Stephanie Shapiro
Influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful tool in recent years for businesses aiming to connect with their target audience in new ways. This modern advertising strategy utilizes the popularity and reach of influential individuals to promote products or services. By leveraging the influence and credibility of individuals with significant followings across social media platforms, brands can amplify their message and reach a broader demographic.
Companies who haven’t yet researched how this form of advertising can be woven into their business strategies are missing out on a popular way to engage customers. Influencers boast dedicated followers that trust their opinions and recommendations, and many often have specific niches or demographics they cater to. By partnering with the right influencers, businesses gain access to their followers, expanding brand visibility and reaching potential customers who might not have otherwise engaged with the brand. It is another way for businesses to directly target their desired audience, ensuring that their message resonates with potential customers who are more likely to be interested in their products or services.
While larger companies enjoy the credibility brand partnerships bring, smaller companies can swim in this pool too. Influencers are typically broken down into four main categories: nano influencers (1K-10K followers), micro influencers (10K-100K followers), macro influencers (100K-1M followers), and mega or celebrity influencers (1M+ followers). Just because you may not be at a place to hire a Kardashian to promote your wares does not mean you can’t find local influencers who will create a great splash for you. In fact, one of the biggest draws to using influencers to market your business or products is the authenticity they bring, and working with people who would actually be a customer will get you much further. Influencers are seen as relatable figures rather than faceless brands, making their endorsements and product placements more credible and trustworthy in the eyes of their followers.
Working with influencers also brings diversity to a brand’s content. They are typically responsible for creating engaging and innovative content to showcase the products they are paid to promote. By allowing them the creative freedom to integrate your products into their feed, the partnership feels more authentic and helps would-be customers to imagine how your products can fit into their lives as well. This boosts engagement in addition to brand awareness.
We are seeing a shift in how brands employ and engage with the influencers who promote their products. One-time collaborations rarely see any real return on investment (ROI), so creators and brands alike are seeking long-term relationships. I recently connected with Callie Richards, a full time influencer and style and travel blogger with Hot Pink and Glitter. From her experience, she suggests offering no-strings attached gifting to creators who generate content you like and who you think may be a good fit to first see if they even like your brand and product(s). If they do, then you can begin to discuss content and posting, affiliate linking, etc., and start with a minimum 3-6 month plan to work together before deciding if they can convert their followers to shoppers.
One of the biggest changes we are seeing in influencer content is a focus on natural integration of the products they are paid to advertise versus a straightforward product review, which can feel more like an ad. An example would be an influencer talking about the products they’re using or the clothes they’re wearing while filming a GRWM (get ready with me) video. This shows real-life usage and reinforces authenticity. Influencers who lean into actualizing intimate-feeling content create a stronger relationship with their audience.
Anyone with marketing experience will tell you that you must tackle your outreaches from multiple angles. On average, it takes eight touches before a sale is made. With advertising, a general rule of thumb is that it takes up to five views to read it, up to 10 views to become memorable, and up to 20 views to become a conversion. This is another reason why using a longer, layered approach with your partnerships is a great way to increase brand awareness and loyalty.
While working with influencers can be a fun part of the gig, ultimately, both parties are there to do a job and reach determined goals. Making sure you are analyzing the performance of influencer campaigns is critical. Metrics such as engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversions provide tangible insights into the effectiveness of the campaign, enabling businesses to measure their return on investment accurately and objectively.
Though there are numerous positive reasons to consider integrating influencer marketing into your strategy, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out some things to be wary of. An influencer’s “bread and butter” is their personal brand, and it’s that brand that people connect with. An influencer can fall out of favor with his or her audience, taking your branding with them. The internet is a fickle place, and we’ve seen once beloved faces crash and burn time and again. You must consider what kind of legalese needs to be included in your contract to mitigate an influencer’s engagement in controversial behavior. This could harm your reputation by association, regardless of the brand's (lack of) involvement in the influencer's actions.
I mentioned earlier the breakdown of influencers by followers, which is typically calculated across all platforms. While these tiers can give you a rough idea of your potential investment in them, you’re still working with individuals who may demand substantial fees, limiting collaborations for some smaller businesses. Additionally, managing these partnerships and campaigns requires dedicated resources and time. You must ensure that the content created by influencers aligns with your brand image and values. Misalignment in messaging or content quality may harm your reputation and create confusion among potential customers.
And despite the availability of analytics tools, attributing direct sales or conversions solely to influencer marketing can be challenging. Determining the precise impact an influencer had on consumer behavior or sales often involves multiple touchpoints, making it difficult to isolate the influencer's role.
The success of influencer marketing campaigns can be unpredictable. Factors like changes in algorithms or shifts in audience interests can impact a campaign's effectiveness, making it less dependable than other marketing strategies. You must also consider any potential oversaturation of influencer-sponsored content. An overabundance of this can lead to audience fatigue. If followers perceive your chosen influencers’ content as being overly promotional or insincere, you may both lose them, potentially resulting in negative sentiment toward your company/brand.
Ultimately, every company must evaluate their own goals and weigh the costs and benefits of all aspects of their potential marketing strategies. What works for one brand or one product will not necessarily work for another. For online retailers, leveraging influencer marketing can be a strategic, winning approach to expand their reach, drive sales, and establish credibility in the competitive e-commerce landscape. However, challenges such as budget constraints, dependency on influencer engagement, maintaining brand alignment, and navigating legal obligations must be carefully considered and managed to maximize the benefits of influencer partnerships. Successful collaborations with influencers require a thoughtful selection process, clear communication, and a mutual understanding of goals to create compelling and authentic content that resonates with the retailer’s target audience. When executed effectively, influencer marketing can be a valuable asset for online retailers, fostering brand growth and customer loyalty in the digital realm.