Having a strategy ready to train your student ambassadors will allow both ambassador and brand to succeed. It’s better to have ambassadors trained and ready as soon as they’re onboarded to prevent any confusion and establish direction. Ambassadors feel the most encouraged when they’re hitting goals and appreciated by the brands, and it’s up to brands to give them guidance to get there.
Ambassador Handbook
Creating and utilizing a handbook for your student ambassadors to use is one of the best ways to allow your ambassador program to thrive. Spend less time explaining and re-explaining your brand and their role, and more time scaling and conquering. This how-to article should help you feel confident to build the ultimate handbook for your program.
Here are pages you can include in your ambassador handbook:
Cover: The cover of the handbook should have your brand’s name and “Ambassador Handbook”.
Table of Contents: It’s good to have a table of contents so ambassadors are able to navigate through the handbook with ease.
Welcome Page: Start welcoming ambassadors to the partnership with your brand how excited you are to work with them.
Terms & Conditions: Disclose your agreement and rules with the ambassador to prevent any unethical use or actions related to the brand. These rules should have been agreed to by ambassadors before sending them brand assets, and this page should be treated as a reminder.
Introduction to Brand: Now it’s time to give insight to your ambassadors about the brand. To help your ambassadors thrive, they must know your brand well to represent you well. Share your purpose and values, as well as the type of products or services you offer!
Ambassador’s Role: This is where we go more in-depth about the role itself. Explain the importance of the role and how they will be executing their role through SocialLadder (if applicable) and through their own platforms in-person and virtually.
FAQs: The FAQs answer any questions that may come up, including questions about submitting challenges and your brand.
Style Guidelines & Content Inspiration: Make sure to include style guidelines and content inspiration for ambassadors to understand how to represent the brand through content.
Rewarding Above & Beyond: If your brand rewards those that go above and beyond, make sure to note that in your guide! Putting it out there within the handbook when they first start is a good way to get ambassadors motivated from the beginning. Show them how they can increase conversions through challenges, upcoming opportunities, or what sets apart great ambassadors from good ones.
In-Person Activities: If your ambassadors have the opportunity to run events or execute activities, make sure to give them a heads up of what that would look like in the handbook.
References: Provide links, emails, and resources for your ambassadors.
Closing Statement: Include a closing statement reiterating your excitement for your partnership with this ambassador.
Clear Instructions
When assigning tasks to your student ambassadors, it’s essential to be clear in the instructions on what is required. Although you may want to give ambassadors creative freedom, you also want to make sure they’re able to complete the task according to your brand’s standards. It’s great to provide requirements, guidelines, and any examples so ambassadors are clear on what’s expected of them.
Virtual Meetings
Virtual meetings can help ambassadors become more comfortable and familiar with their roles and each other. Brands can utilize virtual meetings for live interactive training, ambassadors can share their tips and tricks, and directors can provide updates for their ambassadors. It’s a great way to empower ambassadors throughout their time with the brand.
Being Open to Chat
When onboarding and training ambassadors, it’s important to let ambassadors know that they can reach out whenever they have any questions! Make sure to include contact information for the best person they can reach out to. Sometimes it can be intimidating to ask questions, so letting your ambassadors know to reach out whenever they need to is a way to help lower those barriers and give them the tools and knowledge they need.
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