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Influencer marketing is evolving, and so is the way brands measure success. That’s why Meltwater is proud to announce a new partnership with YouTube, integrating YouTube’s Creator Partnerships API directly into our Influencer Marketing platform.

Introducing Verified YouTube Data in Meltwater Influencer Marketing

Today, PR teams aren’t just tracking media coverage and share of voice. They’re also measuring how their brand shows up in AI-generated answers, search summaries, and large language models (LLMs). This new LLM visibility layer is quickly becoming a critical part of PR performance.

15 Must-Have PR KPIs and How to Track Them

See how one platform can power every decision across PR, communications, and marketing.

The Meltwater Blog

Blog Topics: Generative Engine Optimization, Media Intelligence, Media Relations, Social Listening, Consumer Intelligence, Influencer Marketing

Find out how you can leverage Facebook to boost your brand's online presence and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

Facebook Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage Instagram to boost your brand's visual appeal and gain a competitive edge. Explore our category page today!

Instagram Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage LinkedIN to grow your professional network and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

LinkedIn Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage TikTok to elevate your brand with creative content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

TikTok Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage X / Twitter to engage your audience effectively and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

X / Twitter Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage YouTube to create engaging video content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

YouTube Blog | Meltwater

Every day billions of conversations take place on social media: tweets, posts, comments, blogs, reviews, podcasts, and much more.
Learn how to use social listening to make sense of all of that data.

On our social listening category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around social listening and social media monitoring. Read more.

Social Listening Blogs | Category

Business Reputation Management: What does it take to add reputation management to your marketing strategy? More importantly, how do you keep your reputation sparkly and shiny? Here’s your all-access guide to online reputation management for the long term.

On our reputation management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around business reputation management. Read more.

Reputation Management Blogs | Category

From your brand's logo to your website, your social media presence to your customer support—these elements combined are what constitutes a brand in the minds of customers. But, there are thousands of other businesses that have a logo, website, social media presence, and website. So, how can you position your business on the market and make it stand out from the competition?
The key to success is branding & brand management!

On our brand management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around brand management. Build your strategy and reach your goals!

Brand Management Blogs | Category

Competitive intelligence and the act of collecting competitive data can be seen as growth drivers for a company. Our guide will help you understand the concept of competitive intelligence (CI) by answering questions such as: What is the definition of competitive intelligence? How is competitive intelligence useful to organizations? What is the goal of competitive intelligence? And more.

On our competitive intelligence category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around competitive intelligence. Learn how to stay ahead.

Competitive Intelligence Blogs | Category

Let’s dive into the customer journey framework and how to optimize the process by creating a customer journey map and using metrics that matter when analyzing the customer journey.

On our customer journey category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Customer Journey Blogs | Category

What Is Data Analytics? [Beginner’s Guide 2023]
How can I grow my business? 
How do customers interact with my newly launched product?
How do I increase the productivity of my employees?
How do I know if my marketing efforts are working?
We have just two words for you...Data analytics!

On our data analytics category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around AI and data analytics. Technical and still easy to understand.

AI & Data Analytics Blogs | Category

Public relations and media relations can add impact to any marketing strategy. It’s an opportunity for brands to grow their reach beyond traditional sales messages. PR helps to shape the image you want people to have of your brand.
So, what is PR and how do you use it? This guide shows you everything you need to know to build a strong public relations foundation.

On our public relations (PR) category page, you find all our blogs covering public relations and communications topics. Step up your PR game.

Public Relations (PR) Blogs | Category

We all know exactly what the roles of sales or accounting are in a company, right? We might even have a slight idea of what the IT guys are doing.
But there is another business discipline, that plays a crucial role in organizations, even more so during the pandemic – internal communications!
But what exactly do we mean by that, what purpose does it serve and what steps can you take to ensure you and your employees will communicate effectively?

On our internal communications category page, you find all our blogs about internal comms topics. Learn about the intranet, internal newsletters, and more.

Internal Communications Blogs | Category

As the internet has taken root in more areas of our lives — everything from entertainment to shopping to paying bills and more — traditional marketing is becoming less impactful. As any marketer knows, you need to focus on where your audience is if you want to reach them. Since the average person spends about seven hours a day online, it’s no surprise that content has maintained its hold on marketers.

Here's a closer look at what content marketing is and why it matters more than ever in our digital-first economy.

On our content marketing category page, you find blogs about content marketing topics. Learn about strategies, KPIs, tips, and more. Make your content king!

Content Marketing Blogs | Category

The rise of the influencer marketing space – today a $10 billion industry, growing 50% per year – is one of the clearest examples of how social media is transforming traditional marketing. These days having a business website, presence on social, PR coverage, and your own content isn’t enough to compete.
We'll dive into the intricacies of influencer marketing to help ensure that you're equipped with the insights needed to be successful in this space.

On our influencer marketing category page, you find blogs about influencer marketing topics. Build your strategy, find influencers, and measure results.

Influencer Marketing Blogs | Category

Have you just launched a new product or service that you want to get the word out about? Maybe you want to share with consumers why it is awesome and how it is so much better than the one your competitors offer.

Well, then, there is one thing you can't do without...Marketing!

On our marketing category page, you find blogs about marketing topics. Learn about all the different angles and types of marketing and improve your results.

Marketing Blogs | Category

In this guide, we want to give you a peek into the definition of social media management, the daily schedule of a social media manager, social media platforms to promote your business, and the do’s & don’ts of social media management.
Are you ready to begin the journey of becoming a social media superstar?

On our social media management category page, you find blogs about social media management topics. Build and manage your online community.

Social Media Management Blogs | Category

Building a following and using social media platforms to reach a wider audience requires a well-planned social media marketing strategy. In this guide, we’ll be looking at why social media marketing is so essential and how you can make it work for your business.

On our social media marketing category page, you find blogs about social media marketing topics. Learn how to get the highest paid social ROI!

Social Media Marketing Blogs | Category

In the fast-evolving realm of digital marketing and public relations, utilizing the right tools is crucial for success. Our interdisciplinary category showcases all the pertinent tools for digital marketing & PR. These tools help in enhancing your online presence and effectively reaching target groups, whether through reputation management, influencer marketing, or social media management.

On our digital marketing and PR tools category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Digital Marketing & PR Tools Blogs | Category

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is transforming how brands show up in AI-powered search. Explore insights, strategies, and best practices to help your content rank and resonate across conversational engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

Explore insights and strategies for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to help your brand stay visible and discoverable in AI-powered search.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Blog Collection | Meltwater

It doesn’t take much to raise the ire of the internet, so it’s no wonder that what recently got netizens furiously typing was the alleged pervasiveness of a dead-eyed gaze called the Gen-Z stare. Thanks to viral memes and trend coverage in far-reaching media outlets like NBC News, Business Insider, and The New York Times, the Gen-Z stare has grown from a niche online discussion to a topic worthy of its own Wikipedia page. Why should marketers care? Should marketers care? We used our social listening and analytics solution to find out.

The phrase “Gen-Z stare” describes a supposedly apathetic or blank look attributed to members of Gen Z interacting with people older than them in social situations. Often evoked about subpar customer service interactions, it is generally seen as a sign of apathy, social awkwardness, judgment, or dismissal. For a visual, check out this Instagram video created by two influencers, which racked up over 477,000 likes in just seven days.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMq2hCLSkD2/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMq2hCLSkD2/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMq2hCLSkD2/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by LEENDA 🌻 (@leendadong)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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In short, the Gen-Z stare is the latest generational debate about social norms and who gets to decide them. For marketers, it offers an opportunity to learn more about how cultural discourse evolves as it spreads across digital spaces. 

What can marketers learn from the viral Gen-Z stare conversation?

The Gen-Z stare has been an active point of cultural discourse online and in the media. For marketers, it illustrates how discourse and microtrends evolve as they spread across today’s sea of digital channels. Overall, from July 1 to August 4, 2025, there were about 70,300 mentions of the phenomenon across more than two dozen sources, including news, broadcast, comments, forums, and social media platforms, including X, Reddit, Bluesky, and YouTube. 

Initially, short videos about the trend began to go viral in June then quickly spread across social platforms. Of the ones we analyzed, the buzz about Gen-Z stares peaked on Reddit on July 14, four days before it peaked on X, which has a much larger user base. This progression is the opposite of some of the other trends we’ve analyzed, like the Walmart Birkin viral moment from earlier this year. Highly engaged posts about Gen-Z stares on Reddit focused on critique of how Zoomers act in their workplaces and their failures to deliver adequate customer service, as well as debate on whether the phenomenon is real at all. Mentions of the Gen-Z stare later spiked on broadcast media on July 17 as news and radio personalities across the U.S. and Australia gave their own takes on the new internet hot topic. 

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It was only after the conversation peaked in broadcast that it spiked on X, where highly engaged posts instead skewered the idea of the Gen-Z stare, pointing to baby boomers as the true perpetrators of social awkwardness. For example, one viral post on July 18 proposed the idea of the “boomer inappropriate personal question.” About two weeks later, X mentions of the Gen-Z stare peaked again on August 2, with a new round of users sharing punchlines and jokes about bad personal experiences as service industry workers engaging with customers older than them.  

This post on X helped drive a 19x spike in mentions of the Gen-Z stare on social media on July 18, 2025. 

What began as a discussion rooted in Millennial and older generations’ perspectives on social norms shifted to a Gen-Z driven backlash focused on the rudeness young people face from older people in their personal lives and at their public-facing jobs. For marketers, this evolution is a case study in how smaller social platforms can be launchpads for trends that reverberate on larger ones, crossing generational lines in the process. And more simply, the uproar over the Gen-Z stare, like the Millennial cringe and “Millennials are killing” discourse that came before it, shows that generational anxieties and accusations are always guaranteed lightning rods for discussion. 

Marketing takeaways from the viral Gen-Z stare moment

To stay ahead of cultural discourse and trends, brands need to monitor more than just the big three social platforms. Niche platforms, particularly forum-based ones that allow for deeper discussion, are where online discussions and perspectives can brew and grow. Broadcast and news can amplify those conversations that then find new life on the battleground of X. 

Conversational tones and perspectives can flip fast, as shown by the Gen-Z stare discourse’s tonal evolution from Reddit to X. Not every viral discussion is advisable for brands to jump onto, particularly if they involve sensitive overgeneralizations. However, marketers can and should use these moments to observe, learn, and dig into central truths behind all the hubbub. 

The digital ecosystem is highly interconnected and overlapping. For example, according to our July Global Statshot, 25.3% of X users also use Reddit, while 64.4% of Reddit users also use X. What happens in one digital space reverberates to others as news media covers what people are talking about online, which then provides more fuel for online discussion and so on. Taking a multi-faceted approach to market and audience understanding is crucial for creating content and strategies that are context-aware and adaptable. 

What the Gen-Z Stare Can Teach Marketers About Digital Discussions

In today’s hyper-connected world, what your employees say at 9PM on their personal social media profiles is just as important, and probably more visible, as what they say at 9AM in the office. 

Given this, it’s important for employees to have a set of social media guidelines explaining what is and isn’t appropriate to share on their social media accounts. 

Of course, you want them to be free and able to express themselves online, but you don’t want their posts to implicate the company and potentially damage our brand.

Why Do You Need a Set of Social Media Guidelines for Employees?

What Should Employees Not Post on Social Media?

Recommendations for Encouraging Employee Advocacy

It's important to make employees aware that, if they are posting publicly, their words, videos, or images can get back to their employer. Depending on the content of the post, this can lead to disciplinary action or, in extreme cases, termination, so it's prudent to think before you post. 

This is especially crucial if posting on LinkedIn, where professional connections are made and companies build networks of high profile voices who can get the word out about their company. But if journalists, prospective employees, fellow CEOs, or competitors notice a trend of inappropriate, crude, disrespectful, or even incriminating content coming from employees, they may think twice about partnering or featuring you in an article.

Read more about LinkedIn management, turning your employees into LinkedIn superstars, and employee advocacy

Having social media guidelines for employees will help you:

We’ve seen it before. An employee reveals inside information (whether intentionally or unintentionally) or is disparaging toward a customer on their own social media account and it naturally creates an uncomfortable and high-stakes issue for the employer. Sometimes even a message posted with good intentions, such as an employee brand ambassador defending their company during a crisis, can have negative implications for the brand.

Take this scenario: a company is involved in a scandal and has yet to comment, but an employee has taken to Twitter to respond to the scandal. This can look like an official response and won’t necessarily fit with the message the PR team wishes to relay, but it could easily be mistaken for a company-sanctioned response.

Tip: Learn how to manage a social media crisis

By setting guidelines, our employees can be held accountable for their social media activity. They will know exactly what is appropriate and what isn’t, and they'll know the proper way to refer to various products or announcements. This way they can continue to post and contribute authentic content that elevates and promotes our brand, without jeopardizing its reputation or their careers. 

Top tip: Prevent a crisis from developing over what an employee has said online by using a social listening tool to track brand mentions. If you can spot a potential brand-damaging mention by an employee or member of the public you can take steps to rectify it before it gains more life. Learn more in the Ultimate Guide to Social Listening.

Here are a few examples of the types of things employees should not share on social media. This will of course vary between companies.

Sales figures that haven’t been published externally

Technical information about how products are made

Proprietary information such as quarterly reviews

Remember to be very specific in your social media guidelines about what they should not share. This way there’s no room for confusion. See an Employee Social Media Guidelines Template

Recommendations for Encouraging Employees Advocacy

Despite the potential issues we've cautioned against above, it is actually very good practice to involve your employees as brand ambassadors to spread positive news stories, boost executive social media posts, and generate excitement around product launches or new hires. Employees are great brand ambassadors and their personalities can help display your brand authenticity.

Create a hashtag for employees to use when posting content that references your company. This will also make it easier to track these brand mentions with hashtag analytics.

Announce content you'd like employees help to boost, using an internal messaging system like Slack, or through an internal newsletter. These could be things like job ads, press releases, social media competitions, awards and more.

Create an incentive program to encourage your staff to become powerhouse brand ambassadors for your company.

Even when employees are not openly discussing your company, they can still create negative sentiment for you. Potentially offensive opinions can cause issues that impact your reputation, so think about whether employees should have a disclaimer in their social media bios:

Also, create a set of rules of do’s and don’ts for general conduct online.

2) Do check with your managers and / or legal team if you are in any way unsure about the content of a post

3) Do make it clear you work for the company if your post mentions them in any way

4) Don’t post fake reviews about your product or brand

6) Don’t post misleading claims about your brand

Once your employee social media guidelines have been approved, you need to figure out how to present them. Here are a few ideas:

A video is a quick and easy way to inform employees of important news and rules.

Present your rules in a visually appealing way to help employee ambassadors to quickly get the gist. Infographics are also easy to display around an office.

Sending an internal newsletter is a great way to curate and communicate team news and achievements that you'd like to amplify on social media using employee brand ambassadors, and it provides a quick and direct way to remind employees of the social media guidelines before doing so.

You can also send a PDF with all the guidelines to employees via email. The other option would be to update your Employee Handbook and send it as a PDF for employees to keep handy.

It might be a good idea to use a video as well as a written document for maximum impact and visibility across your organization.

Want to learn more about how Meltwater can elevate your social media marketing workflow? Complete the form below and we’ll be in touch!

Guide: Create Staff Brand Ambassadors With Social Media Guidelines

Knowing and cultivating relationships with fans of your brand is invaluable. Some of these fans can even become significant brand ambassadors. We are going to take a look at what it means to be a brand ambassador and how important they are in building a loyal consumer base.

How to Find, Connect With, and Manage Brand Ambassadors

Essentially, a brand ambassador is a content creator who promotes a products or brands that they feel positively towards and want to share with their followers. They typically have large audiences on social media, who are heavily engaged. 

Brand ambassadors are also known by similar titles such as: brand advocates, brand representatives, and brand associates. But essentially these terms all represent individuals who companies partner with to increase their brand awareness.

There are many types of brand ambassadors. We are going to focus on the four most popular:

Influencers are one of the main types of brand ambassadors. A transactional relationship, often paid directly by the brand to promote products, they usually have a medium-large engaged following across multiple social media platforms. Working with brands on specific campaigns and representing them both online and at physical events. 

And we aren't just talking A-List celebrities! Nowadays, brands have a lot more choices at their fingertips, with the ability to find brand ambassadors with extremely relevant audiences and niches. 

You could focus on bloggers, large social media personalities, or even on go the other direction to partner with micro-influencers. These social media content creators can often achieve more impactful marketing results than big names, because of the relationship they've cultivated with their audience. They have the unique ability to showcase your products to their engaged community on major platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

Client brand ambassadors are customers who positively talk about a brand on their social media, thereby encouraging others to buy that brands products or services over a competitor. 

These posts can be unprompted, or perhaps made as a part of a promotion on the part of the business to generate UGC.

Expert ambassadors for a brand are growing increasingly important to help brands demonstrate industry leadership and cultivate a real sense of authority when it comes to what they offer. They are not necessarily a customer of the specific brand or product, but they are well known in the industry for their expertise, and are a trusted voice when it comes to their recommendations. 

You'll often see brand ambassador posts tagged with #Affiliated or #Affiliate. These individuals receive a referral fee or commission on sales of the products they are promoting. The Venn Diagram of affiliates and influencers is almost a circle, but there are some differences. Affiliate ambassadors typically run promotions for much longer and are always based on more concrete metrics than some influencer campaigns. Think sales vs brand exposure.

Building brand awareness can be thought as both the hardest its ever been, but also the simplest.

How is that possible? Well, consider this: The most difficult thing to overcome in traditional advertising is that it has become predictable. Consumers today are savvy, and they are fed up with being marketed. They are demanding authenticity in marketing — and that can be hard to achieve from a brands owned messaging.

According to Digital Marketing Institute, 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations. Furthermore, 69% of consumers trust what influencers say and recommend (Shopify). Herein lies the power of the brand ambassador.

If the audience knows that a person promoting the brand is not being paid to do so, they will more likely believe them. Authenticity and trust are rising the ranks as the most significant factors that drive purchases.

And it doesn't cost much to start building a brand ambassador program. With just a small budget, you can reach thousands of new fans.

Brand ambassadors not only make people eager to try new products, but they also help promote your brand as a whole.

This type of word-of-mouth marketing works especially great with influencers because they have a built in audience. But what are some of the other qualifications should you look for in a brand ambassador?

Here are some key things to look out for when scouting brand ambassadors:

Social media prowess. Do they have the essential social media skills to create the content you need, and that accurately represents your brand? Social listening tools give this insight in real-time. You can also use an influencer management platform to quickly find profiles and assess their content.

An engaged audience base. While a high volume of followers is often part of the puzzle, it's actually not the most important metric. Sometimes nano or micro influencers who have small followings, have the most engaged fans (and it's easier to trust that they don't have fake followers). High engagement is a better indication that a brand ambassador will have success promoting a product or service.

Professionalism. Before recruiting any individuals into a brand ambassador role, it is essential to vet them thoroughly. Ambassadors become an extension of your brand, so make sure they are a culture fit and their content aligns with your brand values and brand tone of voice.

There are a few ways you can go about becoming a brand ambassador on social media.

Consider becoming a brand representative for your employer. This is can be an easy way to get started, as you already know the internal stakeholders, the target audience, and have a solid base knowledge of your customers. It's a win-win situation for your employer too, as employees advocating on behalf of businesses is great for positive PR. Having employee ambassadors demonstrates dedication to the company as well, which is very helpful when trying to attract top talent and new business.

Learn more about recommended social media guidelines for staff ambassadors

Another route to working as a brand ambassador is to simply start laying the foundation by building up your social media presence and establishing a personal brand. Brands may reach out to you to represent them, but you can also look for brands that are advertising for brand representative positions.

Incorporating influencer marketing into your brand strategy can support many objectives. Traditionally brands have used influencers to boost brand awareness and promote brand values through authentic and meaningful connections. As brands become more familiar with influencers the channel has also begun to play an integral role in sale objectives.

Ambassador programs are strategic campaigns that leverage influencer marketing for sales. However, the unique element of an Ambassador program is that brands collaborate with existing customers who have strong social media influence. This collaboration not only helps foster stronger relationships with a brand’s existing clients, but cultivates strong brand loyalty among new fans as well. 

Ambassador programs are a great way to cultivate lasting relationships with influential customers. It is an integrated program within the customer journey that allows you to collect the social credentials of high profile clients, using data-driven technologies to identify those with strong influence.

Once you have identified influential clients you can connect with them, having them advocate for your brand as social ambassadors. The way you incentivize ambassadors can vary in scope, covering anything from free products and discounts to monetary compensation like commissions. 

The benefits of running an Ambassador Program are many. Not only are these programs used to promote sales through cost-effective collaborations, but they will provide rich insights that will teach you about your network and produce a treasure-trove of easily repurposable content. 

You can find potential brand ambassadors on forums, review sites, writing articles and blogs, and on social media channels. That's a lot of ground to cover, so how do you start?!

Luckily, there are available tools to help you find creators at scale who mention your brand on social media or in other digital spaces. Using a social media monitoring tool you can track brand mentions and get insights into top posters.

You can even set up alerts for mentions so that you never miss when someone posts something about your brand, product or service.

You could also use an influencer management tool if you're looking for brand ambassadors to partner with on an influencer campaign. With Klear, from Meltwater, you can search by topics, demographics, follower size, and more to pinpoint the most relevant influencers for your brand.

Okay, so that's Step 1. Step 2 is connecting with someone you'd like to work with in a brand ambassador capacity. 

The first thing to do is thank them! The quicker the better after they've posted something that mentions you. Reacting swiftly and appreciating the efforts reflects very favorably on you as a brand. By showing your interest, you communicate that you are aware of what your audience says about you and that the feedback is appreciated.

You could then extend your appreciation further by sending them a gift like a branded product, or a free month-subscription to your app or service. Whatever you choose to send should be high quality and relevant. 

Brand ambassadors are an incredibly efficient and cost-effective source of brand awareness and a solid avenue for increasing sales.

Keep an eye on brand ambassadors, be thankful, appreciative, stay in touch, ask what they expect of your brand and what positive role you want them to play, and never, NEVER underestimate their power.

If you would like help finding and engaging with brand ambassadors or are ready to step into the realms of influencer marketing download The Ultimate Guide to Influencer Marketing.﻿ Or if you’d like to learn more about how our social listening platform can help you measure your brand ambassador’s success, fill out the demo form below.

This article originally was written by Magdalena Urbaniak from Business2Community. 

Over the past few years, the methods for reaching target audiences have changed significantly. Standard practices are not enough on their own, which is why more and more brands are turning to brand ambassadors to get the word out, expand their market, and attract new customers.

What Are Brand Ambassadors and Why Are They Important?

You think you know your competitors. You believe your product has an edge. But without competitive intelligence to provide a clear, objective view of how you stack up, you’re operating on instinct, not facts. 

Assumptions are the enemy in marketing. That’s why a competitive matrix is so powerful. It gives you a clear, side-by-side comparison of you vs. your competitors and where your best opportunities lie.

Here’s how to build a competitive matrix that moves the needle and why it’s a must-have in your marketing toolkit.

Competitive matrix definition: A visual tool that compares a company’s product, service, or brand against key competitors across various criteria, such as pricing, features, customer experience, marketing channels, or brand perception.

A competitive matrix usually takes the form of a grid or table. It gives marketers and other stakeholders a side-by-side look at how each entity stacks up in certain areas.

This tool helps you more easily spot strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the market that you could fill. It’s also incredibly effective at communicating competitive insights across departments, especially when product, sales, and marketing teams need to align on strategy.

Competitive matrices provide value across all stages of growth: 

Startups for finding a niche in a crowded market. 

Growing brands for sharpening their differentiation. 

Mature businesses for monitoring shifts in competitive positioning or guiding a rebrand. 

Any time you're launching a product, entering a new market, or reassessing strategy, this tool belongs on your desk.

TIP: Don't miss our blog on the best competitive intelligence tools on the market, along with helpful tips on how to use them!

Competitive matrices look like neat little spreadsheets, but they’re much more powerful. Here’s how they bring clarity to chaos and empower marketing teams.

A competitive matrix helps you see where every player stands at a glance, including you. 

Rather than reviewing vague impressions or word-of-mouth claims, you get a hard look at how brands compare based on measurable factors like price, features, reach, or customer reviews. The visual layout makes it easy to see who’s dominating certain areas, who’s falling behind, and who’s occupying the same strategic space as you.

This kind of visibility is especially useful in industries where differentiation is tricky, like SaaS or eCommerce. It lets you cut through distractions and ask targeted questions: Who’s going overboard on marketing spend? Who’s quietly building loyalty? Who’s competing on value vs. innovation?

Identifying market gaps and opportunities

Laying out a competitive analysis in a matrix reveals valuable white space — the unmet customer needs or underserved segments your competitors have overlooked. 

It might be a feature no one else is offering, a price tier that’s missing, or a messaging angle that hasn’t been claimed. A matrix comparison shines a light on where your brand can break away from the pack.

You can also more easily identify saturation in your market. For example, if every competitor is playing in the same lane, you have a chance to zag while everyone else zigs. This might mean targeting a different persona, shifting positioning, or introducing a new value prop.

Marketers are constantly realizing the need to prove themselves to other stakeholders and decision makers. A competitive matrix is a great tool to support your vision and show you’re making smart, strategic decisions.

Presenting a well-made matrix to leadership shows you’ve done your homework and helps you justify your marketing plan. It illustrates ideas rooted in evidence, not hunches, and other stakeholders can more easily follow along when your ideas are visually laid out.

Meltwater's suite of AI-powered intelligence solutions can help you get crucial competitive insights fast. Click here and fill out the form below to see it in action during a personalized demo!

Creating a competitive matrix involves deep research, an understanding of your market and competitors, and maybe a pinch of design skills. Once you have all the pieces, creating your matrix is a pretty straightforward process. 

Here’s how to build your own competitive matrix.

Start by narrowing down who you’re actually competing with. This might be a mix of direct competitors (those offering similar products to the same customers) and indirect competitors (those solving the same problem in a different way). 

You don’t need to pick every company in your niche. Focus on your true competitive rivalry (3-5 players) that are relevant to your current goals (e.g., brand positioning, product differentiation). 

Pro tip: If you’re not sure who to include, look at who your customers mention during sales calls, who’s bidding on your paid keywords, or who dominates the SERPs for your top search terms.

Next, decide which factors you want to compare. Examples include:

Stick with 5-10 criteria to keep your matrix focused and actionable.

Collect data from trusted sources, such as: 

Internal sources like your CRM and sales transcripts

Keep it honest and objective. It’s tempting to skew results in your favor, but a biased matrix only leads to flawed strategy.

With data in hand, start visualizing your findings in a matrix. You can keep it simple with a comparison table or go more visual with quadrant charts, bubble graphs, or color-coded scorecards. 

Tools like Excel, Google Sheets, Canva, or even PowerPoint are great starting points. They have plug-and-play templates that you can customize to your needs.  

The key is clarity. Make it easy to spot who’s leading in what areas and where your brand stands out (or falls short).

The Meltwater Blog

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Guide: Create Staff Brand Ambassadors With Social Media Guidelines

What Are Brand Ambassadors and Why Are They Important?

What Is a Competitive Matrix? How to Analyze Competitors

The Ultimate Guide To Finding Your Brand's Tone of Voice

Hashtag Analytics: Boost Engagement with Smarter Hashtags

What Marketers Can Learn from the In-Person Events Boom

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