How to Become a Brand Ambassador: A Creator Roadmap

From affiliate marketing to brand sponsorships, there are so many ways to earn money as a Creator. And for many Creators, the pinnacle of success means landing a long-term contract as an ambassador for their favorite brand. So if you’re wondering how to become a brand ambassador, we promise, you’re not alone. 

Being a brand ambassador often includes receiving free products and services, networking opportunities, social media exposure, and a consistent income. Needless to say, it’s a coveted opportunity to build meaningful, long-term brand relationships.

Here’s our comprehensive guide on what it means to be a brand ambassador, how to become one, and the benefits you can potentially reap. Let’s dive in.  

What is a Brand Ambassador?

If you’re new to the Creator scene, or looking to grow your career, you might be wondering, what is a brand ambassador?

A brand ambassadorship is a type of influencer marketing that’s a win-win for both a brand and a Creator. Simply put, brand ambassadors are go-to spokespeople contracted by brands to promote their products and services. Brand ambassadors help build relationships between the brand and potential customers. Ambassadors also help raise brand awareness for the brand’s products, launches, initiatives, and more. 

Being a brand ambassador might include creating branded content, hosting events, hosting videos and webinars, and spreading the brand’s message and values across various channels.

How to Become A Brand Ambassador: The First Steps

If we’ve piqued your interest, and you’re now wondering, “how do I become a brand ambassador,” we’ll be straightforward. Becoming a brand ambassador takes some work. But, once you have a strong understanding of the requirements, you can create a plan to get started.

Here’s a three-step guide to help you learn how to become a brand ambassador.

1. Research Brands That Interest You

There are hundreds of companies out there that enlist the help of ambassadors. If you’re looking to partner with a specific brand, it has to be a good match. It’s up to you to do the research and find the one that’s right for you. Most importantly, research ensures you align with the brand’s values and mission.

If you’re interested in becoming an ambassador for a specific brand, be sure to research how brands source and vet ambassadors.

2. Market Yourself to Your Ideal Brands

The next step on the path of how to become a brand ambassador is marketing. After you’ve found the brand you want to collaborate with, it’s time to market yourself. Like with all jobs, show them why they should work with you.

You can start by creating user generated content that showcases why you’re the perfect brand ambassador. Explain why you genuinely love or have a passion for the product you want to represent. Additionally, you can talk about how you use the product or service in your everyday life. Strive for high-quality, authentic content to demonstrate that you’re the best ambassador for the job.

3. Reach Out And Build A Long-Term Relationship

Some brands (for example, Nasty Gal and Pura Vida) may have you submit ambassador applications. However, others might prefer a media kit in which you would include pictures, videos, information about you, and data on your social media platforms. Learning about the brand and its ambassador program will help you breeze through a potential application process.

Creators rely on companies to make contact first. But why not go the extra mile and reach out yourself, or follow up after submitting an application? The reality is that companies are busy and you can show them that you’re a self-starter by checking in. According to indeed.com, you should wait about two weeks after you reach out to follow up. This allows them to review potential ambassadors and offer advice or suggestions. Tenacity and persistence are key when learning how to become a brand ambassador.

If they’re not ready to make you a brand ambassador yet, inquire about other collaboration opportunities. Creating content for a brand and starting out with a few partnerships is often the best way to build a long-term relationship. Over time, your consistent brand advocacy can set you up as an ideal, authentic brand ambassador.

How to Become a Brand Ambassador: The Qualifications You Need

If you want to know how to become a brand ambassador, you should understand the general requirements involved. It’s important to note that there isn’t one standard set of qualifications for becoming a brand ambassador, as the requirements vary depending on the company and the brand ambassador role. That said, here are general traits that most brands look for in potential ambassadors.

1. Passion for the brand. You can have a large social media presence, but if you don’t love what you’re promoting, audiences won’t buy what you’re selling. You should be passionate about the brand and its products, and understand the brand’s mission and values.
2. An engaged social media following. Of course, having a large following on social media is important for brands when selecting ambassadors. But what’s even more important is having an audience that’s highly engaged and that cares about your content. 
3. Consistent, high-quality content. Brands want ambassadors who are producing engaging, genuine, and quality content. Your content should be relevant to the brands you’re interested in representing, and it should show off the type of work you could produce for them. 
4. A proven track record. The best way to secure a coveted brand ambassadorship is to have a proven track record of success with a brand. If you’ve already done multiple sponsored campaigns or created content for a brand in the past, show them how you’ve helped them meet their goals. Whether it was generating sales or reaching large, engaged audiences, demonstrating your unique value is the best way to turn a relationship into a long-term brand ambassador role. 

How to Become a Brand Ambassador on Instagram

According to demandsage.com, in 2023 there are roughly “2.35 billion monthly active users on Instagram”. Needless to say, that is a large user base for Creators to tap into. If you have an engaged, loyal following on the platform, here are a few tips and tricks to help you learn how to become a brand ambassador on Instagram.

1. Carve out a specific niche. Are you a natural fashionista? Or, maybe you’re a die-hard yogi that wants to share your love of sun salutations with the social media world. On Instagram, it’s important to identify your niche to create the most impactful, targeted content. Having a clearly defined niche helps brands better understand how you fit into their content ecosystem, and what kind of audience they’ll target by partnering with you.
2. Focus on engagement. The most successful brand ambassadors are the ones that users can connect to. If you create quality content, but your audience isn’t engaged, then that content isn’t helping you or your brand partners. Audiences want content that solves problems for them, as it inspires them to take action. Once you can prove that your Instagram content is consistently engaging, brands will see more value in hiring you as an ambassador. 
3. Be patient. It takes time to make your mark in the social media realm. Don’t throw in the towel if you don’t see instant results. Like most things, becoming a brand ambassador is worth the wait, so give it time.

How to Become a Brand Ambassador: Create Content on Owned Channels

While there’s no doubt you should be using a variety of social media platforms, producing content on channels that you own and operate is highly valuable. And if you’re learning how to become a brand ambassador, it’s crucial to differentiate yourself and to demonstrate the extent of your reach. 

Owned and operated channels—like a blog and email newsletter—give you direct access to an audience that is unaffected by social media algorithms. These channels allow you to control how and when you communicate with your audience. Additionally, you may even reach a wider audience beyond users of individual social platforms. That direct line of communication to an audience makes you an attractive partner to potential brands because they know they’ll be able to rely on your consistent audience.

If these channels are new to you, it’s never too late to launch a newsletter or start a blog! In fact, here are 5 easy tools for building a blog.

How to Become a Brand Ambassador for Clothing Companies

Do you have a great sense of style? Or a wardrobe waiting to shine in the social media spotlight? If so, learning how to become a brand ambassador for clothing is right up your alley. Or should we say runway? 

First, consider what kind of content and products resonate most with your followers. For example, the busy mom might want easy-to-wear, put-together outfit suggestions. Do some research to find out who your target audience is and what kind of content is best for them. Poll your followers and ask for their favorite brands or what they identify as their style aesthetic. 

Next, determine which style genres you’re most passionate about, then seek out brand partners that align with your sense of style and your audience’s interests. Clothing companies look for brand ambassadors whose style, aesthetic, and audience reflect the brand’s image and ideal shoppers. For example, luxury brands might look for ambassadors with sophisticated style and an audience interested in luxury goods. Whereas, brands like Adidas or Lululemon seek out athletes or influencers with an athletic aesthetic. 

How to Become a Beauty Brand Ambassador

Do you have a love for all things makeup, hair, or skincare? If so, put your best face forward, literally, and learn how to become a beauty brand ambassador. Being a beauty brand ambassador is a great way to share your love of beauty with others while making money. 

Like other types of brand ambassadors, the key to making it big is an expansive reach, an engaged audience, and outstanding content. Product knowledge is also incredibly important for beauty ambassadors. Learning about skin type, hair type, and makeup preferences will help teach you how to become a brand ambassador as you’ll be able to create branded content for all types of beauty lovers. Your followers want reassurance that the product you’re promoting is the best for their skin, face, hair, etc.

Finally, pictures alone don’t cut it when you’re a beauty brand ambassador. Most likely, your followers want step-by-step instructions on how to use a brand’s product. Or, they’ll want to see exactly how you use a brand’s products in your daily skincare or makeup regimen. Video is an ideal content format for beauty brand ambassadors in particular, and knowing how to create high-quality video on popular channels like Instagram Reels will set you up for success.

How Much Do Brand Ambassadors Get Paid?

Now that you have mastered how to become a brand ambassador, let’s tackle the next thing on your mind. You’re probably wondering, how much do brand ambassadors get paid? Let’s start with one of the most common places for brand ambassadors to make money: Instagram. Brand ambassadors are paid anywhere from $10 to $10,000 per post on Instagram. 

The payout for brand ambassadors varies depending on a number of factors. These include your follower base, engagement, content, and, of course, the terms of your agreement with your brand. Here’s a breakdown from brandchimp.io on how much brand ambassadors make on Instagram per post based on follower counts:

• 1,000 – 10,000 followers: $10 – $100 per post
• 10,000 – 50,000 followers: $100 – $500 per post
• 50,000 – 500,000 followers: $500 – $5,000 per post
• 500,000 – 1,000,000 followers: $5,000 – $10,000 per post
• 1,000,000+ followers: $10,000+ per post

Take note that these averages are just for Instagram. These ranges expand when you factor in your reach across other social media channels, your engagement, and the quality of your content.

You might not get a payout like Cristiano Ronaldo. As of 2023, the soccer star is the highest-paid brand ambassador at 3 million dollars per post. However, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to make a pretty penny.

How to Become a Brand Ambassador: Other Ways to Make Money

Instagram is just one way to make money as a brand ambassador. If you’re learning how to become a brand ambassador, you can harness the power of multiple social media channels, like TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, and your own personal blog and email newsletter. You can also diversify your revenue as a brand ambassador  through other offerings, like:

• Selling user-generated content
• Whitelisting your content
• Event appearances and hosting gigs
• Paid interviews as an expert in your niche
• Paid memberships for premium content on your personal website or blog

This list is just a starting point as you look to make more revenue as a brand ambassador. You can also team up with other brand ambassadors to see how you can collaborate to earn more money. Partner with ambassadors within a similar niche and organize joint promotions or host a takeover on each other’s social media.

Last, remember to always negotiate the terms of your brand ambassador contract. It never hurts to ask for more.

How to Become a Brand Ambassador: A Few Final Thoughts

Learning how to become a brand ambassador takes time and effort, but it can be hugely rewarding—professionally and financially. Becoming a brand ambassador is a great way to earn money and build a following while promoting products you love. If you have passion for a brand or product, and you’re willing to work hard, you can be incredibly successful. Follow this guide and you’re well on your way to becoming the next big brand ambassador.