Influencer marketing has become an extremely effective strategy for e-commerce brands and dropshipping stores to drive sales and increase brand awareness. Collaborating with influencers who produce content related to areas such as fashion, beauty, photography, travel, and various lifestyle segments grants entry to their deeply involved followers who share an enthusiasm for these subjects.
Social media platform influencers have evolved into influential figures whom consumers seek out for guidance, endorsements, insights, and amusement. Their clout is so strong that their advertising drives significant awareness, website traffic, and sales. For dropshipping stores, properly executed influencer campaigns can deliver impressive ROI and provide fuel for rapid growth. Many brands make mistakes when first attempting influencer marketing which leads to lackluster results.
Choose niche-relevant influencers
Avoid the temptation to reach out to influencers with the highest follower counts. What matters most is that the influencer creates content specifically around your product niche or targeted demographic. A mid-tier influencer in-depth look at YouTube dropship gurus will drive better results than a larger influencer whose content focus is completely unrelated. Dedicate some time to investigating and curating a roster of influencers who craft content centered on your products. For example, if you sell women's fashion and accessories, search for fashion bloggers, stylists, and influencers catering to the women's style space.
Require content pre-approval
When negotiating paid influencer partnerships, be sure to include provisions for approving the content before making it live. Many brands give the influencer creative control over the style, copy, and format of the content while still retaining the right of approval. It protects your brand image and prevents any messaging inconsistencies. Don't just broadly commission the influencer to "promote our products and website." Give specific direction on the actions you want viewers to take such as visiting a product page, signing up for an email list, using a discount code, or purchasing a certain product. Having a strategic, tracked call-to-action beyond raising awareness enables properly attributing sales and traffic to the influencer content.
Negotiate pricing
Influencer rates vary greatly depending on the niche, follower count, and demand. Micro-influencers with under 100k followers may only charge $500 per post while celebrity influencers charge over $100k. Research current industry rates for influencers you're interested in partnering with so you have reasonable expectations when negotiating. Many list their rates publicly, but you can also inquire directly.
The most lucrative influencer relationships are not one-off paid posts but long-term partnerships. Invest time into building relationships with your top-performing influencers by keeping in regular contact, inviting them to events or company visits, and involving them in product feedback. The goal is to turn influencers into genuine fans of your brand who will organically feature you in unpaid content and paid partnerships.
Track performance
Use trackable links, unique discount codes, and UTMs to monitor the direct traffic, sales, and conversions driven by specific influencers. It helps you gauge true ROI and determine your top influencers to justify ongoing partnerships. Share performance stats with influencers so they can also see the tangible impact of their partnership. Look for ways to repurpose influencer-generated content beyond just their original post. Turn reviews into blog posts, create social graphics with pull-quote testimonials, publish on your social channels or website, or use the content in ads. Be sure to have negotiated usage rights in your agreement.
