In Part I, we discussed how brand advocates—both customer and employee—influence success and generate leads for your dealership. Advocates draw more attention for your brand than any of your brand social platforms will by themselves. Since it’s a given that advocates are important, it’s also key to know how to motivate the advocates you already have.

Make it simple for advocates to share your information. You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you build it, they will come.” The same concept applies to your blog, website, and social media platforms. If you provide the content for your advocates to share, they will share it. Advocates are 83% more likely to share information than an average internet user, and as a customer, they’re probably already talking about your brand. Provide easily accessible content and graphics for them to share. Help your advocates help you.

Give advocates insider information. Brand advocates enjoy sharing—that’s often why they’re advocates. They connect people with products and brands that are similar or necessary to them. Give your advocates knowledge they can share with others. Advocates are 70% more likely to be seen as a source of reliable information, so instead of relying solely on your social media platforms and website, allow advocates to spread the word for you. On top of their trustworthiness in consumers’ eyes, advocates are also 50% more likely to create content that causes or sways a purchase. Sharing the right information with them can only benefit your business.

Offer incentives. Advocates are there to share information and help your dealership out, but it motivates anyone to have a little incentive. Keep in mind that offering up free products, getting your advocates into awesome events, or giving a shout out, share, or mention online can do wonders. People like to know they’re appreciated, and having your dealership go the extra mile to let their advocates know you’re thankful via reward can come back tenfold for your brand.

Recognize. Advocates just want some recognition. Along with little things like engaging with your advocates online, come up with creative ways to honor advocates weekly or monthly. For example, your dealership could start up a “Fan of the Month” program, acknowledging an advocate each month and thanking them for all they do online. This is such an easy and quick way to motivate advocates to want to do more for your brand simply because they see your dealership acknowledging other advocates, as well.

Maintain a relationship. Advocates generally stay loyal to products and brands they have a relationship with. Advocates want to be seen as people who are trusted and knowledgeable when it comes to the brands they advocate for, so maintaining a relationship with them is a priority in keeping that trust and knowledge available. Beyond that, employee advocates are 57% more likely to align their social media engagement to generate sales leads when they feel engaged by their dealership. Create relationships, engage, and maintain them, both in the online world and the workplace to keep your loyal advocates speaking up for you.

How Do I Find Advocates to Motivate?

There are several ways to stumble across advocates for your dealership. Your advocates are already your customers, so find customers who are talking about you online. Look through your social media platforms and pinpoint those who “like” or “follow” your dealership that you also find yourself interacting with often. Be open and honest by inviting them to help build a foundation that’s meaningful for those who are already passionate about your business and those who are looking for what your dealership has to offer but haven’t yet found you.

Some of the best ways to reach out to your advocates once you’ve located them are simply through social media platforms, messaging, or email. If a customer is already sharing and talking about your dealership, chances are they will be excited and open to advocating for you.

Motivating and reaching out to your dealership’s advocates is an important step in maintaining strong relationships and getting the most and best out of your advocates. Often, the ways your dealership can motivate your advocates are simple, quick, and priceless, but will boost your advocates’ influence and take your dealership’s consumer reach and sales to the next level.