From Metrics to Community: The 2025 Advocacy Landscape

As we kick off a new year, customer advocacy continues to evolve, presenting fresh opportunities for marketing agencies and businesses alike.

We love to think about what’s to come. Let’s have a look at some of the key trends Referential expects to shape the customer advocacy landscape in the coming months:

Metrics, Reporting and Program Justification: Oh My!

In 2025, advocacy programs will face increased scrutiny to justify their impact and demonstrate tangible value. Organizations are looking for clear, data-backed insights to validate investment in advocacy efforts. This shift means you can expect metrics like advocate engagement levels, content reach, and direct contributions to revenue, such as shortening sales cycles or earned growth rate calculations, to continue to take center stage.

Program leaders will need to focus on developing dashboards and reports that seamlessly integrate with larger marketing analytics. By connecting advocacy outcomes to broader business goals, programs can solidify their position as essential components of the customer lifecycle. Advocacy platforms offering advanced reporting and analytics, such as SlapFive, RO Innovation or ReferenceEdge as examples, will be indispensable for delivering these metrics.

Customer Advocacy Meets Customer Marketing

More and more, we’re seeing customer advocacy and customer marketing getting lumped together, with the terms even being used interchangeably. Advocacy used to be all about building strong relationships with happy customers who naturally championed a brand. Marketing, on the other hand, is broader and includes generating leads and creating demand. Now, as companies try to tie everything together, this merging shows just how much influence advocacy can have on overall marketing success.

This change means advocacy teams need to step up, learn new skills and strategies to handle both classic advocacy tasks and marketing-focused goals. It’s also pushing businesses to invest in tools and systems that can juggle this expanded role without losing what makes advocacy so special.

Ongoing Education: Closing the Knowledge Gap

As advocacy programs grow in prominence, it remains essential to educate internal teams, leadership, and external stakeholders about what advocate marketers do and how their efforts drive value. Too often, advocacy work is misunderstood or undervalued, with its impact not immediately apparent to broader audiences. Much of this can be addressed with the metrics and reports we describe above, but never underestimate the need for regular training sessions, presentations, and success stories; these can go a long way in building awareness and appreciation for advocacy initiatives.

It’s all about making sure people see advocacy as more than just a nice extra. When done right, it’s a major driver of growth and revenue. Advocacy isn’t just a feel-good project—it’s a strategic, business-boosting powerhouse.

Personalization: At Scale

Generic outreach isn’t going to cut it in 2025. Advocacy programs will need to lean on AI and advanced CRM tools to craft highly personalized experiences for advocates—whether through tailored rewards, individualized outreach, or custom program paths—that reflect their unique contributions and interests.

For instance, research shows that 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when this doesn’t happen. Advocacy teams that utilize predictive analytics and automated workflows can better understand advocate preferences, enabling them to craft campaigns that resonate more. These personalized approaches don’t just enhance satisfaction— they drive higher participation and long-term loyalty.

Summary: quicker sales AND longer customer lifespans!

Expanding Advocacy Beyond Testimonials

Customer advocacy is evolving beyond traditional case studies and reference calls. Expect to see more video stories, co-created content, event participation, and product co-innovation. Collaborative content like blogs, webinars, or podcasts created with customers can significantly boost visibility and offer authentic narratives.

Video storytelling, in particular, remains a powerful tool; studies show viewers retain 95% of a message when delivered through video compared to just 10% through text. Encouraging advocates to share their stories across diverse formats doesn’t just build trust; it helps brands reach audiences where they are most engaged, fostering deeper connections and stronger relationships.

The Rise of Employee Advocacy

In 2025, the lines between employee and customer advocacy will blur further. Empowering employees to share customer-centric stories on social media not only amplifies advocacy efforts but also strengthens internal culture. Research from LinkedIn indicates that content shared by employees receives eight times more engagement than content shared through branded channels.

Equipping employees with the right tools, training, and resources to confidently represent the brand can extend messaging to a wider audience. In addition, fostering collaboration between employees and customer advocates creates an authentic voice that builds external trust while enhancing internal morale. Everyone likes being heard, and that includes the groups on both sides of the aisle.

Advocacy as a Community

In the coming year, more brands will see advocacy as a two-way street, investing in community-building initiatives that foster genuine connections among advocates. Exclusive events, peer networking opportunities, and digital community hubs will make advocates feel valued and engaged.

Programs that create a sense of belonging—like gamified participation or recognition programs (which can be facilitated with a platform like Base.ai or Influitive)—can significantly increase involvement. Recognition, in any form, goes a long way to making a program a success!

For example, Gartner research highlights that 70% of consumers say connected experiences are crucial to their loyalty. By cultivating a collaborative and supportive environment, your organization can transform advocacy programs into vibrant ecosystems that deliver long-term value.

Final Thoughts

Customer advocacy is in no way a “nice to have” anymore; at this point, it’s an essential part of a robust marketing strategy. By embracing these trends and staying agile, we believe that businesses can create advocacy programs that drive measurable impact and forge stronger customer relationships in the years ahead.

What trends are you preparing for in 2025? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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