Fifty years ago, we listened to Jack Lalanne tout the powers of juicing for optimum physical fitness on The Jack Lalanne Show. Thirty years ago, Suzanne Somers claimed her spot in advertising history with the Thighmaster™ infomercial. Today’s savvy viewer is no longer bound to enjoy video content through OTA television alone, nor to advertising in the form of commercials. We can just click to skip ads or sign up for ad blockers to enjoy our content ad-free, but advertising is definitely not dead. We see the modern-day equivalent of Jack and Suzanne in social media influencers.
An influencer is an individual with a large following or fan base who has credibility to sway consumers toward a particular product or service. Partnering with an influencer can be a powerful marketing tool for your Private Label Brand. To develop and implement an influencer marketing campaign, follow this handy guide.
Identify
Do you need a blogger, an Instagram makeup tutorial model, or an #influenster review on Twitter? SocMetrics, Appinions, and other digital tools give you the power to find the most relevant influencers for your product. They offer an easy analysis of the social media landscape for the most influential influencer profiles based on geography, category, and other demographic data. Carefully review your data, then pick an influencer.
Form a relationship
Once you find the best influencer for your product, reach out and attempt to develop a relationship before asking her out-of-the-blue to recommend your Private Label product and, therefore, your Brand. Send a quick, simple message on Facebook or Twitter explaining who you are, and what your company does. Share your philosophy. Direct the influencer to your website. Inviting the influencer to see what you’re really all about will help her get a better feel for your company.
Ask for a review
Once you’ve developed a positive working relationship with your influencer, ask for a review for your Private Label product. This could be as simple as sending a free product, or it may cost hundreds (or even thousands!) of dollars. Decide what fits best with your company’s philosophy and budget, and make a deal that works for both you and your influencer. Above all, ask for an honest review. It’s the ethical thing to do, and your customers will respect you for it.
Simplify access to content
Your influencer may be getting some kind of compensation, but ultimately, it’s your Private Label company that will benefit from the increased exposure as a result of the product review. Views should drive sales. Make it easy-peasy for her to share content with her followers. SocialChorus and other online tools make it simple for your influencer to integrate into her Facebook pages, YouTube channel, and other social media portals.
Mind the FTC!
It is an FTC requirement that any and all material connections between your company and your influencer are disclosed. (When I learned that, I thought, “So that’s why I always see ‘#ad’ on Twitter!”) Be ethical, follow the law, and make sure your influencer properly discloses your material connections.
Once you utilize the power of an influencer to promote your Private Label product, you’ll increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, and increase sales. Your wallet will thank you in the long run! If you need additional help navigating the complicated field of Private Labeling, our 5 Day Fast Track Bootcamp to Private Labeling Training Series is a great resource. We’ll share our three decades of Private Label business experience with you. Let us help you get on the path to success!
