How-to Guide: Become a Brand Ambassador

By Haylie Spargo Staff Writer

College students can make extra money throughout their college experience while representing a specific brand of their choosing by taking specific steps to become brand ambassadors.

Social media is a pivotal part of many college students’ lives, especially in the digital world that we live in today. Many college students wonder, how can I make money through social media?

The answer to this question is simple: large brand companies constantly need marketing, and they look for brand ambassadors who can help promote their products or services.

What are the steps to becoming a brand ambassador? Where does a college student begin looking for brand ambassador opportunities?

The first step in understanding this process is to research a brand that you find the most passionate about. The importance of finding a brand that you enjoy, have experience with, have previously supported, or share common interests with is an essential step.

The next step after you choose a type of company that interests you is to verify if the company has an ambassador program. This can easily be done by looking online. Popular companies that offer ambassador program applications include Pura Vida Bracelets, Red Bull Student Marketeer Program, and Bucked Up.

Bucked Up, a workout brand, stated, “Join the team” and “submit your info below” on their website with recent photos of their ambassadors to make the process of becoming an ambassador as simple as possible. Red Bull stated, “Kick-start your career!” and “Make the difference” to emphasize the impactfulness of their ambassador program. Pura Vida Bracelets labels their ambassador website as, “We want you in the #PuraVidaCrew” to spotlight how working as a team is important.

Being a busy college student and a brand ambassador can be challenging. So, it is important to ensure that you are ready to commit to the role. Some brands may require ambassadors to post on social media several times per month or have other expectations. Therefore, it is important to speak with the owner of the small business or read the company’s expectations before applying. For example, Bucked Up expects “all BRAND AMBASSADORS are asked to post twice a month on your Instagram feed or Facebook timeline.”

Once a student becomes an ambassador, they must place themselves in the right mindset to be successful. Keeping a positive attitude and staying motivated and consistent can help the student navigate their role as an ambassador while balancing their studies.

The next crucial step of being a brand ambassador is knowing your audience and understanding how to target them effectively. This can be achieved by research and being up to date with the latest social media platforms. By creating exciting and eye-catching posts, stories, and pictures, ambassadors can show their best effort and increase visibility for the brand. Red Bull stated on its website, “Know your market, spot and set the trends” and “Build distribution. Ensure visibility. Collect orders.” All of these tips can be used not just when being a brand ambassador for Red Bull but for any company.

The last step to take when being an ambassador is to make sure your account is set up correctly to get paid. Most brand ambassador programs only allow you to gain a certain percentage of the sales you create, usually done through people using your personal discount code.

Pura Vida mentions, “To make Ambassador payments as easy as possible, we pay Ambassador commissions via PayPal, a free service that’s super quick and easy to sign up for. To apply as an ambassador, you are required to have a Paypal to signup.” Financial obligations and taking the steps to get paid are important to remember when submitting your application.

Social media is a powerful tool that can be leveraged to help college students earn extra income through brand ambassadorship. With the right mindset and commitment, college students can balance their studies and ambassador roles to achieve success.