Trust has been gradually eroding across many areas of life. AI can generate content indistinguishable from human writing. Deepfakes blur the line between real and fake. Review sites are flooded with bots, influencers are paid to promote anything, and even once-reliable institutions are under scrutiny.
In a world where authenticity is getting harder to discern, we in the customer advocacy community have both the opportunity and the responsibility to protect what’s real. We may not control the chaos of the broader digital landscape, but we do control our part of it—how businesses communicate, market, and sell their solutions to real people making real decisions.
Our work is personal. It’s meaningful. When done with integrity, we’re not crafting fiction—we’re curating lived experience. We’re not just content creators; we’re stewards of trust between companies and the people who choose them. That trust is earned through honesty, not spin.
As society begins to recognize what’s been lost in the erosion of truth, the work we do will only grow in value. In a time of growing skepticism, people are hungry for something genuine—and advocacy will become even more essential.
So where does that leave today’s B2B buyers? They’re more skeptical than ever. They tune out vendor claims that carry even a hint of exaggeration. What they crave is truth—and the only place they're sure to find it is from people who’ve been in their shoes. Our role is to amplify the voices of real customers who’ve navigated real challenges.
Customer advocacy, then, is not just a marketing function, but the most honest, grounded, and human way to build trust in a world that often feels anything but.
Yes, advocacy supports many GTM functions. But its first job is to help buyers make confident, informed decisions—not to “convince” them. Advocates aren’t there to sell for you. They’re there to speak plainly and provide social proof that someone just like your prospect made a good call—and would do it again.
Shift the mindset: "We're not just closing deals—we're reducing buyer doubt."
The best advocacy programs are fueled by discovery, not just demand. Spend time listening to success calls, renewal conversations, support interactions—anywhere authentic customer praise naturally shows up. Then, elevate those real moments. Use tools (agents) and systems (like ReferenceEdge) to track advocate activity and find new stories, not just the same three logos.
Be a story scout, not a story shaper.
Not every advocate experience needs to be perfect, and that's okay. In fact, stories that show problem-solving, partnership and even redemption can build more trust than spotless testimonials. Buyers don't believe in perfect solutions. They believe in vendors who show up when it matters.
Courageous transparency builds more brand equity than polished perfection.
Too many advocacy assets focus only on the beginning: "Customer had problem, chose our product, succeeded." That’s a helpful narrative, but buyers want to know what happens after year one. Do you keep showing up? Does the value compound? Advocacy should show continuity and evolution, not just conversion.
Trust grows over time—your stories should show that.
How to apply it:
Too often, we try to "shape" customer stories to match our messaging framework. But savvy buyers can spot overly curated narratives a mile away. The most credible content comes when customers speak in their own language—warts and all.
Let them tell the story. Instead of asking, "How did we help you achieve x?" Ask, "What was going on before you started looking for a solution?" Start with their reality, not your pitch.
One of the fastest ways to lose trust with advocates is to overuse your most willing champions. It signals that you value output over relationship—and that your program is more transactional than respectful. Sustainable advocacy means respecting your customers' time (minimize/coordinate touch points), giving them choice and control over how they participate, and tracking engagement to avoid fatigue. Building trust between your company and your advocates is as important.
How to apply it:
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Be the voice that buyers can believe In a time when people don’t know what's real, the voice of an actual customer is gold. They've done the thing your prospect is afraid to do. They've already made the leap, solved the problem, and seen the outcome. When we lift their stories, we do more than support pipeline—we help buyers move forward with confidence, not coercion. And that’s what true customer advocacy is all about.
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