Influencer Marketing in Retail: Is it right for your brand?
Influencer Marketing is becoming one of the most valuable tools for a marketer. When done well, working with influencers can help with boosting awareness, connecting with customers and, ultimately, driving sales.
But that doesn’t stop retailers from questioning the fit. When it comes to influencer marketing in retail, the burning question is always, ‘is it right for my brand?’
In fairness, this is a smart question to be asking. At the end of the day, every business is different and the strategy that works for one, may not work for another. Couple this with the fact that we’re in the midst of a content shock, and the need for tailored and effective content becomes even clearer.
So, how can you be sure influencer marketing is right for your brand?
Marketability
Working with an influencer potentially means exposing your product to an audience of hundreds of thousands, so it needs to be marketable to them.
Make no mistake, if your product is niche, then influencer marketing may still be possible. It all comes down to picking the right influencer. There are different types of influencers for different types of products and targeting a smaller one with a dedicated following will be more useful for a niche product than a celebrity influencer with millions of fans.
A good influencer marketing agency can advise on strategy and provide suggestions as to which influencer will work best, but a good starting point is understanding exactly what your appeal is and who your target market will be. You may find that your demographic doesn’t align with certain influencers on certain platforms, in which case a new strategy needs to be thought out.
Long-term Goals
It’s also important to think about your long-term goals before considering influencer marketing. Knowing exactly what you want to gain from a campaign will help you decide whether it will be a good fit.
Influencer marketing works best for brands who want to engage with their customers on an emotional level and build long-lasting trust, it’s not necessarily a quick fix to boost sales.
Existing Social Profile
Social media is at the heart of modern-day influencer marketing, so having an existing social presence will give you a distinct advantage. When an influencer shouts out your brand, you need to be able to be tagged and identified so the audience knows who you are. With no social presence, an influencer campaign simply won’t work as well.
Ultimately, deciding if an influencer campaign is right for your brand comes down to the following questions: Do you know who you’re marketing to? Is there an influencer whose audience fits your product? Do your goals align with the potential results of an influencer campaign? And, finally, do you have enough of a social profile to reap the benefits?
If the answer to these questions is ‘Yes’, then it’s time to get started on building a winning influencer marketing campaign.
This article was written by Ed East, Founder and CEO of Billion Dollar Boy, an influencer marketing agency based in London and New York.
