How to Become a Brand Ambassador: 2025 Guide

When you hear “brand ambassador,” it’s hard to not picture Zendaya fronting Louis Vuitton campaigns or athletes cashing in on seven-figure sneaker deals. Celebrity endorsements like these are what people think of when they think of brand ambassadors—but the role isn’t only reserved for celebrities.

With global revenue nearing $33 billion in 2025, the influencer marketing scene is exploding, and tucked inside that growth is the rise of brand ambassadors.

What you should find motivating is this: To become a successful brand ambassador, you don’t need a million followers to get noticed. In fact, research shows just 14% of ambassadors deliver 80% of a brand’s impact.

That’s where you can come in. Ahead, learn how to become a brand ambassador, including the various ways you can position yourself, connect with brands, and make money while doing it.

What is a brand ambassador?

A brand ambassador, also called a brand advocate, is someone who represents a company in a positive light to boost awareness and sales. They may be paid or rewarded, but not always. Ambassadors embody the brand’s values and identity in how they act and communicate.

For example, GoPro’s brand ambassador program focuses on adventure and creativity: ambassadors get the latest gear and see their content featured on GoPro’s official channels, turning real experiences into marketing.

✨Get inspired: Solgaard, the travel and lifestyle brand built its ambassador program around a clear mission: cleaning up ocean-bound plastic with every purchase. The brand made it easier for creators to join the program, access affiliate links and discount codes, and track commissions in one place. In just six months, Solgaard’s ambassadors helped drive more than $50,000 in sales and fueled 287% month-over-month growth.

Brand ambassador vs. influencer

Both ambassadors and influencers use their platforms to promote a brand’s products, but the relationship, duration, and even the intent behind the content set them apart.

• A brand ambassador spreads positive word-of-mouth over time: They don’t need a blue checkmark or a six-figure follower count. Some are respected voices in their field; others are simply employees, partners, or loyal customers who believe in the brand and keep talking about it. 
• An influencer creates content for an audience that already pays attention to them: This is usually on Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok, and then they promote products through sponsored posts or campaigns. Type in #ad or #sponsored and you’ll see it in action: paid visibility with a short shelf life.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of brand ambassadors vs. influencers:

Brand ambassador career road map

Most brand ambassadors start small: handing out samples at events, posting on social media platforms, or representing a brand in-store. At first, it’s grassroots work. 

Once you have a track record, you move into senior brand ambassador territory. Now you’re training new ambassadors, running promotion campaigns, and becoming the go-to person for brand activations.

From there, doors open into the marketing world proper. Many ambassadors step into roles like brand manager or event marketing manager. When you have enough experience, you’re looking at titles like director of brand marketing, where you’re shaping the brand’s voice at the highest level.

However, there’s another path entirely: building your own brand first. Some of the most successful “ambassadors” flip the script—they create their own audience and platform then leverage that into lucrative partnerships.

Michelle Schroeder‑Gardner is a prime case study of how brand ambassadorship can launch a career. She started blogging about personal finance on Making Sense of Cents as a side hustle. Fast-forward, and she now charges an average of $20,000 per month for sponsored partnerships.

Payment models and income expectations

As of August 2025, the average brand ambassador salary in the US works out to about $20.21 an hour, according to ZipRecruiter. That’s roughly $42,000 a year—squarely in side-hustle-turned-entry-career territory.

But that’s the average. According to Launchmetric’s Brand Ambassador Marketing 2025 report, 34% of companies pay their ambassadors more than $500,000 a year. 

Here’s how the money usually breaks down—from freebies to six‑figure contracts:

A college student repping Red Bull on campus will earn very differently from a professional athlete fronting for Nike, even though both technically carry the “brand ambassador” title.

Here’s why exact earnings often differ between brand ambassadors:

• Experience: A first-time ambassador is usually proving their reliability, so brands keep the stakes low: free products, small stipends, or $200 posts. 
• Platform: Instagram and TikTok dominate the entry to mid range because they deliver quick reach and easy engagement. But the pay is lower per post because content is lightweight and short lived. YouTube, on the other hand, demands higher production effort and delivers evergreen or long-form engagement, which can lead to higher earings.
• Industry: Fashion and beauty brands often lead with free products and perks because sampling drives sales and the profit margins can support giveaways. Tech and fitness brands skew toward salaries or retainers because they’re selling higher-value products (like software or equipment), so one ambassador-driven conversion can justify thousands in payout. Luxury brands take it further, tying compensation to exclusivity and image control, which is why ambassadors in that space (Zendaya with Louis Vuitton, for example) can negotiate contracts worth millions of dollars or more.

In short, brands pay in proportion to the risk you remove and the value you create as their brand ambassador.

Pros and cons of being a brand ambassador

A brand ambassadorship is a substantial commitment. Consider the pros and cons of forming a long-term partnership with a brand before agreeing to a contract:

Pros of being a brand ambassador

• Steady income: A brand ambassador role can be a terrific way to earn money for people with the right skills. Forming an ongoing partnership with a brand can lead to a steady stream of income and reduce the need to look for additional monetization opportunities.
• Increased visibility: If you’re looking for greater publicity yourself, brand ambassadorships are a two-way street. Partnering with a major brand can give you access to a broad audience.
• Expanded network: Joining a brand ambassador program may help you expand your professional network since in-person events are opportunities to get to know other ambassadors and meet representatives from other brands.
• Professional development: Partnering with a brand can help you build marketing and analytics skills in addition to your content creation chops. You’ll get an up-close and personal look at how successful companies create campaigns to generate leads and increase brand awareness.
• Access to product discounts: Brand ambassadors often receive exclusive discounts and free products in addition to cash compensation.

Cons of being a brand ambassador

• Reputation risks: As a brand ambassador, you’ll be tied to the company you represent—for better or for worse. If the company makes a misstep or suffers from a PR crisis, it can have a negative impact on you as their brand partner.
• Time commitment: You’ll likely need to set aside time to attend events and create content to support your brand partners. Committing to a brand ambassadorship often means spending less time focusing on your personal content efforts.
• Compromise on content quality: Most brands ask ambassadors to create content featuring their products and following certain brand guidelines. Branded content may have a different tone than your organic posts, and sharing too much branded content may come across as inauthentic and negatively affect your engagement rates.
• Varied compensation: Some successful brand ambassadors earn significant income, but compensation is often based on performance and quite a bit of luck for both you and your partner organizations. If your followers aren’t likely to purchase products, you may not make much money from your partnership.

How to become a brand ambassador

If you’re (still) interested in taking on brand ambassador roles, take the following steps to make your social media feed appealing to potential brand partners:

1. Hone your voice

Work on building a strong personal brand online. Don’t be afraid to post niche content that focuses on a specific topic and establishes subject matter expertise. This can make your account appealing to relevant partners. If your area of focus aligns with the brand’s target audience, you’ll be a natural fit as their brand ambassador.

For example, if you love cooking, consider sharing your genuine passion for recipes as a food influencer. Once you’ve established your authority, you may be able to land a successful brand ambassador gig with cookware brands.

2. Grow your online community

Companies look for partners with active followings. Brands see an engaged audience as evidence that your community trusts you and that your content could influence followers to purchase.

To build that following, populate your social media accounts with high-quality content. Establish a regular posting cadence by planning a social media content calendar. Frequent posts will help attract followers, and creators with large follower counts are more likely to attract partnerships. Brand ambassadors are often compensated based on audience size—you’ll earn more money with more followers.

3. Up your engagement

Post authentic content to attract likes and comments and boost your engagement rate. Ask your followers questions. Solicit feedback to create natural opportunities for engagement. Write comments on other accounts’ content to help boost your page’s visibility. Follow other influencers and interact with their content. If they return the favor, your account will benefit from the exchange.

Companies look for brand ambassadors who can influence their followers. A high engagement rate shows brands that your audience is invested in your content and is paying attention.

4. Network with other influencers

Once you’ve established a cohesive online personality, get to know influencers who focus on similar topics. Building relationships with other content creators can lead to content partnerships. Consider collaborating with influencers you admire. Creating content together can help both partners reach new audiences. You may also learn from their experience about good potential brand partners (and maybe even some brands to avoid), plus other tips on how to become a successful brand ambassador.

5. Build an influencer kit

Think of this as your résumé for the creator economy. An influencer media kit is a one- to two-page snapshot you send to brands to show why working with you is worth it. It should feature a clean design, strong numbers, and a clear story about who you are.

💡Pro tip: Canva offers a large library set of free, customizable influencer media kit templates, so all you have to do is plug in your info and press Send.

To make it simple, here’s a checklist you can use as a starting point:

• About you: A short bio and what you stand for as a creator.
• Your platforms: Where you’re active (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, etc.)
• Audience demographics: Age, location, gender, interests.
• Engagement statistics: Average likes, comments, shares, views, etc.
• Follower counts: Totals per platform, plus growth rates if they’re impressive.
• Partnership highlights: Brands you’ve worked with, sponsored posts, and collaborations.
• Notable wins: Case studies, viral posts, or standout campaign results.
• Contact details: Email, social links, and how you want brands to reach you.

📚Read: How To Create an Influencer Media Kit: Steps and What To Include

6. Research brands

Before you jump into any partnership, do your homework. 

Start by scanning dedicated brand ambassador networks, like these popular options:

• Aspire.io: A platform that matches creators with DTC brands.
• Brandbassador: A hub for ambassador gigs across lifestyle, fashion, and beauty.
• Upfluence: Influencer marketing software with access to brand campaigns.
• Impact: Heavy on affiliate-style partnerships, often used by tech and retail brands.
• IZEA: One of the longest-running influencer/ambassador networks with paid campaign listings.

Also keep your eyes peeled for brand ambassador opportunities on job boards. Submitting a brand ambassador application may help you get your foot in the door.

Once you’ve got leads, dig deeper:

• Audit the brand: Read customer reviews. Scan social media. Would you be proud to tag them?
• Test the products: Don’t endorse what you wouldn’t actually use. Free stuff isn’t worth lost audience trust.
• Check brand values: Find ethically compatible brands whose values or ethics won’t tank your reputation.

💡Pro tip: Follow your favorite brands on social, tag them in your social media posts, and join their loyalty programs or ambassador sign-up pages. When you pitch, you’ll already have proof—real content and genuine enthusiasm—that shows why you’d be a natural fit. 

7. Build professional contacts

The brands with the best programs want to know you’re professional, reliable, and easy to work with. That means you’ll need to get comfortable with outreach.

Here’s how to start building your network of brand contacts:

• Network on relevant platforms: LinkedIn for brand managers, Instagram/TikTok DMs for social teams, and creator platforms like Aspire.io.
• Engage first: Comment on a brand’s posts, tag them authentically, or share their campaigns before you ever slide into their DMs. 
• Keep a tracker: Log which brands you’ve contacted, who you’ve spoken to, and what the next step is. 

Outreach templates you can steal

Top industries for brand ambassadors

Not all niches pay—or hire—the same. Here’s where opportunities cluster, why they do, and what typical pay looks like in each of these industries:

1. Beauty and skin care: Free product sampling drives sales, and profit margins can support generous gifting and affiliate payouts. Some affiliate programs pay you up to 50% for every sale.
2. Fashion and apparel: With constant new collections, there’s a steady demand for ambassadors who can keep audiences engaged. Pay typically includes affiliate rates of around 10% to 15%, along with campaign-based fees for posts or events.
3. Fitness and wellness: Here, you’ll often see a mix of free products, affiliate payouts, and seasonal bonuses. Field or event-based ambassador work can also pay hourly, with US averages around $20 to $30 an hour.
4. Tech and SaaS: Because a single conversion may be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars, these companies often structure deals as monthly retainers or even salaried roles. Glassdoor reports the average salary for a tech ambassador in the US is around $68,000 per year, with most earnings falling between $51,000 and $92,000.
5. Travel and hospitality: These brands rely heavily on ambassadors because experiences are easier to sell when people can see them in action. Compensation often includes sponsored trips—covering flights, accommodations, and activities—alongside direct payments for content. According to recent benchmarks, travel influencers average just over $200 per sponsored post.

Legal requirements and FTC guidelines

If you get value (e.g., money, products, trips, affiliate commissions, discounts) in exchange for your ambassadorship—that’s considered a material connection to a brand. The FTC says you must disclose it clearly and conspicuously. Clear disclosures protect trust with your audience and make brands more likely to extend long-term deals.

The latest official update on these guidelines comes from June 2023, when the FTC overhauled its Endorsement Guidelines to address social media, virtual influencers, and modern marketing realities like AI-generated content.

Here’s the quick, practical version of FTC guidelines for sponsored posts:

• When to disclose: Whenever a reasonable viewer might not understand you have a material connection (paid, gifted, affiliate, employee, family tie). Don’t assume it’s “obvious.”
• How to disclose: Make your disclosure hard to miss and easy to understand.
• Put #ad or plain-language disclosures where people will see them—not hidden in a collapsed caption, a bio, or only on your profile page.
• Videos: Put the disclosure in the video itself (spoken + on-screen text), early and in a readable size; don’t rely only on platform toggles.
• Livestreams: Disclose periodically so late joiners don’t miss it.
• Affiliate links: Say they’re affiliate links (e.g., “I earn a commission if you buy through my link”).
• What not to do:
• Don’t use vague tags like #sp, #spon, or bury disclosures at the end of a long caption. Don’t rely on small or fleeting text.
• Don’t make product claims you can’t substantiate; both you and the advertiser can be liable.