In an increasingly digital world, consumers are turning more and more to e-commerce retail. Indeed, e-commerce is the fastest-growing segment in the retail industry. Internet retailing is the modern way of shopping.
But why? Covid-19, because it’s time-saving and because of social media.
The State of the retail industry
As a matter of fact, during the 2020 pandemic, millions of people were forced to stay at home. Even after the pandemic, people got used to this new way of consumption and many wanted to avoid crowded stores. Retail platforms have seen an unprecedented global traffic increase between January 2019 and June 2020. Overall, retail websites generated almost 22 billion visits in June 2020, up from 16.07 billion global visits in January 2020.
Moreover, consumers are now more dependent on social media to research products and services. Influencers help provide the message of the brand and share a genuine story or recommendation. In addition to that, the different social media platforms are each proposing their own social commerce features. Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter and soon Amazon, are all offering these new tools that you can leverage for your brand.
Benefits of collaborating with influencers for brands
As we mentioned, COVID-19 has created opportunities to win new retail customers online, but it has also created new consumer expectations. Retailers feel the pressure and are taking proactive measures to compete online without forgetting the offline DTS.
Here are some benefits of working with content creators:
- Increase awareness and reinforce a strong brand image in people’s minds.
- Strengthen the reputation and legitimacy of private labels versus national brands.
- Generate brand preference and boost drive-to-store.
- Build communities of brand lovers and advocates. But also reach new consumers through different touchpoints, e.g. rejuvenation with social media.
Leveraging influencers in your marketing strategy will strengthen your brand image as content creators convey a feeling of authenticity and trust. Here are some insights you need to be aware of:
- 90% regularly read ratings & reviews before deciding on a product or service, both for online (83%) and offline purchases (60%)
- +57% higher contribution to brand exposure with influencers
- 71% of consumers trust #ads & #opinions from influencers
- Reviews influence 94% of consumers in discovering a local retailer
- 85% of consumers trust User Generated Content more than brand content
5 tips to leverage influencers
If you’re still wondering if influencer marketing is a good fit for your brand, here are some of the most effective ways in which an influencer can help increase your brand awareness and boost your sales:
1. Discount codes
Offering discount codes is a good way to boost conversions. Those discounts can be shared with the sponsored content of the creators, creating a feeling of exclusivity for the consumer. So not only can you tap into an influencer’s audience, but also encourage them to make a purchase.
2. Affiliate links
When you ask influencers to promote your products, you can provide them with unique affiliate links. Just like the discount codes, when someone makes a purchase using that link, they’ll get a discount and the influencer earns a commission. These links can give your brand more visibility and drive more traffic to your product pages.
3. Annual plan
One of the most effective strategies you should consider as a brand from the retail industry is an influencer marketing annual plan. This solution allows to:
- Adapt the campaigns to the retailer’s high points during the year
- Adapt the campaigns to product category highlights
- Adapt the campaigns to the different product launch
Discover more details of an annual plan we put in place together with Carrefour in France in our Retail Industry influencer marketing guide.
4. Invite influencers to events
Whether you’re launching a new product or just celebrating your brand’s success, make sure to invite the influencers you worked with. This is a good way to boost your brand visibility as the influencer can create some content out of it. (short videos, stories, pictures etc). In addition, to gain some good publicity this will strengthen your relationship with the influencers you worked with. They will feel more valued and it will allow your brand to build a long-term partnership with them which automatically increase consumer trust.
5. Showcase influencers’ testimonials
As we have seen with our Ratings & Reviews survey, influencers’ testimonials on products are very much appreciated and trusted by their audience. After the campaign, this social proof can be a real credibility asset to showcase on your website and social media.
For retail businesses, genuine reviews and recommendations from influencers coupled with discount codes can really help to drive traffic to the website but also drive to stores. There is a world of new opportunities for retailers. Want to turn these opportunities into realities? At Territory Influence we put a particular importance on finding the best influencers and powerful voices to amplify and promote your brand values. You can have a look at our Retail Industry Guide to discover different case studies from your industry and contact us if you wish to have a tailored made strategy for your brand.
For more in-depth tips, keep updated on our B2B social media channels: Linkedin & Instagram.