Customer advocacy is one of the most effective ways to build credibility through stories that resonate. But even the best advocacy program with buckets of potential can struggle to gain traction internally. If sales teams don’t nominate customers, if marketing doesn’t promote the stories, or if leadership doesn’t see the value, momentum stalls and your own excitement can fizzle out.
So how do you get your wider organisation, not just the customer marketing team, truly excited about advocacy? Here’s how to shift it from a siloed initiative to a company-wide win.
Celebrate advocacy wins loudly and often
Everyone loves to see the impact they have. If a customer story helped win a deal or shorten the sales cycle, shout about it. Create a Slack channel, Teams update, or regular internal email spotlighting how your stories are making a difference. Add screenshots, drop in the metrics and tag the people involved. Even small wins can build big momentum.
Pro tip: Call out the sales reps who helped make the story happen. goes a long way, and nominations will go up. Which leads us neatly to the next point.
Spotlight internal champions
Every successful advocacy program has internal heroes. Whether it’s a sales rep who always nominates, a marketer who always uses the stories or a stakeholder who fought to get one signed off. Shine a light on them.
- Feature them in internal comms or all-hands.
- Share behind-the-scenes stories of how they helped make something happen.
- Give them early access to upcoming assets and involve them in pilots.
It shows that advocacy is a team sport and it helps build a new culture around it.
Make stakeholders feel like co-creators
Internal buy-in often comes down to a sense of ownership. Instead of treating your program as something you run, involve other teams in shaping it.
- Ask sales what formats would actually help them sell.
- Invite product marketing to co-develop story angles.
- Offer field marketers campaign-ready proof points they can use.
Don’t be afraid to suggest creative formats. Involving others in imaginative campaigns can unlock advocacy potential in unexpected ways. And when people feel part of the process, they’ll promote it. And protect it.
Build internal rituals that reinforce the value
Rituals make things stick. Create simple, repeatable moments that reinforce advocacy’s value. This will depend on your culture and company structure, but consider these:
- A “Story of the Month” shared at all-hands.
- Nomination drives that are aligned with sales kick-offs.
- Internal awards for top advocate recruiters or storytelling champions.
Such solutions don’t have to be big or formal. The goal is visibility and repetition.
Connect advocacy to business outcomes
If leadership thinks advocacy is just a “nice to have”, make the commercial case clear. Link stories to pipeline acceleration, brand impact or campaign performance. Here are some examples you can share:
- This story was the top-performing asset in our ABM campaign.
- Three customers mentioned reading this story before signing.
- This story helped sales with a key objection.
The more you link stories to real business goals, the more seriously they’ll be taken.
Make it super easy to participate
The best way to encourage advocacy involvement is to remove friction. For example:
- Create a one-click nomination form.
- Provide sales enablement packs with ready-to-go stories and sales materials.
- Pre-empt approval blockers with templates and FAQs.
The easier it is to get involved, the more likely people will do it.
Final thoughts
Advocacy is a growth lever, but it only works when your whole organisation is behind it. This unfortunately means that it’s on you to create energy, visibility and shared ownership across the business. Celebrate wins, shine a light on your champions, make the value clearly visible. And above all, make it easy to participate.
Because when your organisation gets excited about advocacy, your customers will feel it too.
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