Advocates are a necessary marketing tool for your brand. They have high value and can help get you a great return on your investment. Advocates can account for large sums of money in purchases, from apparel to electronics. By sharing the good word of your brand, additional consumers will come to know and trust you.

Once you have discovered who your most powerful brand advocates are, it is important to nurture them. Developing a relationship with your most loyal customers doesn’t just happen overnight. In order to build a strong, trusting relationship with those who are willing to champion for your brand, you need to take time and understand how to take care of them in return.

Treating your advocates with respect and appreciation is essential to your brand’s reputation. They are people, after all, and not just a means to an end. Advocates not only purchase your products or services, but they evangelize your brand by providing testimonials, sharing your message on social media, giving feedback regularly, and motivating you to stay up-to-date with your marketing efforts.

Reach out to your advocates. There are plenty of ways to show how much you appreciate them.

Here are 5 tips for nurturing your brand advocates:

1. Ask for their suggestions and ideas to generate participation. Starting a conversation and asking questions will prove that you acknowledge their opinions.
2. Respond as often as possible to their social posts. Recognize their willingness to vouch for your brand and thank them for their support.
3. Share their meaningful content they crafted to advocate for your brand. A simple retweet on Twitter or Facebook share can mean a lot.
4. Feature them in a blog post to show your appreciation. Putting the spotlight on your most influential customers is also a great way to generate new content for your brand’s website.
5. Reward them for spreading your message and brand awareness. You can give them additional rewards points, send products, or even offer a discount code.

When advocates encourage their friends and family to purchase from your brand, the buying power rapidly increases. In order to maintain a positive reputation, you’ll need to motivate your biggest fans to continue sharing your product or service on social networks.

The wonderful thing about fostering concrete relationships with your brand advocates is that they have a high impact on advertising at a low cost. As you continue to nurture a strong and healthy relationship with your advocates, they will have more reason to recommend your brand.