Brand Ambassador vs. Influencer

Brand Ambassador vs. Influencer: Which to Choose?

A brand’s influencer marketing needs can vary depending on its goal and marketing budget. Choosing between a brand ambassador vs. an influencer is just one of many decisions brands have to make when launching marketing campaigns. If you’re not sure what kind of effect you can achieve with both of these options, take time to learn the difference between influencer marketing vs. brand ambassador programs.

What Is an Influencer?

Before we untangle the brand influencer vs. brand ambassador dilemma, it’s important to define these two terms first. Understanding what influencers are should be your first step if you want to tap into the benefits of influencer marketing and see what good it can bring to your brand. An influencer is a social media user with the ability to influence the purchasing decisions of their audience. They are creators who are considered experts in their niche. 

Their followers trust the recommendations they receive in the creator’s post. The follower count isn’t what determines good influencers – it’s their ability to affect how people perceive a product, service, or brand. How influencers build trust among their followers is what matters and what will help them get high engagement on their content. Whether it’s a micro or a mega-influencer, each has their place in the online community and enjoys different kinds of influencer brand partnerships. 

What Is a Brand Ambassador?

If you’re new to social media marketing, you might think that the terms influencer and brand ambassador can be used interchangeably. While these are quite similar, a brand ambassador works a bit differently to promote a brand – they are a specific type of influencer. Brand ambassadors partner with brands on long-term collaborations, which usually last at least a year. They create content for various social media channels with the goal of promoting your brand and helping you reach wider audiences. 

As ambassadors, these individuals are associated with your brand. Their values should align with yours perfectly because they are shaping the public perception of your brand. Brand ambassadors are people who truly enjoy your brand and have used some of your products before partnering with you for financial gain. The paid content they create is a bit different from that of strategic influencer campaigns. 

They continuously mention your products but in a more organic way compared to traditional paid posts. There’s no specific script to follow, and that’s why this is one of the ways influencers maintain authenticity. Of course, you’re free to add some guidelines if you want to limit the brand ambassador in some way. 

Brand Ambassador vs. Influencer – Similar Benefits Achieved with a Different Approach

Both brand ambassadors and influencers use their niche knowledge to establish themselves as experts on certain topics. That’s why people trust their recommendations and reviews. So, it all comes down to recommending a brand – that’s how influencer marketing helps brands.

Whichever way you decide to go about your next campaign, both brand ambassadors and influencers will help boost your brand awareness, get people talking about your products, and, consequently, increase your sales. The only difference is the way they will do this. You need to figure out what works better for your brand – there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. 

Which One Does Your Brand Need?

There’s a difference between influencer marketing for small businesses and for large corporations. If your brand hasn’t reached its full potential yet, you will have to take the budget into consideration here. Brand ambassadors are a long-term investment – they will give a lot back, but you have to be ready for significant marketing expenses over an extended period.

How Do You Choose Between These Two Types of Collaborations?

You won’t make an influencer marketing mistake whichever way you choose to go. However, to ensure you reach the specific goals you’ve set for your brand in the near future, we suggest you consider the following tips from marketing specialists at our influencer agency in Saudi Arabia. Here’s how to choose between brand ambassadors and influencers:

• If you wish to promote a new product or reach a new audience, choose an influencer. If your goal is mostly to boost brand awareness and establish a good reputation, choose a brand ambassador partnership.
• If you want strategic influencer campaigns where you control all the aspects of the paid collaboration, choose an influencer. If you want to partner with a creator and not limit their creative freedom, you would do well with a brand ambassador.
• If you want to reach a general audience or several niche audiences, choose an influencer. If you have one specific niche audience you want to reach, go with a brand ambassador.

Book Influencer Marketing Services and Let Catchers Agency's Professionals Handle Your Campaigns

If you’re on the quest for the best influencer marketing solutions in Saudi Arabia, Catchers Agency is here for you. Our team consists of the top influencer marketing experts in Saudi Arabia who can make sure you get the right content creator support for your business. Reach out to us, and let’s start working together to create beautiful marketing campaigns.