ReadyTalk discusses how they are blowing away much larger and well-funded competitors by harnessing the power of their advocates. Driving not just a ton of 5-star online reviews, but also referral leads, peer references, social media buzz, beta program participation and more.

1. The
Effect
How to Get Your Customers Talking About
You With Advocate Marketing
Bo Bandy
JIM WILLIAMS
@bo_knows_
Bo.Bandy@ReadyTalk.com
@influitive
jim@influitive.com
Marketing Communications
Manager, ReadyTalk
VP of Marketing at Influitive,
the advocate marketing
experts
Tweet about this : #LeadLoveDenver

2. Nobody Trusts You
Fr i e n d s &
p e e r s 
Ad
a d
mo
a d
s
s
r
s
,
&
e

#LeadLoveDenver

3. 60% of tech B2B
customers search for peer
testimonials on products
Product reviews account
for 47% of all referrals
to tech B2B sites
75% of the buying
process is complete
before a B2B prospect
contacts a company
#LeadLoveDenver

4. Yelpification follows us to work
4

6. What’s an advocate?

7. More: One that makes a
non-financial investment in
your company.

8. Why do we advocate?

9. 9
Every day, we deliver
of minutes of audio and web conferencing services to
end users at
companies.
#LeadLoveDenver
@ReadyTalk

10. 10
The competition.
#LeadLoveDenver
@ReadyTalk

11. 11
We have happy customers.
Net Promoter Scores (NPS)
54%
#LeadLoveDenver
50%
33%
32%
@ReadyTalk

12. Taking on Goliath with an army
of happy customers.
#LeadLoveDenver
@ReadyTalk
12

13. We wanted more of this.
#LeadLoveDenver
@ReadyTalk
13

14. MEASURING
RECOGNIZING
& REWARDING
ENGAGING
IDENTIFYING &
ONBOARDING
BUILD CONSENSUS
5 steps to building a successful
advocate marketing program

15. 5 steps to building a successful
advocate marketing program
1.BUILD CONSENSUS
2.IDENTIFYING & ONBOARDING
3.ENGAGING
4.RECOGNIZING & REWARDING
5.MEASUREMENT
#LeadLoveDenver

16. Have a plan
• Identify an executive
sponsor
• Have an owner
• Tie advocate marketing
to business objectives
#LeadLoveDenver

17. Break it down
30% increase in referral
leads
5 new customer videos
24 hour SLA on
reference requests
30% more product
reviews
#LeadLoveDenver

18. Goals for ReadyTalk Advocacy
#LeadLoveDenver
@ReadyTalk

19. 5 steps to building a successful
advocate marketing program
1.BUILD CONSENSUS
2.IDENTIFYING & ONBOARDING
3.ENGAGING
4.RECOGNIZING & REWARDING
5.MEASUREMENT
#LeadLoveDenver

20. Our Best Advocates
• Invested in the success of the company
• Experience with the
competition
• Their success depends
on us
• Have personal interactions
with ReadyTalk
#LeadLoveDenver
@ReadyTalk

21. Becoming an Advocate
Engaged
Advocates
New Advocate
Experience
- Exposure to limited
challenges
Invite
- Fully branded
- Personalized invite
from account
manager
- Access to lots of
challenges
- Personal “Perks”
- Build engagement and
try to learn more about
the advocate
- More involved
challenges
- Perk for engaged
advocates
- Reminder email 2
weeks later
- Exposure in
customer newsletter
#LeadLoveDenver
@ReadyTalk

22. Invite with style
#LeadLoveDenver

23. From:

24. 5 steps to building a successful
advocate marketing program
1.BUILD CONSENSUS
2.IDENTIFYING & ONBOARDING
3.ENGAGING
4.RECOGNIZING & REWARDING
5.MEASUREMENT

25. In one year
1
Product Review
References
Speaking
opps
Referrals
3
PLUS
Analyst
briefings
Customer
Advisory
Boards
Content
distribution
Media
interviews
43
45
Social
promotion
#LeadLoveDenver

26. Building Engagement
Challenges with the most…
# of Completions = Refer a Prospect
User Uploads = Share Your Favorite Infographic
Popular Survey = “What Scares You About Online Meetings?”
Social Shares = How to Nail a Presentation (article)
Joined Group = Join Our Reference Group
#LeadLoveDenver
@ReadyTalk

27. Summit Club Olympics
• Custom invitation
• Chance to earn a gold, silver or bronze
medal (and bonus points)
• Featured a new “event” each day
• Events included Olympic and ReadyTalk
trivia and fun games
• Opportunity for bonus points
#LeadLoveDenver
@ReadyTalk

28. 5 steps to building a successful
advocate marketing program
1.BUILD CONSENSUS
2.IDENTIFYING & ONBOARDING
3.ENGAGING
4.RECOGNIZING & REWARDING
5.MEASUREMENT

29. Advocate motivation
Status
Access
Power
Stuff
#LeadLoveDenver

30. #LeadLoveDenver

31. Star
Super
Connector
Oracle
Guru
#LeadLoveDenver

32. 10 ways to love your advocates back
1.
2.
3.
4.
Guest blogging opps
Media interviews
Invitations to executive retreats
Invitations to industry
conferences
5. Special status at user
conferences
6. Participation in product sprints
7. Job recommendations
8. Social media love
9. Introductions & connections
10. Linked-in skills &
recommendations
#LeadLoveDenver

33. Exercise
• How many people in this audience
sell to IT folks? Marketing? Sales?
Other?
• What kind of techniques can you use
to motivate these different user
types?
• What about executive vs. manager
level
#LeadLoveDenver

34. 5 steps to building a successful
advocate marketing program
1.BUILD CONSENSUS
2.IDENTIFYING & ONBOARDING
3.ENGAGING
4.RECOGNIZING & REWARDING
5.MEASUREMENT

35. #advocatemktg
@ReadyTalk

36. What would you spend to have a
customer …
• Follow on Twitter
• Share your
content
• Join your LinkedIn
group
• Review your
product
• Answer a survey
• Comment on a
blog
• Refer a lead
• Do a reference
call

37. Next: Read the Advocate Marketing
Playbook
#LeadLoveDenver

38. Questions?