How Brand Ambassador Programs Create Growth

On social media, the main goal is to connect with your audience in a way that feels native to each platform. When you get it right, you’ll see engagement from customers climb, and you can leverage those relationships to expand your reach far beyond what you could achieve alone.

The secret to getting noticed is creating platform-authentic content. One of the best ways to do this is by sourcing user-generated content (UGC), which makes your feed feel more genuine and diverse. This process also helps you build deeper connections with creators who already have an affinity for your brand—whether they’re employees, customers, or other fans. For many of these creators, their content is part of a growing .

From User Content to a Community

After you’ve put in the effort to find people talking about your brand and connected with customers creating content, you don’t want to lose that momentum. Just like you repurpose your own content to get more value from it, you should nurture your relationships with these social media creators. Bringing them together into a single group allows you to stay in touch and engage with them consistently.

Instead of juggling countless direct messages, you have your whole team in one place. You can guide their communication skills and tap into their insights about your products and their demographic. This is how you scale the relationships you’ve built through sourcing UGC. The most effective way to funnel these collaborators into a unified force for amplification and influence is to create a brand ambassador program.

What Exactly Is a Brand Ambassador?

The term “brand ambassador” existed long before influencer marketing became mainstream. In the past, brands would sign long-term deals with celebrities to represent and promote them through traditional media like TV and magazines. These ambassadors became the public face of the company, aiming for a consistent market presence.

A classic example is George Clooney’s partnership with Nespresso. He started appearing in their commercials in 2006, but his role deepened in 2013 with a reported $40 million agreement that made him a brand ambassador and a member of the Nespresso Sustainability Advisory Board. For Clooney, the collaboration was a way to align his business with his charitable interests. This connection beyond money is what makes these relationships so powerful. True brand ambassadors are loyal fans who can’t simply be “bought.”

The Modern Social Media Ambassador

With the rise of social media, a new kind of ambassador has emerged. You no longer need to hire a celebrity; you can partner with everyday social media users who genuinely love your brand and products. These are the people you’ve already engaged with to encourage UGC.

Social media brand ambassadors offer an authentic, always-on endorsement of your brand. They go beyond typical influencers who might talk about a useful product. Instead, they become, to some degree, the face of your brand. While one individual’s impact might not match a celebrity’s, a group of them working together can drive massive results. At the very least, they can supply all the UGC you need. By having an army of people talking authentically about you online, you build the social proof needed to create a positive reputation and convert more customers.

Women’s clothing brand Princess Polly runs a successful ambassador program for college students. The brand benefits from having its target demographic wear and share its clothes online. In return, the ambassadors get discounts and earn a commission when their friends buy through their links—a true win-win.

Another powerful example is Caraway Home, a cookware brand that launched just before the pandemic. As people stayed home and cooked more, influencers and users began posting about them organically. Caraway created a program that not only promoted its products but also encouraged content around broader food topics. They started in 2020 with 35 fans, offering them a discounted product and an affiliate link. Three years later, a four-person team manages 3,500 ambassadors who earned $350,000 in commissions in 2022 alone. The program now accounts for 13 percent of the company’s revenue, demonstrating how effective it is to partner with creators running .

Different Kinds of Ambassadors

A brand ambassador program can be more than just a UGC factory. By understanding the different types of ambassadors, you can find new people for your program and manage them more effectively.

• : These are the heart of your program. They’re customers who already talk about you and have integrated your brand into their lives.
• : A surprisingly underutilized group. Encouraging employees to advocate for your company gives it a human face. They know your products inside and out. General Electric’s employee ambassador program was created to counter a negative perception in the job market. They trained employees to improve their social media profiles to “humanize” the GE brand. The result was an 800 percent jump in job applicants and an engagement value equivalent to $3 million in advertising.
• : These individuals might already promote your product online to earn a sales commission. To turn them into true ambassadors, you can offer better payment terms or a community to join. They often view their work as , and a strong program can make your brand their top priority. The Caraway example shows how powerful an affiliate component can be.
• : Also known as Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), these are respected figures in their field. Their endorsement adds a massive layer of trustworthiness to your brand. They typically only partner with brands they genuinely use and respect.

How to Build Your Ambassador Program

The success of your program depends on the foundation you build. Here’s how to get started.

1. : Figure out what you want from the program, which social media users you’ll approach, how you’ll compensate them, and how you’ll track success.
2. : At first, email is enough for communication. Create a landing page on your website where potential ambassadors can apply, clearly listing the incentives.
3. : Your first members should be the UGC creators you’ve already connected with. From there, promote the program on your website, via email, and on social media. This allows you to vet applicants based on their content quality and following. Asking current ambassadors for referrals is another great way to grow and can help someone turn their .
4. : Once running, your program will be a mix of offering incentives, providing education and community, and expanding membership. These are deep relationships, and it’s crucial that ambassadors feel valued, not used.

A Look at a Successful Program: Adobe Express

There’s no better case study than the Adobe Express ambassador program. Adobe wanted to attract a new audience—entrepreneurs and business owners, not just creative professionals—to compete with tools like Canva.

Their call for ambassadors focused on people who enjoy helping others in their network learn new skills. The benefits listed were community-focused, not monetary. Once approved, members join an online hub where they can choose from activities like becoming an affiliate, creating content about new features, or giving product feedback. Most activities reward participants with points they can exchange for prizes, including Adobe swag and products made by fellow ambassadors. This system recognizes that many members are building a .

The program's highlight is the chance to attend the annual Adobe MAX conference, where ambassadors network, learn from each other, and meet the Adobe team in person. This investment builds deep emotional ties that get members genuinely excited about the product.

And it pays off for Adobe. The program’s 215 ambassadors reach a combined audience of 34 million and generated nearly 1.8 million unique engagements in 2023. The feedback from this community has also helped Adobe develop its product faster. When your community members bond with each other with your brand at the center, you’ve successfully scaled your efforts.

Even if your business is smaller, you can apply these same principles. By funneling your fans into a true ambassadorship, you can build something just as impactful and turn a simple into a powerful marketing engine.