Influencer marketing is the new frontier for e-commerce. Whether you run a small Etsy shop or a dropshipping company with a mega online presence, influencer marketing could grow your business. While the e-commerce brand pays the influencer to share the content with his or her audience, consumers often relate this kind of endorsement to that of a trusted friend. Want to get started with influencer marketing for e-commerce? Explore these benefits and tips first.
What are the benefits of using influencer marketing in e-commerce?
Influencer marketing is commonly used among big brands, but this type of marketing is ideal for online brands too. By using influencer marketing, you can:
Promote your product or service authentically
When an influencer promotes your digital brand, consumers see it as a trusted suggestion. Sixty-two percent of all respondents say they are more likely to trust a sponsored post from an influencer over an A-list celebrity, according to our Trust in Influencer Marketing report. With a trusted endorsement, you’re more likely to drive sales.
Reach a pool of potential customers
An influencer shares their sponsored content on their channel, which means your brand is introduced to a new group of interested customers. Tapping into that kind of audience can have a big impact on your reach, brand awareness and sales.
You need to choose influencers wisely, but there are influencer discovery tools that can help you locate the right personality.
Promote your product on a budget
You don’t have to work with big-name influencers like beauty star Huda Kattan or Hollywood celebrities like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Every e-commerce business, even small ones, can use influencer marketing.
Influencers are often grouped by tiers. At the top, you have mega influencers with 1-5 million followers. These influencers are usually celebrities and charge a large fee for endorsed content. However, the cost of working with a nano-influencer (1K-10K followers) or a micro-influencer (10K-50K followers) is usually more budget-friendly for smaller e-commerce brands.
Tips for creating the best influencer campaigns
Before you reach out to content creators, consider these tips:
Use an influencer platform to find the right influencer
Finding an influencer can be tough. You need to be selective. The right influencer connects with your target audience, shares your brand’s values and creates engaging content.
You can sift through your social media comments for brand ambassadors, run a Google search or start mining social media profiles for the perfect influencer, but that all takes time. Influencer marketing platforms like The Creator Marketplace® act as a searchable database of influencers, complete with profiles, social media accounts and helpful metrics like engagement rates.
Have a plan and contracts ready to go
Before you reach out to any influencer, know what you want. Define the campaign, set goals, and identify KPIs. The first time you speak with an influencer, you should be able to explain the campaign and what you’d like to get out of it.
You’ll also need an influencer contract. The contract spells out the terms of the campaign and should include the:
- Deliverables. What kind of content will be delivered?
- Timeline. When is the content due?
- Approval process. How and who will approve the post?
- Hashtags and tags. List hashtags and people who should be tagged.
- KPIs. Explain how the campaign’s success is measured.
- Payment. How much will the influencer be paid, and when?
- Content ownership. Will your brand own the content or have rights to it?
Pick the type of content and platform wisely
Experts say Facebook and Instagram are the most effective social channels for e-commerce businesses, but it’s different for every brand.
Do your online customers respond to videos on YouTube, or do they prefer to browse pics on Instagram? Spend some time figuring out what kind of content you’d like to create, be it a written product review for Facebook, an Instagram photo of the influencer using your product, or a TikTok tutorial. You need to consider which kind of campaign will resonate most.
Use trackable links
To measure the campaign’s success, don’t forget to use trackable links. If you’re working with more than one influencer, give each one a customized link so you can separate your metrics.
If you use an advanced influencer marketing solution like IZEA Flex, tracking is easy. At the end of the campaign, you can not only see common metrics like reach and engagement, but you’ll see the amount of revenue generated by each influencer and determine your ROI for the campaign.
Repurpose the campaign’s assets
After the campaign, use the collateral in different marketing efforts to extend its use. To do so, you must ensure that your e-commerce brand has the right to use it after it’s published. Usually, an influencer remains the content owner but gives brands the right to use the picture or video for six to 12 months.
Consider adding the influencer’s review to your website, putting the endorsement photo in your next newsletter, or posting the video to your homepage.
With these tips, you can brainstorm your first influencer marketing campaign.
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Marketers:
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