Make no mistake; influencers are a force to be reckoned with. They have the power to make or break brands and can be a huge asset for almost any form of business. However, many influencers are taken advantage of by brands, and they often struggle to monetize their following in an efficient or meaningful way. Vendo hopes to change that.
Who are Influencers or Creators?
The term "influencer" has become increasingly popular in recent years, largely thanks to the rise of social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. An influencer is someone with a significant fanbase or community spanning one or more platforms. Included are social media stars on Instagram and TikTok, vloggers on YouTube, gamers on Twitch, bloggers on their own websites, and podcasters with a loyal following. For the most part, influencers are content creators, and their collective global population is responsible for a lot of the content we consume daily on social media channels.
While some may have achieved fame through traditional channels, such as acting or modeling, others have grown their followers organically by sharing content related to their interests or niche, such as fashion, beauty, or wellness. Though they may not have traditional celebrity status, the influence wielded by these individuals can be just as powerful in terms of promoting products, events, or ideas. With social media usage skyrocketing in recent years, more and more companies are turning to influencers to reach their target audience and boost sales.
Do influencers really influence?
There has been much debate about the effectiveness of influencer marketing in recent years. While some may argue that these individuals are simply paid promoters, research has shown that they can actually be more effective than traditional forms of advertising. That’s because people trust recommendations from their peers more than conventional advertisements.
To be considered a true influencer, one must have a significant fanbase, strong engagement, and credibility with their audience. Therefore, measuring the effectiveness of any influencer requires you to look at not just the number of followers they have but the level of influence they hold over those followers. So, while not all influencers may have such power, those who do can significantly impact consumer behavior and purchasing decisions.
Examples of successful influencer marketing campaigns
Dunkin’ Donuts and Charli D’Amelio
Teen TikTok star Charli D’Amelio partnered with Dunkin’ Donuts. Videos of her drinking “The Charli” signature drink and eating donuts quickly became popular. This partnership caused a 57% increase in people downloading the Dunkin’ app and helped the company sell hundreds of thousands of drinks.
Sun Peaks Resort and Callum Snape
The ski resort, Sun Peaks in British Columbia, wanted to increase awareness of its top winter attractions, including crowd-free ski runs, seasonal festivals, and the region’s stunning natural beauty. To reach their target audience of adventure-seekers in the Pacific Northwest, they enlisted the help of Canada’s top adventure photographer and Instagram influencer, Callum Snape (@CalSnape).
Thanks to the campaign's beautiful images, short Facebook videos, and daily Instagram stories, Sun Peaks resort positioned itself as an "insider secret" for people who want to avoid large crowds and gained more than 200,000 article views.
Dior + 67 influencers
The Dior Forever Foundation campaign had several goals:
- Generate global awareness of the product,
- Celebrate its diversity with brand ambassadors representing each shade,
- Create user-generated content that could be repurposed on Dior's channels.
Dior chose 67 influencers that matched each of their 67 foundation shades, and each one made a sponsored post every day for 67 consecutive days.
In total, the 67 influencers' social media following reached 2.66 million. In addition, the posts had 1.85 million impressions and resulted in 592 thousand post engagements.
Launch a marketplace with Vendo in 7 easy steps
Vendo allows creators to start their own marketplace and sell curated products from the brands they love. Here's how to get going:
- Start a Free Trial with Vendo here: https://app.getvendo.com/users/new
- Add your most loved Shopify brands as sellers
- Curate your product catalog to be on-brand and ideally reflect your audience's needs.
- Set your sales commission rates as agreed with the brands.
- Increase your average order value by encouraging multi-brand shopping in a single order with a single payment.
- Get a 20-30% sales commission from all orders made through the marketplace.
- Monitor your progress and earnings with detailed analytics in Vendo's dashboard.
Monetize your content and audience without relying on sponsorships, ads, or affiliate sales. Start a Free Trial and go live in 14 days!
