I just found myself posting a comment to a question on someone else’s Facebook wall about the subject.  I’m now posting here to share with those that might not have access to said wall.  Here’s the wall post…

Here’s my two cents, for whatever it’s worth.

To me, brand ambassadors should be selected on the following criteria:

1. they’ve demonstrated an affinity to the product (or in this case issue) on a consistent basis with no material connection before being considered.
2. they have subject matter expertise related to the brand (or brand’s industry) or issue.
3. they have established credibility with the target audience that the brand or policy seeks to engage.
4. they are willing to be accountable to the brand or policy as ambassador for a mutually agreeable amount of time.
5. there are no existing conflicts of interest through existing relationships with other brands or policies.
6. All of the above: when I identify potential spokesbloggers for clients, an affinity for the brand or a shared mission are more valuable to me than being on any list, having the most traffic, and especially having been selected for lots of other campaigns.
   

I want a true partner for my client. Influencers who are choosy and don’t say “yes” to every opportunity while remaining content-driven and establishing a clear point of view will end up having a more lucrative career as spokespeople. Those who tend to take on a lot of smaller, less meaningful (and “meaningful” can only be defined by one’s self), will find that they don’t get those bigger opportunities.