In the industrial sector, where high-value deals and long sales cycles are the norm, buyers don\u2019t wake up one morning and head straight to your website. They\u2019re doing online research, asking around, and \u2014 most important \u2014 gauging which brands they can trust.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where brand evangelism<\/strong> comes in.<\/p>\n What\u2019s an evangelist? These are the customers and employees who so genuinely love what you do that they can\u2019t help but talk about it. Not in marketing-speak, but in real, human conversations that cut through the noise and clutter, and actually help buyers make confident, informed decisions<\/span>.<\/p>\n I recently sat down with Kyle Jepson, HubSpot\u2019s first-ever Evangelist<\/span><\/a>, on The ChangeOver Podcast<\/a> to dig into this topic. Kyle shared some eye-opening insights about letting go of the marketing script and letting your biggest fans tell your story from their perspective.<\/p>\n We invited Kyle to share his journey, the unique role of a HubSpot Evangelist, and ways industrial marketers can foster brand advocacy among their own employees and customers, to drive greater awareness and trust <\/span>\u2014 and, over the long term, fuel growth in sales and customer retention.<\/p>\n Read on for my key takeaways, or go ahead and watch the podcast in full:<\/p>\n Check out episode 14 of The ChangeOver now, then subscribe on <\/span>Apple<\/a>, <\/span>YouTube<\/a>, <\/span>Spotify<\/a>, <\/span>Weidert.com<\/a>, or your favorite podcast app.<\/span><\/p>\n An evangelist isn\u2019t the same as a satisfied or repeat customer. It\u2019s someone who amplifies your brand\u2019s value by sharing stories of how you\u2019ve helped solve customer pain and deliver real results.\u00a0<\/p>\n At its core, brand evangelism is about cultivating advocates \u2014 people who are so enthusiastic about your brand that they proactively share their positive experiences with others.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n In industrial markets, this type of brand advocacy has especially powerful potential because it comes from a place of technical expertise, firsthand experience, and authentic human empathy<\/span> for the challenges they face. These factors add up to online content that at once mirrors and addresses the concerns prospects bring to their buyer journeys.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to, deep in your bones, love the brand to be an evangelist, to be an authentic evangelist.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This genuine excitement resonates with others, building trust and sparking meaningful conversations around your offerings.<\/p>\n Industrial markets are uniquely positioned to benefit from brand evangelism, as Kyle highlighted. Here are a few reasons why:<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the foundation that makes it all work: your offerings must genuinely solve your customers\u2019 problems and align with their needs and preferences.<\/p>\n Effective evangelism springs from that perfect match between solution and need. When you find someone whose eyes light up talking about your manufacturing process or product capabilities, you\u2019ve struck brand advocate gold. These natural brand champions \u2014 whether employees or customers \u2014 are genuinely excited about what you\u2019re doing and can\u2019t wait to share it with others.<\/p>\n Creating brand evangelists doesn\u2019t happen by accident. It requires intentional efforts to deliver value, build trust, and foster meaningful relationships \u2014 both within your organization and with prospects and customers outside it. Kyle emphasized the role leaders play in making this possible:<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re good to your employees and if they love your product, encourage them to tell the internet about it. That\u2019s only going to bring good results.\u201d \u2014 Kyle Jepson, HubSpot Evangelist<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The foundation of brand evangelism lies in a product or service that truly solves customer problems. When your customers and employees see measurable improvements with their own eyes, they\u2019ll naturally want to share the experience with others. That demands:<\/p>\n With value as your foundation, you can begin to\u2026<\/p>\n Your employees can be some of your most effective brand evangelists. Encourage their advocacy by:<\/p>\n It\u2019s all about harnessing the energy of the most genuinely enthusiastic fans of your solutions and encouraging them to get out there and\u2026<\/p>\n As much as any buyer would like to believe they\u2019re acting solely on logic, B2B decisions are not purely rational. But an emotional connection with an industrial brand that drives long-term loyalty and advocacy often begins with a connection between two humans.<\/p>\n Those emotional connections can drive long-term loyalty and advocacy. You can foster these by:<\/p>\n Keeping these goals in mind, unleash your brand evangelists to\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n Positioning your brand as a thought leader depends in part on your evangelists\u2019 ability to develop and share content that speaks directly to customer needs.<\/p>\n When we say \u201ccontent,\u201d we\u2019re not always talking about high polish and slick design. On the contrary, authenticity, value, and timeliness<\/span><\/a> are often higher priorities. So is speaking the language of your audience, and few people know how your customers sound \u2014 and how they prefer to be spoken to \u2014 than your frontline, customer-facing employees.<\/p>\n As for the purpose of the content they create, this is where the content is an extension of your solution. Think about what customers need to know to best achieve their goals with your product or service. This could include:<\/p>\n But what can you do if, for example, your target audience isn\u2019t very active on social media, or an industry association or trade pub doesn\u2019t already host a user forum?<\/p>\n By creating your own branded spaces for customers to connect and share experiences, you can harness some of the passion of your most satisfied users \u2014 your true brand fans \u2014 transforming them into advocates, too. No trade pubs or associations with forums? Not much chatter on Reddit or Quora? That could indicate a need for an online forum or user group where customers can exchange ideas, ask questions, and offer been-there-done-that advice.<\/p>\n Spark a sense of community with a virtual \u201cAsk Me Anything\u201d event on a targeted social media platform or an in-person event. Encourage interaction among community members, not just between your employee-evangelists and customers. The idea is to facilitate knowledge sharing in all directions, build a sense of camaraderie and loyalty, and cultivate a network of passionate supporters who actively promote your brand to others.<\/p>\n See it in action! If you’re a HubSpot user, be sure to follow Kyle’s HubSpot Tips & Tricks community<\/a> on LinkedIn and join his HubSpot Admin User Group<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n To gauge whether your efforts are driving results, track key performance indicators like:<\/p>\n Kyle underscored the value of monitoring brand advocate activity and identifying trends: \u201cLook for things that are already happening and figure out how to encourage those things.\u201d<\/p>\n In an era of information overload, copycat content, and a preference for one-to-one human connection over branded outreach communications, evangelism offers a fresh opportunity to drive growth in industrial markets, but it requires authenticity, patience, and a commitment to listening to your customers<\/span>.<\/p>\n By delivering clear value in your products and services, fostering an advocacy culture, and encouraging personal engagement with your audience, you can create an ecosystem of passionate supporters who can\u2019t help but spread positive word of mouth. As Kyle reminded podcast listeners:\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDon’t over-engineer it. Just look for things that are working and do more of them.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Remember, brand evangelism isn’t built overnight. It requires a long-term commitment to excellence and a genuine desire to make a positive impact on your customers’ lives and businesses. Start small, be consistent, and watch as your most satisfied customers become your most powerful marketing asset.<\/p>\n For more insights from Kyle, listen to the full episode of The<\/em><\/strong> <\/span><\/strong>Changeover Podcast<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/span> And if you\u2019re ready to explore the power of brand evangelism for your organization, start by listening to your customers, sharing their successes, and celebrating the advocates you already have in your corner.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat Is Brand Evangelism?<\/h2>\n
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What is Brand Evangelism\u2019s Role in Industrial Sales & Marketing?<\/h2>\n
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Brand Evangelists Aren\u2019t Made; They\u2019re Nurtured<\/h2>\n
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Deliver Exceptional Value<\/h3>\n
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Leverage Employee Advocacy<\/h3>\n
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Build Emotional Connections<\/h3>\n
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Create Valuable Content<\/h3>\n
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Nurture Customer Communities<\/h3>\n
Measuring the Impact of Brand Evangelism<\/h2>\n
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Final Thoughts from the Podcast<\/h2>\n
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