With ever changing marketing trends, apparel brands are always adopting new strategies to remain relevant and competitive in the industry. For direct to consumer and eCommerce brands, the majority of marketing is conducted online through various digital platforms. The societal power of social media has created an entirely new space for digital marketing known as influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing is when brands partner with nano or micro-celebrities with large social media followings to promote their products on their personal platforms. This new marketing strategy has been adopted by many brands, especially in the fashion and beauty industries, due to its proven effectiveness and affordability.
Influencer marketing is a great strategy for brands with target consumers of Gen X and millennial age. With a consumer base nearly engulfed in social media, brands are able to meet their target customers right where they are, on the platforms that they use daily. In addition to the ease in reach, influencers tend to have more personal and meaningful engagements with their audiences compared to bigger name celebrity counterparts. When influencers promote a product to their niche community of followers, their audience tends to trust their opinion as if it were coming from a friend, and thus are more likely to purchase said product. According to Shopify, “61% of consumers trust influencers’ recommendations–more than 38% who trust branded social media content.”
Another attractive feature of brand deals is their affordability in comparison to the cost of traditional platforms and resources used for advertising. In the long run, partnering with influencers has proved to be more cost effective in comparison to other paid media tools. The influencer marketing industry is booming at a worth of $13.8 billion and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
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