Most Heads of CS see advocacy as the finish line. If they even think about it at all, honestly.

The customer gives you a testimonial or leaves a review after they've received some value from your product and that's it. Box checked. On to the next thing.

But that's a fundamentally broken way to think about advocacy. And it's costing you growth.

Advocacy Is a Flywheel, Not a Finish Line

World-class Heads of CS understand that advocacy isn't the end game. It's a continuous cycle - what I call the "Advocacy Flywheel."

Advocacy fuels acquisition. Acquisition leads to more customers. More customers become advocates. Those advocates increase their participation in advocacy activities. And it repeats - creating a self-perpetuating loop of growth that compounds over time.

This isn't theoretical. This is how the best SaaS companies in the world grow efficiently.

Why the Flywheel Beats the Funnel

The traditional approach treats advocacy as a transaction. "Can you leave us a G2 review? Great, thanks." Then you never ask again. Or worse, you ask the same person for the same thing over and over until they stop responding.

The Flywheel model is different. It recognizes that advocacy is a relationship, not a transaction. And like any relationship, it deepens over time when you invest in it.

A customer who starts with a review might eventually do a reference call. Then a case study. Then a conference talk. Then an introduction to a prospect. Each step builds on the last. Each step creates more value - for them and for you.

Making the Flywheel Spin

The Flywheel doesn't spin on its own. You need to build the system:

  • Start with value delivery - no one advocates for a product that isn't working for them. Get the basics right first
  • Create a progression path - map out advocacy activities from low-effort to high-effort and guide customers through them naturally
  • Recognize and reward - not necessarily with swag or gift cards, but with access, visibility, and genuine appreciation
  • Feed the results back - show advocates the impact they're having. Show your team the pipeline that advocacy is generating. Make the flywheel visible

When advocacy is treated as a one-time ask, it produces one-time results. When it's treated as a flywheel, it produces compounding growth. The choice should be obvious.