How To Become a Brand Ambassador in 7 Steps

Updated July 31, 2023

Organizations sometimes employ brand ambassadors to enhance their brand awareness and increase sales. You may be a good fit for this position if you enjoy reaching out to and interacting with your community. If you are searching for a job that allows for a flexible schedule or the ability to work from home, becoming a brand ambassador may be a rewarding career path for you. In this article, we explain what a brand ambassador does and how to become one.

What is a brand ambassador?

A brand ambassador, also known as a corporate ambassador or influencer, is a professional who increases awareness of a brand by publicly representing the company and its products or services. Brand ambassadors act as spokespeople, attempting to influence a community to buy a company’s product or service. While celebrities were once the primary public brand ambassadors, today it is possible for almost anyone to become an influencer and make money doing so.

Brand ambassadors can perform a wide variety of tasks, ranging from implementing marketing campaigns to posting about a product on social media or attending a trade fair as a representative of the company.

Online vs. in-person brand ambassador

There are two primary types of brand ambassadors: online and in-person brand ambassadors.

Online brand ambassadors typically work through social media and online to raise awareness about a company. Typical tasks of an online brand ambassador include:

Posting about a product on your social media platforms
Posting on online message boards or chat groups
Writing reviews on customer review sites
Reviewing a product or service on your blog
Inviting friends to events via social media sites

An in-person brand ambassador may work at a large gathering like a conference or marketing event, or they can spread awareness of a company via conversation. Tasks of an in-person brand ambassador often include:

Distributing marketing materials like stickers or posters
Wearing branded uniforms or clothing items, such as t-shirts or hats
Providing samples or product demos in stores or shopping malls
Setting up and running tables at conferences or other events

7 steps to becoming a brand ambassador

Follow these steps to pursue a career as a brand ambassador:

Discover compatible brands
Build engagement
Create a cohesive online personality
Get your audience involved
Build a following
Contact relevant brands
Apply to be a brand ambassador

1. Discover compatible brands

Start by researching the companies you are considering. Companies look for influencers who closely match their values, personality and brand. For example, a travel agency may be looking for an ambassador who is outgoing and enjoys traveling, has extensive travel experience and has some photography skills. Look through a company’s social media posts and research their current influencers to get a sense of what they are looking for in a brand ambassador.

Look for brands that represent your interests or relate to content that you already produce. If you already publicly support a company or brand, it may make it easier to become an official ambassador for them. Being an engaged follower can also improve your chances when you are applying to a company. Make a list of companies you are interested in, and narrow it down to the top three or four.

2. Build engagement

Garnering likes and comments on your social media posts—which encourages engagement and helps you develop a good reputation in your community—is a great way to advertise yourself to companies as a potential brand ambassador. On social media, this means gaining a following by writing engaging posts and posting interesting photos. Having likes and comments from a large number of followers on social media will make you more attractive to potential brands.

In order to increase your following, consider also commenting on well-known pages or blogs. Responding to the messages and comments you receive on your own profile is another good way to increase your online following.

3. Create a cohesive online personality

Many brand ambassadors have a clear and distinct personality that they demonstrate online. Create social media content that reflects a cohesive tone, look and set of interests. This could involve styling your wardrobe in a certain way or taking photos that reflect a unified look or a specific interest, such as a passion for travel or a specific genre of music. Companies will be looking for brand ambassadors who reflect a certain vibe to represent them.

4. Get your audience involved

Invite your followers or people you meet to share their own experiences, ask questions or post comments, and respond to as many as you can. You can even host in-person meet-ups in a public place like a cafe or shopping mall to interact with your followers in person. An interactive, personal touch will draw in more followers and make your existing followers more likely to engage with your social media profiles in a positive way.

5. Build a following

Build the largest following you possibly can. Increase your number of subscribers and followers on social media. Even if you are an in-person brand representative, you can advertise that you will be attending certain events, invite friends and build an online following to complement your in-person activities. Make connections with other influencers to increase your own following. The more followers you have who engage with the brand, the more money you will make as a brand ambassador.

6. Contact relevant brands

Once you have identified the kind of brands you would like to endorse, start reaching out to companies that you are interested in promoting. Contacting brands will help you learn whether they are hiring and what kind of representation they may be looking for. For example, you could send a message to one of the company’s social media accounts asking about the possibility of representing them. If they are interested, they may message you back with details.

For in-person opportunities, research events happening in your area. Businesses such as consumer technology companies, clothing designers and alcohol distilleries often hold in-person marketing events. Approach a brand’s representatives at one of these events.

7. Regularly look for brand ambassador opportunities

While some companies use an informal process to recruit brand ambassadors online, others might do so through a traditional job posting and official online application. Visit the company’s website and check its career page to see if it has a brand ambassador position, or check online job boards for possible postings.

If you love interacting with a community, building a following and presenting your brand loyalty, being a brand ambassador could be a great path for you. Start by working in your free time, after work or on weekends. If you build up enough of a following, you may be able to be a brand ambassador full time.

Frequently asked questions

How do brand ambassadors measure their income?

Brand ambassadors can earn an income in a variety of ways. Companies may pay brand ambassadors based on the number of customers they referred to the brand in the previous week or month. They might also pay them based on the total increase in sales as a result of their social media activity. Ambassadors with large social media followings may earn a specific dollar amount simply for agreeing to promote the brand. Some companies also provide ambassadors with free products or discounted items.

Can I be a part-time brand ambassador?

Brand ambassadors typically work part-time to promote a company's brand, making the role especially beneficial for college students or people who want to earn an extra income on a more flexible work schedule. The amount you work each week may depend on the products or services that you're marketing and the goals of the company. Some companies may only require you to submit one video or social media post about the company each week.

What skills do brand ambassadors need?

Being a brand ambassador entails understanding social media trends and being willing to promote products on a variety of channels. Strong digital marketing skills allow ambassadors to relate to different audiences and recruit new customers. Persuasion can also be important for retaining existing customers and increasing engagement. Effective brand ambassadors know how to leverage a brand's reputation and use it to design persuasive messaging and encourage sales.