If your customer advocacy strategy isn’t driving referrals, it might be because even your happiest customers aren’t speaking up
You’ve nailed the product, exceeded expectations, and delivered a great experience… so why aren’t your most loyal customers sharing it?
The silence doesn’t mean they’re not superfans — it often means the emotional math doesn’t work out.
A strong customer advocacy strategy isn’t just about making people love your brand — it’s about removing the barriers that stop them from talking about it.
The Psychology Behind Customer Advocacy
According to research from Mention Me, before someone refers a brand, they subconsciously weigh two factors:
“How big is the risk of this action being rejected?” vs. “How confident am I that this action will be recognized and rewarded?”
That inner dialogue doesn’t always favor action — especially when your product touches on something personal, sensitive, or stigmatized.
Maybe your finance app helped someone get out of massive debt, or your probiotic improved gut health — but those wins can feel too vulnerable to share. Even if the experience is positive, the emotional friction can outweigh the reward.
How Social Media Is Changing Advocacy
Over the past few years, I’ve noticed a shift.
I believe social media — and especially the rise of influencer culture — has reshaped what feels ‘socially acceptable’ to talk about. Not because it eliminates the risk, but because it amplifies the potential reward.
When we see others posting about topics that were once “too private” — like therapy, hair loss, ED, or even periods — we feel less alone.
We think, “If they can talk about it, maybe I can, too.” And when that message comes from someone who feels real and relatable — even if you’ve never met them — it hits differently.
That shift changes everything for your customer advocacy strategy.
Now, advocacy isn’t just about products — it’s about people. Their stories. Their sense of belonging.
4 Tips for Boosting Your Customer Advocacy Strategy
1. Say the Quiet Part Out Loud
REGARDLESS of what you sell, you have to use real words.
Avoid vague phrases and euphemisms. If your product helps with incontinence, say that. If it’s for preventing chafing, say that.
If your customers don’t know how to describe what you do, how can they confidently refer you to others? Clarity creates confidence — and confidence leads to advocacy.
And here’s the truth: If the brand is dancing around the subject, customers are more likely to internalize that shame. When you act like the topic is taboo, you’re reinforcing the exact discomfort that keeps people from sharing in the first place.
Sidebar: I once sat in a room while an (all-male) creative team pitched the idea of wrap-around cardboard covers to disguise tampon boxes to look like alcohol. “For those embarrassing times your girl sends you to the store,” one said. Yikes! No surprise, the client was not a superfan of the cringe-worthy idea to shame their product.
2. Make Education Part of Your Brand
A powerful customer advocacy strategy goes beyond marketing your product — it educates your audience.
Create content about the topic — blogs posts, podcasts, videos, Instagram carousels — whatever feels right for your brand. Don’t just market the product. Be part of the movement that removes the stigma.
Such content isn’t just about educating your audience — it gives them something to share with others, too.
It’s a lot easier to say, “Hey, I saw this article from [Brand Name] about postpartum recovery — it had some helpful tips!” than “I just bought this hemorrhoid cream and it changed my life!
Even if what you sell isn’t particularly “sensitive,” educational content still builds confidence and drives referrals.
Think about it this way: When someone says, “You should talk to my Realtor,” what happens next? The friend visits the realtor’s website. Do they find a warm, informative resource that helps them understand the home-buying process? Or just a headshot and a contact form? Educational content gives your brand credibility before a conversation even begins.
When you create content that feels informative, empathetic, and genuinely useful, you’re giving your customers an easy way to advocate for you without feeling like they’re pitching a product. It makes the recommendation feel more like a resource — and that’s what builds trust.
3. Incorporate Stories In Your Customer Advocacy Strategy
Your most powerful marketing asset might not be your copy — it’s your customers’.
When someone shares their experience with your brand, especially in a category that’s sensitive or stigmatized, they’re not just offering a review… they’re extending emotional permission to others.
Spotlight their stories in your emails, on your product pages, or in your social feeds (with their permission, of course!).
Research shows that conversion rates increase by an average of 161% when shoppers see or engage with user-generated content during their purchase journey.
When your customers see someone like them sharing their story, it feels less like marketing… and more like belonging.
4. Offer Emotional Safety
Even if what you’re selling is totally “normal” to buy, empathy still matters. People aren’t just buying products…they’re buying the feeling that “this brand gets me.”
And if they believe you “get” them, they’re far more likely to believe you’ll “get” the people they care about too — which makes advocacy feel safer and more natural. Build emotional safety into your customer advocacy strategy by:
- Including testimonials or stats to remind customers they’re not alone. Normalize their experience.
- Adding FAQs that tackle the “unaskable” questions, like:
- “Will anyone know I’m using this?”
- “What if I have a bad reaction?”
- “How do I explain this to my partner or kids?”
- “Will anyone know I’m using this?”
When your brand feels like a safe recommendation, customers won’t just share what you do.
They’ll share how you made them feel — and that’s what creates superfans.
Turning Quiet Fans Into Vocal Superfans
At the end of the day, superfans aren’t created by delight alone — they’re built through empathy, education, and emotional safety.
Your customer advocacy strategy should make sharing feel natural, not risky.
Because your job isn’t just to sell the product — it’s to create the conditions that make it share-worthy.
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