Namely, an HR technology innovator, enlisted its most passionate customers to aid in driving more than $1.8 million in sales in one year using Influitive's advocate marketing platform, which delivered a 65x return on investment.
Namely launched its Backstage Pass advocate community in August of 2015. The brand wanted to find its most passionate customers and make their lives better – ultimately motivating positive word of mouth and boosting sales.
In just one year, Namely has built a thriving community of over 500 advocates. These advocates have helped Namely in generating $1.8 million in sales. They volunteered to serve as references, boosting Namely's customer reference pool by tenfold, and posted more than 90 reviews on third-party websites.
"There's no question that the future of marketing is our advocates," said Nick Christman, VP, Performance Marketing, Namely. "In a crowded space like HR technology, our buyers care more about their peers' opinions than what our sales team says. By launching Namely Backstage Pass, we've uncovered hundreds of advocates willing to share their experiences. The ROI is phenomenal and has a direct and obvious impact on our business."
"HR professionals are some of the most passionate advocates across our customer base," said Mark Organ, Influitive's Founder and CEO. "Namely's success proves that if you provide a superior offering, HR users act as a powerful extension of the marketing team; promoting the brand, solving problems and recommending the solutions they love to their peers.
"The voices of our customers are our most powerful marketing assets," said Amy Rosenberg, Community Marketing Manager, Namely. "Customer references, reviews and referrals carry more weight with potential buyers than anything we can say about ourselves."
Amy engages advocates by sharing timely, industry-related content. She also creates advocacy challenges, such as asking customers to respond to questions, leave comments on relevant discussions or write reviews on third-party websites. When advocates complete a challenge, Amy gives them recognition and points.