At SocialToaster, we know that having an army of fan advocates is essential when it comes to reaching the masses organically on social media. But before you can bring out the big guns, you have to shore up your lines and sign on your recruits. If you’re not exactly sure how to do this, we’ve got your six; after helping hundreds of brands build their fan advocate armies, we know what it takes get your troops assembled in no time.

We’re pretty jazzed to be working with some of the biggest names in entertainment. Names that would make you sit up in your seats and go, “Whoa, those guys!? Seriously?!”  To which we respond, “Yes, those guys, seriously!” We’ve outlined below 5 tactics that one of our entertainment clients is using to build its fanbase.

Tactic #1 – Social Promotion

We know, we know. This one is pretty much a no-brainer. But it’s too important to skip. You know your fans are on social media, so hit them where they live and pull them into your program. Use your brand’s Facebook Page, Twitter and Instagram accounts, Youtube Channel and any other social pages you have to drive hype about your program. After the initial buzz dies down, be sure to keep up with posting updates, prize teasers and other information about your program.

We also know that not all fans are prone to actively seek out brands on social. To get this group of fans to join the ranks of fan advocates, this particular  client used highly-targeted Facebook ads to reach an audience with whom their programs will best resonate. Going far above simply targeting people that had like their page, they instead partner with SocialToaster to target custom audience based on correlating interests.

Tactic #2 – Live Prospecting and PR

Don’t be afraid to engage potential fan members in the real world. Believe it or not, talking to people in person (think facetime, but without the screens!) can be a powerful tool in getting quality fan advocates on board. In the case of one of our entertainment clients, we were able to capture uber fans at a press event where our team reached out to with those who clearly have an affinity for the client.

In addition, prior to the launch of this program, the client did some good old fashioned PR letting their dedicated fans, bloggers, and entertainment gurus know that a fan rewards program was on the way.

Tactic #3 – Incentivize on Sign Up

Sometimes it takes a bit of persuading to get your fans to enlist. To give them the push they need, consider incentivizing your signup process. By doing this, you can drive more program sign ups and encourage more sharing. What’s better? You can also encourage recruits to invite their friends by offering similar incentives. For example: If one of your recruits get’s a friend to sign up, that recruit would receive an extra entry into the prize drawing that month. Talk about a win-win situation! You get more fan advocates and the advocate gets more chances to take home the prize!

To really entice fans to sign up, your incentives should be exciting, compelling, and, above all, relevant to your program. That bright, shiny new iPad might seem like a good idea, but your true fans will appreciate something related to your brand just as much (if not more) than the expensive, unrelated giveaway.

Tactic #4 – Video Promotion

By now, it’s no secret that the popularity of video on social is continuously growing. In fact, it is estimated that by 2017, 74% of all internet traffic will be video. With this burgeoning demand for video content, we definitely recommend incorporating it into your social marketing mix, as well as using it to drive traffic to your fan advocate program.

One entertainment client of ours was able to incorporate video into their recruitment strategy in a couple of ways. First, they included a call to action to join their program at the end of the official promotional video  which has been viewed over 14 million times between Facebook and YouTube. In addition, they have developed videos specifically about their fan advocate program, the first of which has received over 7,000 views on Facebook.

Tactic #5 – Influencer Outreach

To further help this brand connect with devotees beyond the scope of their current social audience, SocialToaster worked to aggressively identify and mobilize bloggers and influencers to talk about the program on their blogs. Through this outreach, we were able to give this brand and their fan advocate program a presence on highly trafficked blogs all across the internet.

Bonus Tactic: SocialToaster’s network of Superfans

When you choose SocialToaster to host your brand’s fan advocate program you have the option of accessing our vast network of Superfans, which is, in many cases, the most effective channel for our clients’ recruitment. Through this network we have identified fans who have historically been more engaged on social media than the average user. Having access to this fan base allows your brand to reach all corners of social organically and in a way that gives your message an authentic, word of mouth look and feel.

This multi-channel recruitment strategy has been instrumental in building the fan base for many of our clients’ programs. Attacking from all angles early on allows us to see what works best so we can focus more resources on those tactics. If you’d like to learn more about recruiting fan advocates and get a program going for your brand, give us a call at 855.628.6278 or contact us here.