Leveraging Advocates to Increase Sales and Build Your Brand

You are a business. You make something “cool” like an e-bike, scooter, trailer, or tiny house. You have customers—some local, maybe some farther away. Perhaps you’re in stores or have a few showrooms. But your potential customers span the entire U.S., while you’re in just one small part of it.

On top of that, buyer hesitancy is real. Your product meets a need, but it’s also an investment. So, what’s a business to do?

Why Influencers and Sponsorships Aren’t Enough

Let’s say you make e-bikes. You could send a bike to an Instagram influencer, but are they a trusted source for reviewing e-bikes? Do their followers actually care about biking?

You could sponsor a YouTube video, but are those viewers actively looking to buy a $5,000 e-bike, like the ones you produce? Even if you generate website traffic, it’s unlikely someone will make that kind of purchase just because they saw a sponsored post.

That’s why you also need brand advocates.

At Stoked, we help brands turn existing customers into brand advocates program and effortlessly run their programs. But more on that later.

The Vastness of Brand Promotion

A hot topic in advertising/branding today is the overlapping and intersecting roles businesses must navigate—especially when it comes to advocates, ambassadors, influencers, affiliates, and sponsorships. Let’s quickly break them down.

Influencers and Sponsorships

Think about a YouTube video hosted by someone you trust. This person is an influencer—someone whose opinion matters to their audience. Some influencers are individuals, while others operate as collectives or YouTube channels. But let’s remember that influencers can also be anyone and everywhere: celebrities, industry insiders, community busybodies. They speak (or post) and people listen.

When YouTubers pause a video to say, “Today’s video is sponsored by [Brand Name]”, that’s a sponsorship. The influencer may or may not use the product, but the brand is paying for exposure. Sponsorship deals change frequently, with companies hoping to attract some percentage of that video’s audience. The business is taking a calculated risk: the channel has 4M subscribers and videos get ~400-600k views and surely some percentage of those viewers will want to learn about what they have to offer – especially when the YouTuber throws a special discount code their way.

Affiliates

Now, let’s say the influencer doesn’t have sponsored videos but instead shares a unique link—like an arts and crafts creator linking to a glue brand’s website. In this case, they are likely an affiliate, meaning they earn a commission every time someone makes a purchase using their link.

Advocates vs. Ambassadors

Unlike influencers and affiliates, advocates and ambassadors aren’t just part of a transaction—they engage with brands differently.

• Ambassadors make a formal commitment to a brand. They often earn money based on their efforts and may see themselves as representatives of the company, even if they aren’t employees. But assume there’s a contract that connects them. This ambassador model is/was common with direct-selling brands like Beachbody, Amway, Avon, Mary Kay, Tupperware, and Thirty-One Gifts. Whether called representatives or consultants, at their core, they are paid brand promoters.
• Advocates, on the other hand, are unpaid enthusiasts. They love the product, believe in the brand, and promote it purely out of passion. Their motivation is intrinsic—they want the brand to succeed. While they might earn recognition or perks, advocacy isn’t about financial gain but rather personal enthusiasm.

Understanding the Right Approach

Each of these roles—influencers, ambassadors, affiliates, and advocates—plays a part in your brand’s growth, but their incentives and impact vary:

• Influencers (and sponsorship) generate attention.
• Ambassadors invest effort for financial return.
• Affiliates earn commissions.
• Advocates champion a brand (because they believe in it).

By understanding these differences, brands can engage with the right people in the right way.

Buzzwords in the Job Market

A quick look at Indeed job postings (as of 3/2/2025) shows a flood of industry buzzwords:

• Influencer Coordinator
• Community Outreach Liaison
• Community Ambassador
• Customer Community Manager
• Engagement Manager
• Lead Generation & Outreach Specialist

All these terms point to one thing: brands recognize the importance of community-driven marketing, but the language keeps evolving. What really matters is how businesses connect with their audience in a way that drives trust, engagement, and sales.

Stoked is here to help brands connect with their loyal customers (who, let’s face it, are likely already championing the brand to friends and passer-byers) and leverage their passion to help drive future sales. Stoked can augment your current brand advocate program – or be the foundation for one that we’ll build together.

How “Andrew the Customer” Became “Andrew the Advocate”

Showcasing the power of Stoked brand advocate program

1. Joining the Advocate Program – BUSINESS invited its customers to become advocates through its Stoked-backed platform. Andrew signed up and built his profile in just minutes.
2. A Curious Shopper – Forty-five minutes away, Joshua came across BIKE through BUSINESS’s paid media. It was exactly what he wanted, but he hesitated. The price made him nervous, and he wasn’t familiar with BUSINESS.
3. Connecting with a Real Owner – On the BUSINESS website, Joshua discovered he could connect with existing customers. Using the location filter, he found Andrew nearby and sent him a message.
4. A Test Ride & Trusted Advice – Andrew invited Joshua to meet in a Target parking lot that weekend for a test ride. Joshua appreciated not just trying out the bike but also connecting with a like-minded rider. Andrew happily answered Joshua’s questions about both BIKE and BUSINESS.
5. A Confident Purchase – After the test ride and hearing Andrew’s firsthand experience, Joshua felt confident enough to buy BIKE. (The sticker shock was gone and his anticipation was growing.)
6. The Advocate Cycle Continues – Later, BUSINESS invited Joshua to join its advocate program, and he eagerly signed up.
7. Paying It Forward – Weeks later, Angela discovered BUSINESS. Using the website, she connected with Joshua, a fellow rider from her hometown. After hearing Joshua’s positive experience, Angela felt comfortable making her own purchase.

By turning real customers into advocates, BUSINESS builds trust, reduces buyer hesitation, and drives more sales—all through the power of authentic connections that Stoked has enabled.