By Kate Kozak | June 21, 2017
Recommendations are the most empowering type of marketing. People whose recommendations hold great power are often referred to as disruptors and influencers, and are changing online advertising.
Everyday consumers are becoming micro-influencers. These are people who have become experts on specific topics, and gain a following from other loyal product savvy people. In a 2015 report by Nielsen, it was found that 83% of consumers placed the most trust in the recommendations of family and friends, and now, online personalities.
At the base level, this type of marketing can be broken down into the trusted three: advocacy marketing, peer to peer marketing, and referral marketing. In today’s eCommerce ecosystem there are so many powerful yet similar terms in use that it can make your head spin. We want to dissect some of these terms and help you understand the differences.
Firstly, Advocacy Marketing. Advocates are customers who have first-hand experience interacting with your company and absolutely love it. Advocates are your most vocal evangelists and your best references who give people qualified referrals. Advocacy marketing is the process of turning a satisfied customer into a superfan who then also acts as a marketer.
Peer to Peer Marketing is the most authentic-feeling marketing channel. This type of marketing encourages open and unmonitored interactions among current and potential clients. By sharing their experiences, the user tells about the value they received from a product. They strengthen this recommendation by having a real conversation with their peers about the referral. This true, personal referral as it is raw, unedited and initiated without a predetermined reward. Currently, this is the truest form of an online referral.
Finally, Referral Marketing leverages customer interactions to increase sales, engagement and overall customer value. Word-of-mouth referrals typically provide an incentive from the business. There are many referral programs that are subscription based or come as an added plug-in, where the referrer gets rewarded when their referral leads to a successful purchase.
The rBux platform encompasses the best qualities of these three methods. It uniquely integrates advocacy, peer to peer and of course, referral marketing onto one platform.
On the rBux Dashboard, you, the influencer, can create a personalized referral and message it directly to specific people. If you are a huge fan of a certain brand, you can use rBux and act as an advocate, specializing in their products. You can create referrals and share them directly with your peers. You also receive rewards for your referrals when you work with rBux registered brands.
So what are you waiting for? Whether you are a business, want to be a brand advocate or are just passionate about sharing awesome products with people, join rBux.com and participate in all that online marketing has to offer.
