In the social media era, retail brands constantly seek innovative ways to connect with their target audience and drive sales. One such strategy that has gained significant traction in recent years is influencer marketing. We delve into the best practices for retailers looking to leverage influencer marketing, as recommended by industry experts.
From defining your target audience to collaborating with influencers who align with your brand's values and niche, these tips help retailers maximize their reach and impact. Stay tuned as we unravel these expert insights to guide you through the importance of creating unique discount codes for influencers, embracing diversity, and leveraging user-generated content, among other strategies.
Sense of Urgency: FOMO
"Something retailers should focus on when initiating influencer campaigns is that the most successful campaigns often create FOMO. In fact, 60% of people make decisions based on FOMO, and they do it quickly, usually within 24 hours."
"For retailers, whether you are driving traffic to a pop-up or just trying to get shoppers to your physical location, you should focus your campaign on an experience or aspiration your target customer would want to have at your location or with your products. From there, you can work with the influencer to create the right video content to make viewers want to take action and be a part of the trend or the crowd."
"Of course, you always want to align with the right influencer with the basics, like their mission and values, understanding their audience and engagement, etc."
Kristen Shea, President at Society22 PR
Engagement Rate Matters
"If you're a brand looking to work with influencers or get started in the influencer space, remember that the amount of followers and even the engagement rate is not the end all; be all for a partner. Don't work with someone based on them having millions of followers."
"Sometimes the most effective influencer partners and those that bring the biggest ROI are the influencers with a small but strong audience. Look at the comments on an influencer's posts and see if their followers are interested in the products they're using."
"Make sure all of an influencer's content is aligned with your brand, from the images they post to the comments they receive. Do they keep their comments turned on? Are their followers real, or are they bots? Are their followers genuinely interested in what they're talking about?"
"Work with someone who generates content that would resonate with your brand and that your brand would resonate with their audience."
Courtney and Lindsey Glasser, Founders of Grey Bandit
Brick-and-Mortar: Unique Experiences in Store
"When working with influencers, retailers should craft campaign briefs that truly encapsulate the essence of the in-person shopping experience — and not try to be like their DTC counterparts."
"While DTC brands can get by with shipping products to influencers to try and test at home, retailers can create unique experiences for influencers and guests who arrive at their store. By showcasing the entire shopping experience (and every stage of the marketing funnel — from consideration to advocacy!), retailers can show off what makes their experience unique."
"Lean into the expertise of each influencer you select and trust that they know their audience best. Every influencer on our roster has a vastly difference audience, even if their general demographics are similar (it's true, not all 24-35-year-old American women are the same!)."
"These influencers have taken years to cultivate a relationship with their audience and know what type of content will speak to their demographic. Have purposeful conversations with each influencer and discuss what type of content has performed well for them in the past with previous brand campaigns to understand how to maximize the partnership."
Ashley Macey, Senior Account Manager at Vive Social PR
Limited Time Offer
"Creating a sense of urgency and relevancy drives consumers to take action. If it feels like something has a limited-time benefit, consumers are given a reason and are more likely to engage. When focusing on price, be sure to work with influencers who authentically speak to the value as a core message -- this drives home the key messages in a genuine way and is more likely to be received by the intended audience."
Keith Bendes, VP of Strategy at Linqia
