Our recent Influencers & Discount Clubs 2024 report underscores the profound influence of social media posts on buying decisions across all age groups. This pivotal role of influencers has led brands and retailers to strategically invest in creator collaborations. These partnerships merge the tangible allure of retail aisles with the vast reach of the digital in-feed, creating a unique shopping experience that resonates with today’s consumers.
When to engage retail-centric creators
Retail-centric creators are influencers or content creators whose content and online personas are centered around a specific retail store. They use their social media platforms to showcase products, often through in-store shopping vlogs, reviews, tutorials, unboxing videos, and lifestyle posts. How do you deploy retail-centric creators to support your sales? Brands have many opportunities to tap into the creativity of this cohort:
New product launch
When you’re launching a new product or line expansion, tap a retail-centric influencer to highlight it in-store. Their audience overindexes with highly engaged store shoppers, always ripe to try out the latest trend. The creator can walk followers to the location on the shelf, show it off, and offer tidbits about the price, promotions, and applications.
Limited time offer
Planning a limited-time offer (LTO) on a hot product? Let influencers highlight it in a short sponsored video clip. Sharing the clip with others will create a sense of urgency that encourages customers to act quickly.
Seasonal items
Invite influencers to take snaps or videos of all your options when seasonal items hit the shelves. Ask influencers to walk around your Back-to-School section or collaborate with family influencers to highlight Halloween costume ideas, blending their in-store shopping experience with the content of the product in use at home.
On a “quest”
To intrigue followers, ask influencers to shop your retailer to fulfill a quest. For example, an influencer might shop at a home goods store on a quest to redecorate their bedroom or a book influencer might be on a quest to find the best selection of romance novels.
Examples of campaigns with retail-centric creators
For some creators, their entire online persona is focused on their favorite stores. For example, to find Target deals, many social media users turn to accounts like target.magic and talktargettome. Discount stores like Costco and Sam’s Club each have similar channels run by influencers that focus solely on their store and their products. And, as you may guess, their expertise about the retailer also bleeds over to proficiency in producing posts in-store.
We have many examples of effective shopper marketing campaigns:
Finding a feel-good favorite
As summer swings into back-to-school season, everyone in the family is ready to reset routines. Danone tapped influencer @target_junkie to share the launch of their new REMIX snack options, and spread the word about the eligible Circle offer for a limited time.
Everyday, ultra-plush luxuries
Target Guests tagged along with Nicole on her trip to the store to search for the cushiest toilet paper money can buy. Along with other Target-centric creators, Nicole drove awareness and generated excitement about Quilted Northern’s Ultra Plush® SKU, which is available at Target nationwide.
Prep for the big game
When it’s game time, give influencers a quest to get game-day snacks. Look at the influencer who shopped at Sam’s Club for Pepsi products and then put everything together at home. She’s even rockin’ a Pepsi Co. jersey.
Product highlight
Silk tapped recipe, sustainability, and Costco-centric creators to highlight the unique value proposition and generate awareness of their Bee Better Certified™ Organic Almond Milk, sold exclusively at Costco.
Tips for effective influencer activations
To maximize the impact of your influencer activations, keep these best practices in mind.
Find niche influencers with in-store activation experience
As with any influencer campaign, influencer selection is important. You need influencers that share your target audience, are aligned with your brand, and ideally, have prior experience filming in-store content. It’s a skill to capture content while combating those fluorescent lights!
Content doesn’t have to end in-store
While retail-centric creators excel at featuring products in-store, the strategy doesn’t need to end there. Influencers could add a product tutorial recorded at home, for example, or an unboxing element outside the store.
Think beyond singular posts
Consider creating campaigns that include more than one shopping trip in your store. For example, don’t just invite influencers to feature your back-to-school items, ask them back when everything’s on sale, or ask influencers who shopped on a quest, like decorating a bedroom, to share a separate video of the installation and the final results.
Reach out to us to talk about when to work with retail-centric influencers and how best to leverage them for your specific goals.
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IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
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IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
Learn more about our
Managed Services offerings
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
Learn more about our Managed Services offerings
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
Learn more about our Managed Services offerings
