Social approval matters in today’s digital age. It’s no surprise that getting the approval of public personalities like celebrities or social influencers is one of the most effective ways to build brand awareness and increase sales. Customers trust and follow influencer endorsements just as much as celebrity endorsements.
But does your eCommerce business need influencer marketing? Do you really need it?
In this post, we’ll explore the benefits and drawbacks of influencer marketing for eCommerce businesses and discuss whether your business should consider implementing it into its overall strategy.
What Is Influencer Marketing?
Influencer marketing is a type of marketing strategy that uses the power of influential people— or “influencers” as they are popularly called– to promote and advertise a product, brand, or service. It has become increasingly popular in the world of eCommerce, as it can be used to reach wider audiences than traditional methods.
Influencer marketing works on the premise that people are more likely to purchase products or services that have been recommended by an influencer they trust.
Influencers are typically bloggers, vloggers, online celebrities, or content creators with large followings on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. They to review products through sponsored posts or advertisements, build relationships with their followers, and encourage them to buy certain items featured in posts.
Through this method, eCommerce businesses can tap into new markets and increase engagement with customers – ultimately driving sales.
Advantages of Influencer Marketing for eCommerce Businesses
The advantages of influencer marketing are numerous. We’ll discuss its benefits in more detail in a future post. But for now, we’ll summarize it to its three biggest benefits for online retailers:
- Quickly builds credibility and trust for your brand
Building customer trust and loyalty takes a long time. Research shows that it takes an average of two years for a customer to view a brand as one it can rely on.
If you’re looking to speed up the pace, influencer marketing campaigns offers high levels of trust and increased authenticity compared to traditional advertising methods.
Influencers already gained the trust of their followers and can create content that attracts views, high engagement, and impressive sales for your brand in a matter of weeks.
- Increase brand awareness
Influencer marketing has become the go-to strategy for businesses that are looking to increase brand awareness. With over 2 billion active social media users today, influencers have a wide reach and can be extremely effective in spreading the word about your brand.
The rise of influencer marketing has been a boon for business, especially for small companies and those breaking into a new market.
According to a survey, 25% of small businesses say they use influencers to acquire new customers and their social media marketing efforts.
By working with influencers, they were able to quickly build trust and credibility among their target audience by utilizing the power of influencer’s personal networks.
- Saves you money compared to traditional ads
Traditional advertising is an expensive, ongoing investment. Even pay per click (PPC) advertising, a form of marketing almost all eCommerce brands engage in, can get pricey in the long run.
Influencer marketing is cheaper and more effective.
When you work with influencers, you reach an already engaged audience which minimizes your customer acquisition costs. They also tend to charge a flat fee for each post or accept other forms of compensation such as gifts, comped events or travel, and sale commissions.
- Generate sales & Return on Investment
Influencer marketing is, by far, one of the most profitable brand marketing campaigns an eCommerce business can do. Research from the Influencer Marketing Hub found that businesses can expect an average return of investment of $18 for every $1 spent on an influencer marketing campaigns.
Influencer marketing also generates 11 times the ROI than using banner ads.
- Target Niche Audiences and Communities
Influencer marketing is great at hyper-targeting niche audiences and specific communities.
By using influencers who are already well known within a particular niche community, eCommerce businesses can tap into an engaged pool of potential customers that they may not be able to reach through traditional marketing tactics.
This gives them access to a very specific market segment, allowing them to tailor their messaging in a more targeted way than with other forms of advertising.
Disadvantages of Influencer Marketing for eCommerce Businesses
Although influencer marketing is an effective marketing method for eCommerce businesses, there are a few challenges that must be overcome to make an influencer strategy successful.
The first challenge is finding the right influencers who will provide value to your brand and resonate with your customer base. It’s important that you work with influencers who align with your company’s mission, values, and products. Working with the wrong influencer exposes your business to risks associated with an influencer’s negative publicity.
Additionally, it can be difficult to track the performance of an influencer campaign due to difficulty measuring ROI in terms of sales or followers gained directly from the campaign.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for an effective way to market your eCommerce business, then influencer marketing should definitely be taken into consideration as part of your strategy.
Remember to weigh the pros and cons of such a venture beforehand. When done right, influencer marketing can be an effective tool for driving sales and boosting revenues.
Additionally, investing in the right talent can help drive more eCommerce sales and keep customers engaged.
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