While influencer marketing works year round, there couldn’t be a better time to capitalize on the benefits of this social media driven strategy than during the holiday season. Consumers are scrambling to find unique gifts for their friends and families, especially ones that they can buy online and dodge the blistering cold and Christmas traffic—so why not showcase what your brand has to offer? According to WebsiteSetup.org, 73% of holiday shoppers will shop at a new store or with new online retailers.
Capitalize on Online Shopping
If you missed Black Friday or Cyber Monday, don’t sweat it. In fact, December 22nd and 23rd are actually the best days for sales. Moreover, according to Forrester Research, nearly 190 million consumers in the U.S. will shop online this year, amounting to a staggering $129 billion spent on e-commerce. This is to say, if you have an online store, influencer marketing is a must. By utilizing social media marketing during the holiday season, you can show off your products and services to the nearly 81% of shoppers who do online research before they make a purchase.
Capitalize on Social Media
According to new research by Tech Crunch, Instagram now has a whopping 800 million monthly users and 500 million daily active users! Moreover, Facebook recently announced that they reached 2.2 billion monthly users. If you’re not harnessing the brand-awareness power of these social platforms, you’re missing out on some serious business. What’s more, A-List Daily found that 86% of women turn to social media outlets for opinions, advice, and recommendations to help with purchasing decisions. Additional research from A-List Daily suggests that 71% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase based on a social media reference. Case in point, influencers give you authentic, UGC content that will build trust with your target market and inspire Christmas shoppers to convert on your online store. In fact, 51% of holiday shoppers use social media to find gift ideas, according to research by Deloitte.
Go Organic
Every day, we’re bombarded with hundreds (potentially thousands) of ads. Because of that, social media users tend to ignore adverts. Research by Social Chorus shows that an astonishing 67% of millennials say they have never clicked on a sponsored post. For this reason, let your influencers do what they do best: deliver valuable, engaging, high-quality content. After all, social media is the new word of mouth marketing (and arguably the most effective form of marketing). Statistics indicate that 95% of millennials say their friends are the most credible source and that 98% of millennials are more likely to engage with a friend’s post over a brand’s post. Influencers however, cross that barrier for brands. Because influencers are a trusted third party, the products and services they validate are immediately more enticing to consumers, as another trusted social media user is endorsing them. While the avenue may be digital, the essence of an influencer’s approval of a product is simply the modern day word-of-mouth referral.
Let the Sales Begin
Make sure you sweeten the pot with a good sale on some (or all) of your products. If influencers can vet the product and tell their audience that there is a deal happening, it’s a slam dunk. The National Retail Federation (NRF) found that 73.1% of consumers say sales were one of the most important factors in their holiday shopping decisions. In addition to sales, the NRF found that 47% of holiday shoppers consider free shipping or shipping promotions as a key factor in their decision to convert. Moreover, Deloitte found that 87% of shoppers prefer free-shipping offers over fast shipping.
Get Started by Scheduling a Demo
If you’re interested in ramping up an influencer marketing campaign for your brand, click here today to schedule a free demo with ApexDrop. ApexDrop has helped thousands of authentic micro-influencers connect with quality brands through contextual product gifting (also known as trade collaborations). Imagine having an affordable and easy way to get your products featured by hundreds of influencers immediately on Instagram, but without all the extra work. ApexDrop offers unparalleled service in campaign management from start to finish and can assure that their clients receive quality posts and authenticity. For more information, schedule a call with an ApexDrop Influencer Specialist today www.apexdrop.com/contact
