Four Incredibly Simple Ways to Create Advocates That Spread Your Message With Social Media
Patrick McFadden • July 11, 2013
Want to multiply the return on your efforts? Growing your business whether you’re a blogger, podcaster, speaker, coach, business owner or consultant starts with creating advocates. A group of people interested in talking about you or your message.
Advocates develop for a couple of reasons, but all centered around one thing self-interest. It’s never about you, it’s always about them. Below are some ways you can make it all about them.
Here are the four incredibly simple ways to create advocates that spread your message with social media:
- Fulfill their wants not needs: With social media creating advocates starts with creating content that’s valuable and easily shareable. This can be achieved in many ways, such as simply posting the benefits of your product (this includes blogs and podcasts) or service using photos on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pintrest, Instagram, Flickr, etc.
- Keep it anticipated, personal, and relevant: Your bilateral intimacy—engagement points should be anticipated, personal and relevant , with the bonus of adding value. Before you tweet that nonrelevant content, think about whether it will result in creating brand advocates. “You should definitely buy a home from her — they tweet funny pictures!” said nobody, ever.
- Very simple!! Care: Social media (the internet) represents a monumental shift in what businesses must be. It now requires that an organization transform into a customer management organization instead of a brand organization. Which means you must care about your end-user. Caring starts with action, so start having a responsive customer service presence in social media. This can add a human element to your brand, build trust, and improve customer satisfaction.
- Be generous: Rewarding people with some social media acknowledgement can make them feel valued, and in turn, create advocates. Give users positive feedback when they actually do what you want them to, and you’ll condition them to do it more often. For instance, I love being a resource for others and sharing information that peeks their interest — but I ( @mcfaddenteches ) tend to tweet to @michaelhyatt more often because I know he’ll respond, and maybe even retweet me. See below.
Bottom line: advocates can make a huge difference in whether or not your message spreads and gets noticed by authorities, trend-setters, and your target market. Take the time to get them. It is worth it.
Question: What impact do you see advocates making in your business?
Understanding platform intent, sales cycles, and what actually works in high-ticket home services
1. The Challenge: VMI was like many service providers — positioning their value around what they thought clients wanted : “Office furniture installation and assembly — let us handle creating your perfect workspace.” But the actual buyers — facility managers, project managers, furniture reps — weren’t looking for “perfect workspaces.” They were trying to avoid installation nightmares . Their real priority? ✅ Great installation days. ✅ No chaos. ✅ No missed deadlines. ✅ No angry phone calls from clients. 2. The Insight: After conducting stakeholder interviews under our marketing strategy consulting engagement , the Indispensable Marketing team uncovered critical feedback: “We need installers who maintain a professional site and follow instructions.” “We lose relationships when installations go badly.” “I need quotes back quickly or I can’t sell the job.” This wasn’t just about services , it was about trust, problem-solving , and professional reliability . So we reframed their differentiators not by what they did, but how they showed up : Same-day project quotes Problem-solving on-site Update protocol with clients Professionalism guarantee Lasting Impression Insurance 3. The Shift: We shifted the positioning from vague benefits to real-world, emotional triggers : Instead of: “Let us create your perfect workspace.” Now: “Get the perfect installation day, every time.” That subtle shift aligns with who’s actually buying (and who feels the pain when things go wrong). The end-user may care about the workspace. But the buyer cares about the install . 4. The Lesson for Others: If you’re selling a service, don’t describe what you do. Describe what the client wants to avoid or achieve — and who the real buyer is. Then, systematize what you’re already doing well and give it a name. Just like our team did with: “Same Day Quotes” “Lasting Impression Insurance” “Reliable Presence Protocol” 5. The Outcome Within weeks of updating their messaging and positioning: The company reported more qualified leads asking the right questions Furniture reps began referring them because they were “easy to work with and made them look good” They were shortlisted for larger, multi-phase projects due to increased confidence in their process But most importantly, they stopped competing on price — because they weren’t selling perfect workspaces anymore. They were selling peace of mind on installation day.
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