Customer Advocacy and B2B Retention in a Bear Market

When budgets tighten and growth slows, customer advocacy program managers—especially those who’ve focused mainly on pre-sales influence—may be entering their first bear market. If that’s you, it’s time to pivot. A recent Gartner Survey finds 73% of CSOs are prioritizing growth from existing customers for 2025 (i.e., retention & expansion vs. net new revenue).

Now is the time to get closer to Customer Success. Help CSMs use advocates to save potential non-renewals and expand existing accounts. Retention and cost savings are top-of-mind for execs, and your program needs to evolve with that reality—or risk being seen as overhead.

Luckily, the case for advocacy-led retention is plenty compelling.

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According to Forrester, 95% of marketing decision-makers say formal advocacy programs are more critical now than ever before. These programs are recognized as growth enablers—not just because they drive awareness, but because they deepen engagement and loyalty across the customer lifecycle.‍

IDC backs this up with evidence that advocacy programs support both acquisition and retention. They help formalize and scale customer engagement, turning happy users into vocal supporters, and brand awareness into brand allegiance.

Nutshell puts it simply: customers who participate in advocacy programs are more likely to remain loyal. These customers already believe in your value, and their involvement in your program deepens that belief. It’s psychological consistency in action—people stick with what they’ve endorsed.

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This matters now more than ever. With shorter renewals and lower switching friction in B2B tech, customers are constantly evaluating whether to stay or go. And in markets where net-new demand isn’t growing, the pressure shifts to expansion and retention—what Forrester calls “customer obsession.”

So how do you make your advocacy program indispensable?

• Collaborate with Customer Success. Use advocates as strategic tools to support at-risk renewals or influence account growth.

• Prioritize the right metrics. Think beyond MQLs—focus on Net Revenue Retention (NRR), expansion revenue, and Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV).

• Map the full journey. Support onboarding and usage, not just pre-sales, with advocacy stories and touchpoints.

• Engage users, not just execs. Disengaged users are the most common trigger for switching. Win their hearts, not just their logos.

And here’s the kicker: this is a pretty easy story to tell. Pull a report that compares renewal rates of advocates vs. non-advocates. Show your leadership that advocacy isn’t just a warm and fuzzy program—it’s a retention engine.

Customer advocates are objectively more loyal. That’s not a soft benefit—it’s your hedge against churn.

In a downturn, loyalty becomes your most undervalued asset. Time to make it your strategy. Contact us today to learn how!

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