Influencer marketing is one of the most effective business tools used today. However, many young entrepreneurs neglect to include it in their marketing plan, believing only large, well-known brands can afford it. While this may be true in certain cases, there are plenty influence marketing opportunities for those starting a custom clothing shop and want to promote their designs.
Luckily, there are many ways to utilize the power of social icons. While some influencers have millions of followers, charging an obscene amount of money just to mention a product, there are also cost-free, successful ways to do this too. Use this as your guide to the world of influencer marketing. We’ve got you covered!
What is influencer marketing?
In the past decade, marketing trends have rapidly evolved at an overwhelming pace. It feels like the minute you adapt to one trend; a new trend is born. Influencer marketing has been a successful marketing technique, tried and true, for many years. When you stir the world of social media into the mix, influencer marketing, now, has a whole new meaning.
Consumers today, have become dependent on the thoughts and reviews of social influencers. It’s rare when someone walks into a store and asks an employee for suggestions or assistance. Instead, everybody is researching products online and watching tutorials and reviews. We’re constantly influenced by social icons every day, without even recognizing it. This is influencer marketing, this is why it’s essential for your online shop.
Who are influencers?
The term “social influencer” can have many opinions and meanings. One person may think social influencers are actors and actresses, others may think of influencers as bloggers. While both examples are correct, influencers are really, just social people with a following within a certain niche. The most important part to consider, is their network and their fan-base.
Like any business, social influencers too, can be large or small. Working with a large-scale influencer has its perks, but it comes with an intimidating price tag. Many small brands overlook how simple it is to work with small to mid-size influencers, entirely cost-free! They too, want to grow their brand, so they’re more willing to build relationships with other small businesses, like yours. Plus, smaller influencers generally have a more loyal following than large influencers.
Finding social media influencers
If you’re searching for influencers to collaborate with, it’s important to keep the idea of “quality over quantity” in mind. Don’t just look for a high follower count, look for motivated influencers who are confident in your product and believe in your brand.
Start with browsing through your current following. It’s probable you have some influencers that are already familiar with your brand and share similar interests too. Take your time and go through their content. Observing images and videos can help determine who’s suitable to promote your designs. Engage with these influencers and build a trustworthy relationship. The more you practice this, the more opportunities you have for your audience to grow!
Don’t get discouraged if an influencer doesn’t agree to work with you, it’s their loss. As long as you’re driven and confident in your designs, then your fan-base can only get bigger!
Influencer marketing examples and ideas
Have you ever gone on YouTube to watch reviews of a certain product, then hours later, find yourself buying a different product, completely unrelated to the one you essentially reviewed? Now, think back to how you got to that point. What drove you to buy something so irrelevant? Did your favorite YouTuber mention it? Did you watch a video offering a coupon code? Chances are, someone or something on YouTube influenced you to make that purchase.
On almost every social media platform, you can find examples of influencer marketing, just like this. Here are some examples to help you get started with your social influencer collaborations!
Are you a social influencer? Want to make money with your creativity? Monetize on your designs by opening a 100% FREE online shop today!