Customer Advocacy Score: How to Measure and Improve It

Simply having a great product or service isn't enough in today's highly competitive marketplace. Businesses must build strong, lasting relationships with their customers. This is where customer advocacy comes in. A happy customer might buy from you again, but a customer advocate will actively promote your brand and products and services to their friends and network. These individuals become your most powerful marketing tool, acting as brand ambassadors who willingly and authentically share their positive experiences.

What is Customer Advocacy Score?

The Customer Advocacy Score is a metric that gauges the likelihood of customers to actively and positively promote a brand. It's about measuring customer advocacy in its truest form the willingness of customers to not just recommend, but to actively champion your company.

How to Calculate Customer Advocacy Score

Calculating your Customer Advocacy Score is similar to calculating your Net Promoter Score (NPS). It begins with a simple survey question: "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or colleague?"

Based on their responses, customers are grouped into three categories. Those who score 9-10 are "Promoters." They are your enthusiastic and loyal brand ambassadors. Customers who score 7-8 are "Passives," satisfied but not truly engaged. Scores of 0-6 are "Detractors," unhappy customers who may harm your reputation. The final score is determined by subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters.

Formula :

Customer Advocacy Score = (% of Promoters) - (% of Detractors).

This gives you a single number from -100 to 100 that helps measure customer advocacy.

Importance of Customer Advocacy Score

Understanding your Customer Advocacy Score is vital for long-term business success. It provides a deeper look into your customer base, revealing not just satisfaction levels but the true strength of your brand's relationship with its audience. A high score is a clear indicator that you are building more than just transactions; you are building a community of loyal supporters. This metric is a powerful tool that helps you to both measure customer and improve customer experience.

1. Builds Stronger Customer Relationships

The Customer Advocacy Score helps you identify your most enthusiastic customers. By recognizing and engaging with these promoters, you can cultivate stronger, more meaningful relationships. These individuals feel valued and heard, which further solidifies their bond with your brand.

Creating a customer advocacy program, for example, can give these customers a platform to share their success stories and connect with other brand enthusiasts. A Forbes article highlights how strong customer relationships are the foundation of business growth, noting that these bonds lead to repeat business and positive recommendations.

2. Enhances Brand Reputation and Trust

In an age of information overload, trust is a valuable currency. A high Customer Advocacy Score signifies that your brand is viewed as reliable and trustworthy by its own customers. These are the people who will defend your brand against criticism and speak highly of it on social media and other platforms.

Their authentic endorsements carry far more weight than traditional advertising. According to a study from Edelman, consumers are more likely to trust a company if it has positive reviews and recommendations from other customers.

3. Drives Customer Retention and Loyalty

Customer advocates are your most loyal customers. They are less likely to switch to a competitor, even when facing minor issues. Focusing on improving your Customer Advocacy Score directly contributes to higher customer retention. With Leat.com, you can use the forms feature to send feedback forms to your customers and calculate their Advocacy Score, helping you identify your most engaged and loyal users.

The better you are at creating brand ambassadors, the less you'll spend on acquiring new customers. A report by HBR states that increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can increase profits by 25% to 95%.

4. Supports Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Word-of-mouth remains one of the most effective forms of marketing. Your customer advocates are the engine behind this powerful force. When they recommend your brand, they do so with genuine passion, which resonates with potential new customers.

This type of organic promotion can significantly reduce marketing costs and create a self-sustaining cycle of growth. A study by Nielsen found that 88% of consumers worldwide trust recommendations from people they know more than any other form of advertising.

5. Provides Actionable Business Insights

The Customer Advocacy Score is more than just a number; it's a diagnostic tool. By analyzing the feedback from your detractors, passives, and promoters, you can gain deep, actionable insights into what your company is doing right and where there are areas for improvement.

This customer feedback can be used to refine your product or service, optimize your customer success strategies, and identify specific pain points in the customer journey. For example, a low score might signal a need to enhance customer service, while a high score indicates successful product features or a great customer experience.

How to Improve Customer Advocacy Score

Improving your Customer Advocacy Score is a strategic effort that requires a company-wide commitment to putting the customer first. By focusing on the customer experience at every touchpoint, you can transform satisfied clients into passionate advocates.

1. Deliver Exceptional Customer Service

Great customer service is the foundation of customer advocacy. When customers feel supported and valued, they are more likely to become brand ambassadors. This means being responsive, solving problems efficiently, and going above and beyond expectations.

Empower your customer service team to make decisions that will delight the customer. A Zendesk study found that 61% of customers would switch to a competitor after just one bad experience, underscoring the importance of excellent service in retaining customers and improving your score.

2. Personalize the Customer Experience

A one-size-fits-all approach no longer works. To improve customer relationships, you must personalize the customer experience. Use customer data to tailor communications, offer relevant products and services, and remember their past interactions.

When a customer feels like a unique individual rather than just a number, their loyalty and willingness to advocate for your brand increase significantly. Research reveals that 80% of consumers are more likely to do business with a company that offers personalized experiences.

3. Encourage and Act on Customer Feedback

Customer feedback is a goldmine of insights. Actively solicit feedback through surveys, reviews, and social media listening. More importantly, show your customers that you are listening by acting on their suggestions. When they see their input leads to real change, they feel a sense of ownership and connection to your brand.

This practice also helps you measure customer sentiment and identify areas for improvement. A Harvard Business Review article emphasizes that a lack of response to feedback can be as damaging as the initial negative experience itself.

4. Reward Loyal and Engaged Customers

Show your appreciation for your most loyal customers and brand ambassadors. A customer advocacy program can offer exclusive perks, early access to new products, or special discounts.

Publicly recognizing your most vocal advocates, perhaps on social media, can also be a powerful way to thank them and motivate others. These programs strengthen the bond with your existing customers and encourage others to actively promote your brand.

5. Empower Employees to Drive Advocacy

Your employees are your first advocates. Ensure they are well-trained, knowledgeable, and passionate about your products and services. When employees feel empowered and proud of their work, they naturally provide a better customer experience.

This positive attitude is contagious and can significantly influence a customer's perception of your brand. As an article from Forbes points out, businesses with highly engaged employees outperform their competitors by a significant margin.

Conclusion

The Customer Advocacy Score is far more than a simple metric; it’s a powerful indicator of your brand's health and a catalyst for sustainable growth. By actively measuring customer advocacy, you can move beyond mere satisfaction and build a community of passionate brand ambassadors.

The strategies for improving your score from delivering exceptional customer service to rewarding loyal customers are not just tactics; they are fundamental to building an authentic, trusting relationship with your audience. Embracing the principles of customer advocacy allows you to turn your best existing customers into a powerful, unpaid marketing force, ensuring long-term success driven by genuine word of mouth and unwavering loyalty.