The 7-Step Method to Create a Thriving Ambassador Program For Your Brand

The challenge for DTC brands trying to leverage social media and influencer marketing to generate sales is not just to get attention. It's also to show that your brand can be trusted, it's not a random off-the-shelf product but a genuine product that people buy and love.

And that's why the dusty old playbook of pay-influencer-and-get-a-post from them is outdated. It introduces your product and you end up paying for no guarantee of results. There's no show of brand advocacy from the influencer to make the promotion feel genuine.

That's why DTC brands today need ambassador programs.

✨ What are brand ambassadors?

Brand ambassadors for DTC brands are like the friendly faces of your brand, handpicked to represent your values and story. Unlike celebrity ambassadors who are already famous and might feel distant from your audience, these are real, relatable people who genuinely love what you do.

The Instagram post below is a fantastic example of a brand ambassador in action. The ambassador is pictured at an event hosted by the brand. His caption expresses genuine enthusiasm about his first gig as a brand ambassador. It also suggests he's actively involved in the brand's activities, not just passively promoting products.

How are ambassadors different from pay-per-post influencers or affiliates?

Ambassadors are a great way to de-risk your investment in influencer marketing. One reason is that, instead of paying for each post, which can quickly add up, ambassadors often work for a combination of commissions, exclusive offers, and insider access, making the cost more variable and performance-based.

They are in it for the long haul. They develop a deep connection with your brand over time, making their posts promoting your brand more authentic and impactful.

But they're also more than just affiliates as they offer more than just sales.

Ambassadors contribute content, offer product feedback, and foster community—all adding value beyond direct sales. The relationship is more about mutual love for the brand than a financial transaction.

👉 Many successful brands like Gymshark, Lululemon & Sephora have dedicated ambassador programs.

👉 Check out Lululemon's ambassador program breakdown here.

👉 Check out Sephora's ambassador program breakdown here.

Ambassador programs are not exclusive to big, established brands. Emerging DTC brands can also leverage these programs to build success. So let's dive into a step-by-step process to create an ambassador program for your DTC brand.

🤳1— Find your ideal influencer

First step is to find out who you want to collaborate with. That involves careful consideration beyond the number of followers or how many ‘likes’ they get. It's also not about partnering with someone you just happen to know.

Influencer selection is not a game of guess or luck, but a strategic process that you can repeat as many times as you want to keep growing your influencer community.

Here's a 7 point framework that will help you find the perfect influencers for your brand:

1️⃣ Start with niche hashtags. Not just for the industry but a niche within that industry. #veganfoodbloggers for a plant-based food brand vs just #foodbloggers. Specificity is the key in driving higher engagement.

2️⃣ Check follower count. But don't be fooled by vanity metrics. A micro-influencer with an engaged audience can be more impactful than a celebrity with casual followers.

3️⃣ Check for Die-hard fans. See how many people genuinely engage in comments, not just posting generic 'nice', ‘loved it’ comments. It's the true measure of influence and connection.

Use SARAL's free chrome extension to know this within seconds.

4️⃣ The influencers’ values should mirror your brand's. Do they promote eco-friendly living & you sell sustainable products? Jackpot! You get targeted audience, stronger brand reputation, impactful campaign.

5️⃣ Influencer posting about everything from parenting to makeup? May be skip at first. Go for creators in your niche, posting specific content. If you run out of niche, then go broad.

6️⃣ "Dating" rule for influencer marketing - avoid those who've been with your direct competitors. It's not jealousy, just strategy. Seek influencers who promote products that complement your brand.

7️⃣ Look at their content quality. Can they stop the scroll, hold attention, and inspire action? If yes, you've got a winner!

💼 2— Create a compelling creator offer

Before you reach out to a creator asking them to become your brand ambassador, be ready with what you can offer them in return. That's what a 'creator offer' outlines. It's a package of all the incentives, perks, and benefits that you'll give them.

It includes three main things:

1— How you pay them (Incentive structure)

For the ambassador program, there are two main options

• Commission-based: They get paid a percentage of the sales they help bring. It's fair because they're rewarded for their actual impact. Most nano and micro-influencers will be okay with this.
• Fixed pay plus commission: This gives them a guaranteed amount, plus a bit extra for every sale they make. This strategy is great for partnering with influencers who are hesitant to work on a commission-only basis. With this, you can negotiate a deal that's attractive for both of you.

2— What their followers get (perks for the creator's audience):

• Discounts: Give them a special code to offer their followers a price cut on your products.
• Giveaways: Let them give your products to their followers for free. This can help both of you get more followers and sales.

3— Benefits that they might not get anywhere

Benefits for creators are the extra perks you offer to make partnering with your brand more appealing, especially if you're competing against higher-paying opportunities. These benefits are not direct payments but are valuable in other ways. They provide influencers with unique experiences, growth opportunities, and recognition they might not receive elsewhere.

Here's a list of what benefits might include:

• Swag bags: These are collections of gifts, which can be your products or branded merchandise, given to influencers as a token of appreciation.
• Exclusive discounts: Offer influencers special discounts for shopping on your website or in your store, which can also extend to their friends and family.
• Access to exclusive communities: Invite influencers to join a private group with your team and other creators to exchange ideas & connect.
• Pre-Launch product access: Give influencers early access to new products so they can be the first to share them with their audience.
• Growth opportunities: Support influencers' growth by paying for their event tickets, inviting them to your events, or giving them a chance to meet industry experts.
• Tier-based reward system: Implement a commission structure that increases as influencers hit certain sales milestones.
• Social recognition: Share their content on your brand's social media channels, which can increase their exposure and credibility.
• Charitable donations: Instead of paying influencers directly, donate to a charity of their choice in their name.
• Ongoing challenges: Keep influencers engaged with competitions and challenges that offer additional rewards for meeting certain goals.

💌 2— Send an outreach DM or email

Once you have the creator offer ready, it's time to reach out to your ideal influencer — the ones who have the same target audience as yours and alignment with your brand values.

But should you DM or email them? Here's a simple framework we've usually seen work in the past —

👉 There are specialized tools available specifically for finding the email addresses of influencers such as SARAL.

In SARAL, you can search for influencers by keywords, hashtags, or audience.

Vet them with the free Chrome extension.

If you like the stats, and the content they've posted in the past, add them to your list of potential ambassadors. If their email address is public, it will be auto-populated. You can export this list & see use emails if you wish but we have a better solution.

Use SARAL's email drip feature to send emails.

Your outreach email should be concise, and personalized, and should be able to get a 'yes' response from them.

👉 Here's a template you can use —

Hi {{first_name}},

I love what you're doing on {{platform}}, especially your thoughts on {{theme}}.

We're {{brand}}—we focus on {{one-line description}}. I think you'll like our products because {{benefits}}. We're looking for 25 brand ambassadors for your brand who share our vision of {{mission}}. We'd love for you to be one of them.

Can I share a link with more details?

Thanks!

{{Your name}}

💬 3— Engage in conversations

🤷 If influencers don't reply…

You'll likely not get a reply from all the influencers. don't assume they're not interested. People get busy, and emails can be overlooked. It's okay to follow up to make sure they saw your message.

Here's a simple follow-up schedule:

• Follow up after 3 days: If they haven't responded, send them more about your ambassador program. Share some success stories or positive experiences from other influencers.
• Follow up after 7 days: Still no answer? Tell them about the specific benefits for them and their followers. Share what makes your brand special and any social causes you support.
• Follow up after 10 days: No reply yet? Try a polite direct message or a friendly comment on their social media post to jog their memory about your email.
• Follow up after 12 days: At this point, share some social proof. Talk about other influencers who are enjoying working with your brand and the perks they're getting.
• Monthly check-in: If they haven't responded after all this, put them on a monthly check-in list. Keep them informed about your brand's updates or new products. It keeps the conversation going and they might reach out when they're ready.

SARAL streamlines the follow-up process by allowing you to set up your messages in advance. The platform then takes care of sending these messages at the time you would've set.

It automatically pauses follow-ups when an influencer responds, preventing any unnecessary messages.

This saves your time & allows you to focus on building relationships with influencers and growing your brand.

🤔 If they do reply but are not happy with your offer…

If an influencer isn't happy with your offer and says they only work on a pay-per-post basis, you can try some negotiation tactics. The idea is to show the influencer that there's more value in your offer than the initial numbers suggest:

• Mention other influencers: Let them know about other influencers who are happy working with you. You might say, "We understand your rates, but we're focused on finding ambassadors who are in for a lasting partnership, like Sara Kay and Harry Young, who are doing great with us. We'd be excited to add you to our team!"
• Show them future potential: Explain how they could earn more in the long run with your program. For example, "Our numbers show that with an average order value of $50 and just a couple of posts, you could easily match your usual $300 fee through sales, and that's not even counting ongoing earnings!"
• Give a safety net: Offer them a guaranteed minimum to ensure they're compensated even if sales are slow at first. You might say, "If your commissions don't hit $300, we'll make sure you still receive $100. It's a win-win: you get a secure starting point, plus the chance for much more."

📜 4— Onboard ambassadors: Send guidelines, & ship your products

Once you get a green signal from influencers who are ready to become your brand ambassadors, equip them with everything they need to successfully represent and promote your products.

Here's what you should do:

1— Send a welcome package with all the essential details:

• Creative guidelines document: This includes the do's and don'ts of representing your brand. It's important to strike a balance between giving them enough direction to maintain brand consistency and enough freedom to let their unique voice shine through. Include your logo, brand colors, and any other relevant visuals to help them create content that aligns with your brand.
• Coupon code: Their unique code for promotions.
• Sales tracking information: How they can monitor the sales they generate.
• Payout details: Clearly explain how and when they'll be compensated.

2— Add them to the community: If you have a dedicated channel or community for ambassadors, make sure to introduce them. This could be a private Facebook group, Slack channel, or any platform where they can interact with your team and fellow ambassadors. This creates a sense of community and allows them to share tips, experiences, and feedback.

3— Additional Resources:

• Share sample posts or content ideas to spark their creativity and give them a starting point.
• Detailed descriptions, FAQs, or interesting facts about your products.
• Assign a specific team member as their go-to contact for any questions or support and share their details with the influencers.
• Set up a way for them to easily give you feedback on the products, the program, or any challenges they face.

As you're onboarding them, in parallel, start the process of shipping your products to them.  This is a key part of the ambassador relationship, as they'll be promoting these products.

They should receive these products for free. This is part of their compensation for promoting your brand and is a standard practice in ambassador programs.

But simply putting your product in ugly bubble wrap & boring card boxes will not be enough to stand out as a brand. You have to design an 'Instagrammable' unboxing experience. Many influencers share their unboxing moments on social media, so make it visually appealing and easy for them to create content around it.

When Graza was launched, its ambassadors received a handwritten note in their packages. It's very simple but highly effective. Makes the influencers feel special and connected to your brand.

If it's good, their followers will be hitting 'like' faster than popcorn kernels in a hot pan. Think about how to turn the simple task of opening a box into a viral-worthy moment.

👉 To ship & track each package you can use SARAL.

Simply link your store and gain the convenience of sending free products to creators in bulk, all in a single go.

You can also generate tracking links. This allows you to keep a close eye on each shipment, ensuring that your products reach the creators smoothly and on time.

📊 6— Track results

When it comes to tracking the return on investment (ROI) of your influencer marketing efforts, it's important to focus on more than just the numbers.

Traditional advertising often emphasizes quantifiable metrics, but influencer marketing can have a broader impact. Look at how your brand's perception has evolved, the quality and variety of content about your brand, and the overall engagement levels since starting the ambassador program.

If you use SARAL, you'll get a performance dashboard designed to give you a bird's-eye view of how your influencer marketing efforts are doing.

👉 Here's what you can expect from this dashboard:

• Activity overview: You can see at a glance the number of influencers you've reached out to, how many products have been shipped, and the amount of content created. This helps you track the scale and engagement of your influencer program.
• Engagement metrics: The dashboard shows key metrics like unique visitors, new customers acquired, and conversion rates. This lets you measure the impact of each influencer's work on your brand's reach and sales.
• Financial tracking: You can keep tabs on the returns from your investment with stats on revenue generated, commission paid out, and cost per conversion. This helps you assess the financial viability of your influencer partnerships.
• Top performers: Identify which influencers are bringing in the most traffic and conversions, so you know who your star ambassadors are so you can do more collaborations with them.
• Audience reach: Understand the size and platform breakdown of the combined audience you're reaching through your influencers.
• Content value: The dashboard also estimates the value of the content that influencers have generated for your brand.

🤝 7— Build relationships with your ambassadors

If you notice one of your ambassadors isn't posting as frequently as agreed, reach out to them with a gentle nudge.

A message as simple as, "Hey, we noticed you haven't posted in a while, is everything okay? Is there something more we could be doing to support you?" can go a long way. It opens the door to dialogue and can help you address any challenges they may be facing, whether it's a need for more product information or creative inspiration.

For those ambassadors who are knocking it out of the park, recognize and reward their efforts. They're not just making one-time sales but also building your brand's reputation. Create a tailored incentive for them to keep going. It might be a boosted commission or a bonus for hitting a sales milestone. These gestures show you value their contribution and incentivize ongoing enthusiasm and loyalty.

Beyond the numbers and contracts, remember to cultivate a personal connection with each ambassador.

Show genuine interest in their work and well-being. Celebrate their successes, encourage them during slower periods, and always keep communication open and responsive. By investing in these relationships, you'll build a strong community of brand advocates.

💜 What's next?

When it comes time to actually implement these steps, the reality is that without the right tools, you could find yourself DIY-ing a tangle of tracking sheets & manual processes. To really move the needle on your brand's revenue, and to do it without pulling your hair out, you need a toolkit that's up to the task.

That's why you need tools like SARAL — an all-in-one influencer marketing platform, built specifically for emerging DTC brands.

While the guide is here to give you the roadmap, SARAL is what will drive your brand towards visible success. Claim your free trial here.