It is no secret that word of mouth can be a business’s best friend or greatest foe. For companies doing business the right way, customers who spread positive thoughts prove to be strong allies. The development of online social networks has only strengthened these channels of communication.

In today’s world, a company’s successes and failures can spread quickly, reaching customers around the globe in a matter of moments. Enlisting your most valued customers as brand ambassadors can generate new customers while increasing revenue. This does not mean adding them to the payroll, but more simply providing an experience that they will want to tell their friends about.

Customers as Brand Ambassadors

In order to take full advantage of these capabilities, businesses must strive not only to provide the best possible experience, but also to convert customers into brand ambassadors. This weeks PRWeb newsletter offer 4 tips to help reach this goal:

Reward loyalty

Make sure your customers know that you value their business. Even a simple “Thanks for your business” can make a difference. Tactical tools such as loyalty cards or discounts are great, but they’re even better when offered in conjunction with face-to-face gratitude. If you’re feeling confident on social channels, try recognizing your most loyal customers on Facebook or Twitter with a special “customer of the week” feature and discount just for them.

Embrace the good and the bad

People tend to share extremely positive or extremely negative customer service experiences. However, some of the most compelling stories arise from companies responding to bad customer experiences effectively. If someone shares a negative story about your company online, respond to their complaint, do everything possible to remedy the situation, and communicate what you’re doing. Think of complaints as opportunities to improve customer relations and earn more word-of-mouth.

Get more social

Apps like FourSquare, Yelp! and Open Table to name a few, allow customers to leave real-time reviews about your business. Make sure you know what people are saying about you on these forums, and respond appropriately. Better yet, become an active presence yourself, thanking people for positive reviews, responding to concerns, or even offering discounts or promotions for users. To encourage reviews, you can add buttons to your website which link directly to these sites.

Give customers something to talk about

Neutral sentiment does nothing to further your brand. Customers don’t talk about ‘average’ experiences with brands. What they’ll remember—and share with others—is how your company goes above and beyond to make customer interactions easy and pleasant.

Brand Ambassadors: Strategy

Through nurturing effective customer relationships, you can enable them to become de facto brand ambassadors for your business. This positive engagement only strengthens brand loyalty and increases their excitement and commitment to your company’s growth.