In a earlier PR lifetime, I represented magnificence and private care manufacturers, promoting shampoos and deodorants. I discovered lots about influencer advertising from that have. A lot in order that I assumed I had it nailed.
So it got here as a shock to me once I landed my present position, main influencer advertising for a house items model, and realized it might require a very totally different technique and method.
It seems there’s a vital distinction between advertising low-cost merchandise prospects frequently change, and high-ticket merchandise they’re hoping will see them by means of a number of years.
Three years in, right here’s what I’ve discovered:
1. The dearer the product, the longer the patron journey.
Whereas hairspray is perhaps an impulse purchase, thrown in-basket on the pharmacy, an merchandise like a sofa is usually a rigorously thought of buy over a number of weeks, if not months. It should probably take many (and I imply many) advertising touchpoints together with your buyer to remain in consideration all through their procuring journey.
How does this affect the way in which you have interaction influencers?
Effectively, you might need to take into account partnering with nano and micro creators, the place you may get extra content material on your funds.
With a smaller creator, you may get three to 6 posts over a number of months for a similar funding you would possibly put in the direction of one put up with one other bigger one.
This retains you in your viewers’s social feeds for a long run. Hopefully, they is perhaps following a number of creators in your community, which means you’re persistently popping up on their radar with content material from totally different sources they belief.
One other profit is that smaller creators additionally are inclined to have extremely engaged audiences, who could also be extra tuned in to their product suggestions. (Though that’s to not say there isn’t a number of worth in partnering with bigger creators as effectively! Each obtain totally different objectives.)
2. Lengthy-term opinions matter extra with high-ticket advertising.
Product opinions are one of the crucial influential content material sorts within the fashionable purchaser journey. One other benefit of working with smaller creators on extra long-term partnerships is that they’ll share these up-to-date opinions over time.
For a product like a mattress, for instance, it’s one factor for a creator to put up their unboxing expertise and share that that they had an amazing first night time’s sleep. What’s much more impactful is listening to from them once more three months later, with an replace that they’re nonetheless dozing off easily.
When individuals make investments a good chunk of change in one thing, they need to really feel assured they’ll see the return on that funding over time, so avoid one-off partnerships in favor of people who final at the very least a couple of months.
3. Exclusivity is extra necessary when partnering with influencers on high-ticket merchandise.
Once I labored within the magnificence area, I wasn’t all too involved with influencer exclusivity phrases. It’s fairly normal for a magnificence influencer to share their favourite eyeshadow from one model in the future and their new lipstick obsession from one other the following. Most make-up fans store from a number of manufacturers anyway.
Alternatively, it’s uncommon for somebody to interchange their fridge greater than as soon as a decade. An influencer posting about their new fridge from one model in January and one other from a special model in October may increase some eyebrows with their followers and harm belief within the endorsement.
Because of this, I recommend searching for lengthy exclusivity phrases for long-term merchandise—even as much as a yr.
4. Product value impacts your influencer advertising program funds.
Excessive-value merchandise can affect your total program prices, so all the time account for them when setting your funds. You may also use the product as a part of your negotiation technique, providing it as partial compensation to decrease influencer charges.
Regardless, bear in mind to not depart this value out while you’re constructing your program funds! You don’t desire a nasty shock while you’re calculating prices on the finish.
5. Inbound request programs can result in essentially the most genuine partnerships.
One of many lovely advantages of getting a high-ticket product is that some influencers who’re already followers of your model is perhaps focused on shopping for it and would like to pay for it through content material slightly than buying it themselves.
Arrange a type the place influencers can apply to work with you. Many might be open to discounting their charges in trade for receiving the product they’re searching for in a well timed method, to satisfy a right away want.
For instance, perhaps they’re shifting into a brand new house and are eager to interchange their mattress body with one they like out of your furnishings model. These additionally make for essentially the most genuine partnerships, as their followers are already engaged of their shifting course of, and their partnership with a furnishings model appears like a pure match.
Key takeaway: Make influencers your secret weapon for high-ticket advertising this yr.
So whereas high-value merchandise might require a special method than their cheaper counterparts, influencer advertising can completely be an efficient software to get your product on the market!
Think about the patron journey, prioritize long-term opinions and exclusivity, think about
product value, and arrange an inbound request system, and also you’ll be beginning off robust.
