You might be asking, what exactly is an ‘advocacy mindset’? At Captivate, we define it as the belief that true, long-term advocacy from your customers is driven by a mutually-beneficial relationship. It’s a powerful approach that puts customers at the heart of every interaction and business decision. Those who embrace this mindset go beyond traditional customer service, prioritizing the customer’s voice in every business decision, anticipating their needs proactively, and championing their goals to build long-term loyalty and trust.
As one CAP Awards finalist aptly put it, the advocacy mindset is “the unapologetic pursuit of authentic connections with my customers, colleagues, and the customer marketing community.” This perspective shifts the focus from transactional relationships to genuine partnerships, where customers are seen as individuals with unique aspirations and challenges.
Building Authentic Connection
The foundation of effective customer advocacy lies in establishing genuine relationships. This involves asking thoughtful questions, listening actively, and focusing on discovering solutions rather than merely prescribing them. By communicating with empathy and sincerity, businesses can cultivate deeper and more impactful relationships with their customers.
“Throughout my career, I have made the most authentic connections by asking questions with a sincere intention to explore, learn, and discover.” - Jeanne Nitschke, Head of Customer Marketing, Motive
Embracing an advocacy mindset means transforming how marketers engage with customers, moving beyond generic transactions to create memorable, tailored experiences. When customers feel seen and heard, they’re far more likely to become true brand advocates, sharing positive reviews, testimonials, or participating in case studies.
“With an advocacy mindset, you care about others. You root and uplift others. You put others before yourself. You don’t take yourself too seriously. And most importantly, you are passionate and inspired.” - Liza McGraw, Customer Marketing Manager, Motive
Elevating the Customer’s Voice
True advocacy extends beyond individual relationships. It requires creating a company-wide culture that prioritizes the customer voice across all departments, from sales and marketing to product development and beyond. Advocacy leaders champion customers within the business, pushing for customer-centric decisions and ensuring alignment between customer needs and company strategies.
“The main thing is keeping our customers front of mind in everything we do.” - Louise Domeisen, Customer Marketing Manager, RedGate Software
Organizations that have successfully adopted this approach consistently reflect customer perspectives in their strategies, messaging, and innovations. Initiatives like internal advocacy updates or customer-centric content creation demonstrate how companies can use customer feedback to inspire teams and drive meaningful change. And showing the real-world impact of your customer advocacy efforts helps instill a sense of pride and shared ownership across the organization.
Cultivating a Customer-Centric Culture
Building a truly customer-focused organization starts from the top. Leadership must set the tone by making the customer's voice a key decision-making component. This kind of culture can be fostered in various ways:
- Integrating customer stories and insights into the organization's core values
- Creating environments for customers to share their experiences (like dedicated communities or peer-to-peer networks)
- Hosting workshops to validate customer use cases or leveraging success stories
- Implementing feedback loops
- Offering personal engagement opportunities to enhance advocate relationships
Companies that continually recognize and amplify customer voices, offering opportunities for customers to connect and celebrate their successes, strengthen relationships, and often stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Impacting the Broader Community
An advocacy mindset extends beyond the walls of an organization. Many leaders are passionate about contributing to the broader community by sharing their learnings, best practices, and even failures as a way to encourage others in the industry. This creates a ripple effect, as their participation in things like speaking engagements at conferences, writing blogs and articles, and mentoring others in the field ultimately help advance the field of customer advocacy.
I’ve connected with other customer advocacy leaders across industries. By fostering these relationships, we've been able to exchange ideas, troubleshoot challenges, and push the boundaries of what customer advocacy can achieve. - Jeanne Nitschke, Head of Customer Marketing, Motive
This collaborative mindset helps elevate the standards of advocacy practices across the industry, benefiting not just individual organizations but the entire customer marketing and advocacy community.
The Transformative Power of Advocacy
By embracing an advocacy mindset and prioritizing the customer’s voice, organizations can cultivate deeper, more meaningful relationships, achieve measurable outcomes, and encourage long-term loyalty. When executed effectively, advocacy becomes more than just a marketing initiative—it evolves into a fundamental approach to business that benefits the customer, the organization, and the broader advocacy community.
Want to learn more about developing an advocacy mindset? Join us on January 10, 2025 as we chat with our 2024 CAP Awards Advocacy Mindset finalists! Register here.
--
Grow Your Advocacy Expertise: Explore more strategies for fostering an advocacy mindset by checking out Captivate Collective’s resource library.
