAS) companies rely heavily on customer advocates to spread the word about their products and services. Customer advocates are individuals who have had positive experiences with a company and are willing to share their experiences with others.
They are essential to building brand awareness and attracting new customers. However, it can be challenging to engage customer advocates and keep them motivated to promote your company. One effective way to do this is by offering rewards that are meaningful and attractive to them. In this article, we will discuss how SAAS companies can engage customer advocates with a choice of rewards.
Why Engaging Customer Advocates is Important
Before diving into the rewards, it’s essential to understand why engaging customer advocates is crucial for SAAS companies. A customer advocate is more than just a satisfied customer. They are enthusiastic promoters of your brand. They are willing to go out of their way to share their positive experiences with others, whether that be through social media, word of mouth, or leaving positive reviews. This type of organic marketing is incredibly valuable for SAAS companies, as it helps to build trust and credibility with potential customers.
Remember, your customer advocates are more likely to remain loyal to your company over time. They feel invested in your success and are willing to provide feedback and suggestions to help improve your products or services. They can also act as a sounding board for new ideas and can help validate or invalidate assumptions. By engaging your customer advocates, you are essentially creating a community of brand ambassadors who can help you grow your business.
Choosing the Right Rewards
Now that we understand why engaging customer advocates is so important let’s discuss how to do it effectively. One of the best ways to engage customer advocates is by offering them rewards for their efforts. However, not all rewards are created equal, and it’s essential to choose the right incentives to keep your advocates motivated and engaged.
- Personalized Rewards: One effective way to engage customer advocates is by offering personalized rewards that are tailored to their interests and preferences. For example, if you know that one of your customer advocates is a fitness enthusiast, you could offer them a free subscription to a fitness app. Or, if you have a customer advocate who is a foodie, you could offer them a gift card to a popular restaurant. By offering personalized rewards, you show your customer advocates that you value their individuality and are willing to go the extra mile to reward them.
- VIP Access: Another effective way to engage customer advocates is by offering them exclusive access to your products or services. For example, you could offer them early access to new features, beta testing opportunities, or exclusive content. By providing your customer advocates with VIP access, you create a sense of exclusivity and make them feel like they are part of an exclusive club. This can be a powerful motivator and can help keep your customer advocates engaged over the long term.
- Recognition and Publicity: Sometimes, the best reward for a customer advocate is simply recognition and publicity. By featuring your customer advocates on your website, social media channels, or in your marketing materials, you show them that you appreciate their efforts and value their contributions. This can be particularly effective for customer advocates who are interested in building their personal brand or expanding their professional network. By giving them a platform to showcase their expertise and knowledge, you can create a win-win situation that benefits both your company and your customer advocates.
- Cash and Prizes: Traditional rewards like cash and prizes can also be effective motivators for customer advocates. However, it’s essential to be careful when using these types of rewards, as they can be seen as impersonal and can create an expectation of compensation. If you choose to offer cash or prizes, be sure to do so in a way that feels meaningful and tied to the individual’s efforts.
- Product Discounts or Upgrades: Another way to engage customer advocates is by offering them discounts or upgrades to your products or services. This can be a powerful motivator for advocates who are already loyal customers and want to continue using your products. By offering them discounts or upgrades, you show them that you value their business and are willing to reward them for their loyalty.
- Referral Bonuses: Referral bonuses are a popular way to incentivize customer advocates to refer new customers to your company. By offering a bonus or reward for each new customer they refer, you create a win-win situation that benefits both your company and your advocates. This can be an effective way to grow your customer base and build brand awareness.
- Partner Programs: Partner programs are another way to engage customer advocates and reward them for their efforts. By partnering with your advocates, you create a mutually beneficial relationship where they can earn commissions or other rewards for promoting your products or services. This can be particularly effective for advocates who have a large following or are influential in their industry.
- Learning and Development Opportunities: Some customer advocates may be interested in learning and development opportunities related to your products or services. By offering them training, certifications, or other educational opportunities, you can help them develop new skills and become more knowledgeable about your company. This can be a powerful motivator for advocates who are interested in personal growth and development.
- Charitable Donations: Charitable donations are a way to engage customer advocates and support causes that are important to them. By allowing them to choose a charity or non-profit organization to donate to, you show them that you value their opinions and are willing to support causes that are meaningful to them.
NextBee’s platform for SAAS companies supports nearly unlimited reward options. You can A/B test rewards to see which work best for your brand advocates. With NextBee, the opportunities to personalize rewards are almost limitless.
Get in touch with us now to watch a live demo of the NextBee platform.
