Faced with intense competition and a global marketplace, brands are looking for new ways to turn uncertain buyers into loyal customers. That is why online shop owners are increasingly willing to invest in influencer marketing. Facts also support their decisions – an increasing number of shoppers admit that they trust the recommendations of influencers more than the opinions published on the Internet. So how to start working with influencers to achieve maximum benefits?
Who is an influencer?
An influencer is a well-known person who can affect the decisions or opinions of others. By having extensive relationships with the audience, usually built through social media, the influencer brings together a committed community that is willing to take them as a role model.
How to start cooperation with an influencer?
In order for cooperation with an influencer to bring benefits to our online shop, we must, first of all, get to know our customers well. For example, if we run a sports shop, the recipients of our products will be both fitness fans and people who perform exercises from time to time. In such a case, you should choose one market segment for a campaign carried out with an influencer, so that your message matches your goal.
In the next step, choose a platform. To do this, we first need to find out which websites or applications are popular with our target audience. Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok or maybe YouTube? We have many opportunities. It is also worth verifying who our biggest fans are. Sometimes they may be the best choice when it comes to partnerships with influencers.
How to account for cooperation with influencers?
Before we start promoting our online shop in a campaign carried out with the help of opinion leaders, we have to agree with them on the terms of the settlement and prepare unique discount codes, vouchers or sales tags. In this way, we will know whether the cooperation is carried out according to the established rules and what benefits we can gain from it.
In what models can the work of the influencer be accounted for?
- Percentage of sales – in return for the promotion of your product, the influencer will receive a certain commission on sales. However, it is necessary to determine precisely in what form a given product is to be presented – product placement in the photo, product placement on IG stories, unboxing on YouTube, detailed review on a blog are some of the most popular forms.
- Reach – in this model of settlement we buy reach, i.e. a strictly defined number of people who can potentially be reached by a post prepared by the opinion leader. It should be remembered that the reach and professionalism of the influencer are the factors which have a decisive impact on the valuation of cooperation.
- Conversions – cooperation with influencers does not always have to be sales-oriented. Brand recognition is equally important. In the settlement model based on conversions, we can measure the volume of generated traffic on the website, the number of registrations for a newsletter or e-book downloads.
- The hybrid model – is a combination of two cooperation models – reach and percentage of sales. With a well-selected target group and product, you can achieve excellent campaign results.
- Barter – in this model of billing, the advertiser can give the goods to the influencer free of charge or exchange the product for an additional service provided by the opinion leader. In the settlement model based on conversions, we can measure the volume of generated traffic on the website, the number of registrations for a newsletter or e-book downloads.
Is it worth investing in influencer marketing?
Surveys conducted by Influencer Marketing Hub show that 84% of marketers evaluate actions with opinion leaders as effective. In turn, the report prepared by Nielsen shows that marketing campaigns conducted with the participation of influencers generate a return on investment of USD 6.50. Even posts with dedicated hashtags, which show purchases inspired by opinion leaders are popular on Instagram. Where does this trend come from? The community gathered around the influencers gives them great confidence. So, if they advertise a product and don’t do it aggressively, they are likely to encourage their audience to place an order. The viewers identify themselves with influencers and often imitate their behaviour. This is an excellent opportunity for e-commerce owners to promote their products and services effectively.