influencers Archives - Page 6 of 6

Discount e-commerce fashion sites are using YouTube celebrities to promote their products.

By MediaStreet staff writers.

Internet advertising has become a moving target and these days, it’s moving faster than the speed of light.

Not very long ago Google AdWords and Facebook ads were the rage, supplanting more traditional advertising options on websites, radio, TV and in print media. As smartphones and tablets became more mainstream, social media has evolved into an increasingly popular medium.

AdWords and Facebook are still viable marketing tools but a good chunk of advertising dollars are being shifted to videos and live streams viewed on YouTube and other digital outlets.

Having a well-known face touting your brand on YouTube or a testimonial from a vlogger with a large following has become a viable marketing strategy. For this reason, online fashion retailers are shifting their advertising focus to “net stars” more and more.

In many cases, YouTube celebrities and vloggers are paid directly by major brands. Smaller companies, like Zaful and Sammydress, send products to the “net stars” for their endorsements and compensate them based on the Internet traffic that is created. Sometimes there is a small upfront payment to cover video production costs. Here, they have sent some bikinishave been sent to a vlogger called “Sweetest Peach.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDiShOqd06w

Pros and cons

There are advantages and disadvantages to this type of advertising. The cost is lower than traditional advertising, which attracts smaller companies with niche products. There is no guarantee, however, that a “net star” will provide a positive review of the product. Over the long haul, this approach is worth the risk and generally yields positive results.

“We see this as a big opportunity to be part of the conversations that are happening naturally and organically in social media,” said Sara Lau, Marketing Director of Zaful. “By tapping into customer conversations about lifestyle and fashion, we feel we can promote our brand. So we’ll continue to seek out v-bloggers and YouTube stars.”

Here a vloggger called Madeofchanel trying on the clothing samples.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edhpOg3v934

Positive results

In 2016, Zaful established a partnership with several well-known YouTube stars, including Tana Mongeau, Kelsey Simone and Jasmine Brown, each of whom have around 1 million YouTube subscribers. This year, Zaful is also partnering with YouTube celebrities in Spain and other non-English-speaking countries.

In the first quarter of 2017, sales generated by net stars represented nearly 10 percent of Zaful’s total revenue. Sammydress, which generates more than half of its sales from repeat customers, has not seen similarly positive results but does report a small spike in overall sales over the past 12 months.

YouTube celebrities for Sammydress include Dymond Goods (310,000 subscribers) and Nury Jimenez (770,000 subscribers).

Other e-retailers, like ASOS and Forever 21, have also jumped on the “net stars” bandwagon, finding that this new approach works. “The way shoppers get information is changing,” noted Sara. “As a smaller market player, we need to be aware of these trends.”

Influencer marketing is evolving and fast.

By MediaStreet staff writers.

#HASHOFF, a micro-influencer marketing platform, today released a report detailing key industry trends driving the increasing popularity and viability of influencer marketing.

To understand the changing face of influencer marketing, and gain insight into where influencers are headed, #HASHOFF surveyed hundreds of vetted influencers on its platform. The #HASHOFF platform has over 150,000 opt-in influencers who partner with brands and work hard to grow and maintain their organic audiences every day.

With 25% of internet users employing some form of ad blocking, and consumers continuing to trust word of mouth over all other forms of marketing, influencer marketing is proving to be a powerful channel for targeted marketing.

The report found that micro-influencers are emerging as a critical marketing channel for brands large and small, enabling brands to grow awareness and drive sales. Brands are increasingly relying on micro-influencers to share their brand messages, since these influencers have higher engagement rates and are perceived as more passionate, creative and authentic by audiences.

Here are just a few of the highlights from the report:

While most respondents work across multiple platforms, nearly all respondents (92%) selected Instagram as their #1 platform of focus, followed by Facebook.

The majority (56%) of influencers surveyed spend at least four hours per day on social media, and more than 20% spend 7-8 hours or more.

Nearly one-third of influencers have grown their audience by 20%-50% in the past year, while one-fourth have grown their audience by 50%-100%, and 17% have more than doubled their audiences.

Platform of choice for influencers – Last year, 80% of respondents said Instagram was #1, while this year, a full 92% cite Instagram as their top platform, a 12%-point increase. A similar number of influencers (87%) predict Instagram will remain #1 for them next year.

“The time, energy, passion and creativity that goes into each influencer post is exactly why brands choose influencers to deliver content to their communities,” said Joel Wright, President of #HASHOFF. “These numbers not only confirm the viability and strength of the micro-influencer channel, but show that brands are increasingly aware that driving authentic and organic content over this medium increases brand-consumer engagement. Creating impactful brand experiences in a crowded media market that combines targeting, analysis and brand safety is vital for brand-consumer engagement, and the #HASHOFF platform delivers all three.”

“The number of followers has no relevance in this day and age, where followers and likes can be bought,” said influencer @AlishaMarie (despite having nearly 3M Instagram followers, 2.45M Twitter followers and 1.9 YouTube subscribers herself). “Content should be king.”

“Influencer marketing grows brands,” said micro-influencer @throughjakeseyes. “Even influencers with fewer than 10K Instagram followers can still have a big impact on the brand and create ROI.”

“I love Instagram for the inspiration and creativity it offers and for the real friendships I’ve made through it!” influencer @ChrissyJPowers said.

Echoed @EdiCaves, “I love Instagram because of the community. Instagram allows me to connect with locals that I would have never met otherwise. As my following has grown, brands have begun to contact me about work.”