What is Evangelism Marketing?

What is Evangelism Marketing?

Evangelism marketing is an advanced form of marketing strategy used by business enterprises nowadays. It is more commonly termed as word-of-mouth marketing where current potential customers of the company deliver marketing messages to other customers and convince them for buying the product. The customers have strong faith in a particular product of a business that they freely try to promote product among their known ones, asking them to use it.

The promotion is all done voluntarily by customers among their friends, relatives, and other people in their social network where they spread the word on behalf of the company. Customers doing promotion are popularly called evangelist of the company, who works toward converting the general public into customers for the company’s product and services. These customers do not hold any personal motive or desire behind doing marketing for products and services of their favorite brand. 

Evangelism marketing was not much popular in old days as delivering promotional messages among households, neighborhood and communities were much slower in absence of social media. But when compared with today’s situation, the popularity of social media and other online platforms has made it quite easy for every people to participate in evangelism marketing on a higher scale. Evangelism marketing is overall the best and economical marketing strategy under which business enterprises convert its customers into campaigners for doing free promotion of its offerings.

Types of Evangelism Marketing

Various types of evangelism marketing are as follows: –  

1. Chief evangelism marketing: Chief evangelism marketing is a type of marketing where customers spread word about company on general level and supports all of its policies, businesses and associated brands. The potential customers of company will speak good about whole company and make efforts on influencing people from their social network towards the company. Like for example, a person who is fond of Tata company will spread good words about Tata motors, Tata chemicals, Tata hotel chain, Tata steel etc.
2. Brand evangelism marketing: Brand evangelism marketing is one in which customers do word-of-mouth marketing about particular brand and its product line only, but not for whole company group. For example, person who is attached and have strong faith in Peter England will do promotion for its product offerings like jeans, jackets t-shirts, backpack, cap, wallet and many more. Although, the peter England is owned by Aditya Birla Group but customers will only do promotion for their favourite brand -Peter England.
3. Product evangelism marketing: Product evangelism marketing involves spreading good words about specific product of brand. A person who is long term user of Nivea dark spot reduction facewash, will popularize only this particular product of Nivea brand among its known ones. He does not praise the entire product line of Nivea but only promotes product with which he personally has good experience. 

Characteristics of Evangelism Marketing

There are 6 main characteristics of evangelism marketing that are well-discussed in points given below: – 

1. Build around people: The whole concept of evangelism marketing is built around people coming as client to business for buying goods and services. Evangelism marketing strategy focuses on converting the present potential customers of business into evangelist for doing free promotion of goods at their own will. In other terms, this type of marketing is more focused towards maintaining interpersonal relationship elements of business enterprise, prior to paying attention on quality of product and services.
2. Cost-effective: It is most economical type of marketing available to business organization for doing marketing of their goods and services. The evangelist does all word-of-mouth marketing for their beloved brand without getting any monetary benefits in return. These people are not associated or tied with brand in any way and does free of cost marketing voluntarily. They are generally attached with brand for longer period and develop faith in it. Due to their long-term brand trust, they voluntarily convince their family and friends to buy products.
3. Customer driven: The entire evangelism marketing is customer-driven where existing customers are only one who publicise the brand product. Whole responsibility of carrying out promotion lies with prospective target audience without any intervention by business enterprise. The evangelists may employ any medium for spreading message among their social network consisting of friends, family, workplace colleagues and other acquaintances. 
4. Capitalises on social validation: Evangelists are people who believe in sharing their good experiences with other peoples in their network thereby asking them to adopt the product as well. Their focus in on communicating positive reviews about brand goods that ultimately results in influencing 77% of the demand. Evangelism is one of the effective as well as advanced form of marketing that help business in adding long-term customers, and it also adds to product credibility.  
5. Based on long-term orientation: This type of marketing is not short-term promotion tactic but a part of long-term vision and strategy of marketers. The marketing strategy is continuous process where present customers keep on promoting brand offerings in their own circle of influence. Therefore, evangelism marketing endeavours to convert the loyal customer group into reliable source of energy as far as strategy of promotion is concerned.
6. Have certain degree of independence: Evangelism marketing enjoys degree of independence on the part of people doing free promotion as brand do not interrupt them in their marketing activities. It gives businesses good opportunity to utilize the influence of people without any opportunity to influence them in direct or indirect manner. Overall, we can say, evangelism is not something that can be brought, but one that is earned over a period of time.

Importance of Evangelism Marketing

Evangelism marketing serve like a great promotional tool for companies where they get opportunity to promote products without incurring any expenses. It is also very effective in building strong and loyal base of customers for business enterprise. Let’s discuss the importance of evangelism marketing in more details way in points mentioned below: – 

1. Helps in building trust: Evangelism marketing help a lot to companies in building trust among people present in market. It involves sharing positive experiences regarding brand products by existing customers among people in their own network. Evangelist are people who helps in building people trust in product by telling them about its quality and good features. When these evangelists spread good words regarding brand on larger scale, then business are able to enhance their sales volume and build wide chain of loyal customers. 
2. Foster better customer relationships: The concept of evangelism leads to nurturing better customer relationships. People acting as evangelists are one who are closely attached with brand from long time that ultimately deepens their relationship with company. Better relationship and understanding of evangelist help them in getting higher level of satisfaction. In addition to this, business enterprises get new customers with positive word-of-mouth marketing. 
3. Saves promotional cost: Strategy of evangelism marketing is very economical in nature that saves promotional cost for companies. This type of marketing does not involve any monetary exchange at any stage, with people carrying out promotional activities for brand voluntarily. Such people do free promotion for brand products at their own and does not receive any type of payment for that. This way companies are able to do promotion for their product offering free of cost thereby saving large expenses as compared to other marketing strategies.
4. Have potential for higher growth: Evangelism marketing is potentially viral by its nature that spreads rapidly from one person to another. It covers large number of people easily and soon this word-of-mouth promotion attracts new peoples who haven’t tried brand product earlier. In this manner, evangelism marketing strategy gain rapid momentum in shorter span of time and also group of loyal customers. 
5. Assist in other marketing efforts: This type of marketing assists other types of marketing strategies. Evangelism marketing is served as best form of public relation tool that helps in getting business noticed in market more easily in comparison to what other expensive advertising campaigns can achieve. It also provides strengths to other traditional marketing efforts that improve the chance of product being getting sold at decent profit margin.
6. Provide data for products: Grabbing the attention of potential customers can be easily done by providing them with lots of data about products. Evangelists prepare lots of text, case studies and testimonials about brand product. This is excellent way to bringing potential users towards business by sharing all required information on product with them. Moreover, it saves business organizations from spending time and resources on content writing thereby can pay more attention towards improvement of their product offering. 

Examples of Evangelism Marketing 

Apple and Netflix are two common example of evangelist marketers employing evangelism for doing promotion of their offering in market. Let us discuss them in detail below: – 

Netflix

Netflix is one of the most famous video OTT platforms having community of over 3 million people. The Netflix community voluntarily share their positive experience with other peoples. These people even form social media groups in order to discuss about current TV shows and web series, rate them, suggest good one to each other -for free. This is all because these peoples are emotionally attached with Netflix company. The reason behind such loyalty toward Netflix is customer-friendly, innovative interface where services are tailored for each user thereby providing customized and convenient delivery. These features, along with tons of content, helps in adding positive user experience among large community.

Apple

Apple is well-established brand all over the world that is also known for its evangelism marketing. The company does not make much efforts for advertising its products and Apple products sell themselves in market. Brand have strong base of brand loyalist and evangelists who does brand marketing for free. The only thing that brand need to do is just convey them positive messages about its products. Company is able to build such market loyalty via utilizing neuromarketing in developing, marketing and positioning its brand. Company well understood that products are extension of customer’s identities, therefore due diligence need to be practiced while crafting brand image in order to attract right audience.