PrettyLittleThing is a prime example of a D2C brand benefiting from working with influencers. Why has the company worked with celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj? Because doing so enabled the brand to experience astronomical growth, becoming the fastest growing e-commerce fashion company.
Many D2C brands, such as Rouje, are following the trend, using this marketing method to help create a greater sense of awareness for their brand that leads to an increase in sales. And, it comes as no surprise that the global influencer marketing industry is expected to experience a drastic increase within the next two years, reaching $24.1 billion by 2025!
Knowing that brands are making a name for themselves using influencer content may inspire you to want to do the same. Here are the 7 main benefits of building an influencer marketing strategy for your D2C brand!
1. Brand Credibility
61% of consumers are trusting of influencer recommendations, making any brand that uses influencer marketing appear more credible.
More brands are focusing on building credibility with their targeted audiences by honing in on the power of influencer marketing. It helps them gain more attention and web traffic that converts.
American Eagle is not new to the fashion world. However, what was once considered a dying brand has revived itself by pairing with popular social media influencer Addison Rae. The partnership made it easier than ever for American Eagle to advertise its latest line of Mom Jeans. Haven’t heard of the hype? Head over to TikTok and type “American Eagle Mom Jeans” in the search bar. You will notice Addison Rae and dozens of other content creators showing off their purchases from American Eagle. As a result, the brand appears more credible and relatable than it has in recent years.
2. Lower Costs (Compared to In-House Content Creation Costs)
When you compare the costs of in-house content creation to influencer content, you can save quite a bit! If you're looking for a way to reduce advertising-related expenses, influencer content is a fantastic way to do so. Don't think it's possible? Ruggable is an excellent example of reducing advertising costs while still marketing to a large group of people. Best known for its two-piece rug system, Ruggable spent 25% less on influencer marketing and earned a 32% greater return on its investment. Spend less, save more, and see better results – What more could anyone want?
3. Authenticity
✨ 60% of marketers are in agreement that influencer-generated content yields better results and leads to an increase in engagement compared to conventional brand posts.
Being authentic helps you resonate with your audience and keep them engaged. Consumers prefer brands that appear transparent, open, and honest with them over those that follow shady or unethical practices. Focus on gaining attention and building a reputation for your authenticity, which you can do by collaborating with trustworthy influencers.
Rowse is one brand that helped consumers recognize its authenticity by relying on powerful influencer marketing strategies. The brand used popular social platforms, including Instagram, taking an omni-channel approach that helped them connect with an extensive audience. By coming off as more authentic, Rowse managed to gain more organic impressions that converted into an increase in overall sales.
4. Increased Social Content
⬆️ The number of people using social media worldwide has increased from 4.2 billion in 2021 to 4.62 billion in 2022. The number is only expected to continue increasing for years to come.
More social content available for people to find and see will play an essential role in helping your brand thrive and survive. As the number of social media users continues to climb, your potential to reach these individuals and convert them into followers and loyal customers becomes even more significant.
Nike is a popular brand with a massive following consisting of more than 150 million people on Instagram and 35 million on Facebook. The company leverages their following by posting to these social platforms. At times, the company uses influencer-generated content to gain more attention and appear more relatable. The key is to create content that consumers want to view instead of making everything look like a sales pitch.
5. Connection with Engaged Consumers (Brand Followers, Brand Communities, etc.)
🔥 85% of business owners believe branded communities have made a positive impact on their businesses.
Influencer content can help you build a solid brand community consisting of people who love your brand and the products you sell. When people come together to share something they're passionate about, such as the brand you've created and the high-quality products they can use to their advantage, it leads to more sales and more business. You should want to build a brand community that leads to customer loyalty because it will help you increase your profits and achieve tremendous success.
Popular cosmetics store Sephora created its Beauty INSIDER community to connect customers while providing a safe and welcoming space for all. Consumers can choose to join the community to ask questions, receive tips, check out product reviews, and learn so much more. And how does this benefit Sephora? It leads to more people buying from their site!
⚙ Recommended Tool: Do you want to start a community for your brand? If so, use WeWiink! WeWink simplifies the process of turning your most loyal customers into ambassadors for your brand. You can benefit from relying on this tool to build a positive and welcoming community full of your supporters.
6. Informed Customers
💄81% of retail shoppers take the time to research any product they’re thinking of buying before adding to cart and completing the purchase. These people are known as informed customers.
Informed customers don't mind spending extra time researching the details of products they plan to purchase beforehand. It's a task they're willing to take on if it means ensuring they're spending their hard-earned money wisely. The good news is that this can work to your advantage when using influencer content. While researching your products, these informed consumers may see the content created by influencers, ultimately being influenced enough to buy your products.
Studies show that a large portion of well-informed shoppers have decided to buy more store brand products rather than going for the high-end, name brand items, many of which will cost more. This is a good inclination that any brand can get ahead of the competition, even if they’re new, by offering competitive pricing on products that meet the mark.
💙 Bigblue Tips: Offer something extra to create a buzz surrounding your brand and its products. Known as product seeding, this is an excellent way to increase awareness for your brand and make more sales.
Unbottled has used this product seeding approach, giving away 100 shampoo products to the first 100 people to visit their establishment. The plastic-free personal care company has just opened a flagship, brick-and-mortar store in Paris, using Miss France, Alexandra Rosenfeld, to help bring in more shoppers. Because Ms. Alexandra Rosenfeld is an influencer, people were excited to see her and learn more about the products, so much so that they were lining up for over an hour to take pictures with her and Unbottled’s founders.
👉👉 Discover Unbottled’s success story with Bigblue
7. Increased Conversions
Influencer marketing can boost conversion rates. When developing a marketing strategy, the whole idea is to create a campaign that converts. If it doesn't convert, it tends to feel more like a waste of money, leading to frustration.
The good news is that many companies have noticed a drastic increase in their conversion rates since creating a strategy involving influencer marketing. If you're tired of dealing with poor conversion rates and are looking for a more effective way to reach your audience and turn them from consumers to customers, influencer marketing is an option worth considering.
DMC built a strategy that uses user-generated content and influencer marketing throughout various platforms to boost engagement with the consumers. Using this more modern and trendy approach to marketing has helped the established needlework material company broaden its reach while boosting conversion rates. The company has since had the opportunity to connect with entirely new audiences of people interested in buying from their brand.
When consumers see their favorite influencers praising a brand and its offerings, they often say to themselves, "Wow, that product looks amazing. I need to try it." And then they go to the website and buy it. Because of the difference influencer marketing can make for your conversion rates, it makes the most sense to connect with influencers and use them as part of your marketing strategy to reach your sales goals.