Why Early Advocates are 10x Better Than Early Adopters For New Products

Why Early Advocates

are 10x more important than

Early Adopters

who is this guy?

•  Launched dozens of products

•  Product Manager, Product Marketer

•  Explorics: B2B Loyalty & Advocacy

•  2-‐Bme entrepreneur

•  Lean Startup Challenge 2013

•  Business Model GeneraBon Meetup

•  Startup Coach, Quebec Tech Accelerator

•  Stanford MBA

•  MIT Computer Science

@explorics @bostonproduct

10 Early Adopters

1 was an advocate

9 were not

The year was 2006…


The Big Idea

Early adopters have long been entrenched in technology culture. They aren’t filling the role we need today. Product owners need to cultivate early advocates.


First… let’s review: Early Adopter


Published in

1991


“Still the bible for entrepreneurial

marketing 15 years later

[in 2006]”

Tom Byers, Stanford Technology

Ventures Program


The Chasm

The mainstream market doesn’t listen to early adopters


Establish a Beachhead To cross the chasm…


DELIVER A “Whole Product”


Pass The Elevator Test

Hey buddy… Wanna buy some

software?


What is an early adopter?


I’ll scratch your back. You scratch mine.

Early Adopters Get… •  Attention •  Special pricing •  Amazing support •  Hand-holding •  Custom features •  Show-off status

You Get… •  Revenue •  Real-world testing •  Use cases •  Product input •  Go-to-market feedback •  Endorsement

Early Adopters Get… •  Attention •  Special pricing •  Amazing support •  Hand-holding •  Custom features •  Show-off status

You Get… •  Revenue •  Real-world testing •  Use cases •  Product input •  Go-to-market feedback •  Endorsement

I’ll scratch your back. You scratch mine.

Early endorsement is much more important today than it was in 1991.


THEN Early adopters validated usefulness

NOW Early advocates validate virality


Ray: You know, it's just occurred to me – we really haven't had a completely successful test of this equipment.

Peter: Why worry? Each of us is wearing an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back.

Today’s Elevator Test


An Early Advocate is a

Special Kind of Early Adopter


3 Three things that make advocates different from adopters…


Adopters want to be “unique”

Advocates want to be “first”


Steve Mann

Adopters want to discover something inherently valuable.

Advocates want to brag about what they discovered.


Adopters like to tinker

Advocates want to show off


The Biggest Difference Is What You AIM For

Adopters validate “good-enough”

Advocates fall in LOVE with “greatness”


Early adopters are great for opinions.

That is why you need to focus on your early advocates.

But they are lousy for growth.


Creating an Advocate Program


Advocate programs are highly personal making them quite unlike typical marketing programs

Advocate programs are based on relationships

The Rules

•  People, not companies •  Give first, then receive •  RecogniBon, not bribes

Advocates want to believe in something together

•  Shared vision •  Mutual trust •  Aligned incentives


People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.

Google: ted sinek why

Simon Sinek How Great Leaders Inspire Action

What is the job the customer is hiring our product to do?

Clayton Christensen Market Disruptions & Online Learning


Google: christensen milkshake disruptions

Document your shared vision @explorics @bostonproduct

Recruit Engage Harvest Optimize

4 Steps to an Advocate Program


From Our CEO

Recruiting

Dear Joe,

I noticed your profile on

LinkedIn and thought

you’d appreciate this paper

we’ve written with MIT

Tech Review, Navigating

Planet Ad Tech.

Check it out:

http://bit.ly.com/23fi9c

Thanks! Melissa

•  Keep it personal

•  They were chosen

•  Mutual value

•  Exclusivity

•  Meaningful perks

•  Access


Don’t beg


engaging

•  Send content •  Recommend as an expert •  Ask for advice •  Short surveys •  Introductions to peers •  Group chats •  Quick feedback on ideas •  Repost, reshare, retweet •  Contests

harvesting

•  Product feedback •  Thought leadership •  Content •  References •  Referrals •  Demand generation •  Product reviews •  Testimonials •  Case studies •  Public speakers

optimizing

Key Metrics •  Recruiting rate: customers to

program participants •  Engagement rate of participants •  Engagement rate of programs •  Conversion of programs into

deliverables •  Business metrics •  Referrals •  Leads generated •  Retention rates

Tools

Even more… •  Evergage – real-time web personalization •  TechValidate – create content from customers •  AskYourTargetMarket – online market research •  UsabilityHub – five-second testing •  UserTesting – fast user research •  Qualaroo – insight surveys for A/B testing

A custom community portal for advocates www.influitive.com

Customer feedback forum and interaction platform www.getsatisfaction.com

DIY websites and content management systems

www.getsatisfaction.com

Three Easy Steps To get going


1.  “Health check” your enthusiastic customers

2.  Find out how they would want to partner

3.  Target one engagement-harvesting activity that is mutually beneficial and has meaningful business results

The key takeaway


Get Early Advocates. They Love You And Let Everyone know.

Thank You! Brian Gladstein @explorics

[email protected]

How did I do? http://braverybot.com/bpma/2

Why Early Advocates are 10x Better Than Early Adopters For New Products

Technology

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