Having an army of fans is a fantastic word-of-mouth asset — but that’s only half the job. The other part is getting them to take action — this is where the power of word of mouth really starts to make itself apparent.

While most fans would love to help you, they might not be sure where to start, or where their efforts could really make a difference. But with a little encouragement and hard work on your end, you can turn these fans into true ambassadors.

Three ways to do it:

• Keep it focused. General requests will only leave your fans confused. Get fans moving by focusing on specific actions like posting a review, voting for you for an award or submitting a testimonial.
• Show them what it means to you. It’s a lesson nonprofits and political campaigns know well: If you show them exactly how their contributions will make a difference, they’re much more likely to take action.
• Make it fun. Motivating your busy fans to take action is hard enough — having a depressing, end-of-the-world theme to it won’t help. Regardless of your cause, industry or fan base, there’s always room to inject positive vibes into what you’re doing.

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• Andy’s Answers: How Cargill used social to drive product sampling