3 Strategies to Boost Sales Conversion
Imagine biting into a slice of cake from your favorite bakery. You expect that familiar burst of flavor, but instead you’re met with staleness. In an instant, your confidence wavers. This scenario reflects what happens when influencer recommendations fail: consumer trust can collapse just as quickly.
In influencer marketing, authenticity is the secret ingredient that keeps your audience coming back for more. It’s no wonder that 57% of consumers find influencer content more credible when it features authentic, direct product experiences.
For marketers partnering with influencers, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. How do you ensure your influencer collaborations maintain that fresh, authentic taste consumers crave?
Let’s review three proven strategies for creating engaging influencer content that maintains trust while guiding consumers from initial interest to the coveted “add to cart” moment.
In this extract from The State of Influencer Marketing for Consumers in 2023audiences reveal what feels most authentic in product reviews.
Key takeaways from this blog
- Give influencers enough time to interact with products, leading to authentic content that 57% of consumers find most credible.
- Encourage product demonstrations and reviews, which reassure 35% of consumers about their purchasing decisions.
- Offer substantial discounts or promotions after influencer exposure to drive conversions.
- Promote long-term partnerships with influencers to create more compelling and compelling content.
- Give influencers creative freedom to produce content that resonates with their audience, improving authenticity and effectiveness.
3 Ways to Turn Influencer Recommendations into Purchases
Consumers are more informed than ever, researching products and evaluating their options before purchasing.
According to impact.com research, here’s what consumers say moves them from interest to purchase:
- Generate product demos and reviews.
- Offer discounts or promo codes.
- Recruit long-term partners to post about your brand multiple times.
#1 Generate product demos and reviews
Influencers can reduce purchasing risk for consumers by showing their first-hand experience with a product or service. After all, consumers need to trust what you’re selling (and see it in action) before they buy.
Our research has shown that product demos and reviews play a crucial role in motivating consumers (35%) to act on influencer recommendations.
To foster authentic content, brands must let influencers create what resonates with their audience.
One influencer we interviewed added, “Don’t make me read scripts in my videos. This seems inauthentic and won’t resonate with my audience.
Influencers need time to develop authentic recommendations
Some brands fall into the trap of asking influencers to post about a product immediately. To create an authentic experience that resonates with consumers, give your partners more time with your products before reviewing them. Influencers want to confidently endorse your product before recommending it to their trusted audience.
YouTuber Matt D’Avella has nearly 3.9 million subscribers and he often recommends books, productivity tools, and lifestyle products that align with his philosophy. In a YouTube video, he recommends nine books that changed his life. In this case, if a publisher sent him books to review, he would need time to read each book and gather his thoughts before recommending it.
But this is just an example. Various industries can take inspiration from this book: technology, beauty and beyond. The more time an influencer invests in a product, the deeper their understanding becomes. This allows them to write insightful reviews or demos, instead of unboxings that offer little value to the consumer.
An influencer’s direct experience with a product, such as Matt D’Avella’s book reviews, generates real audience interest and could boost book sales.
#2 Offer discounts or promo codes: Who doesn’t love a good deal?
Once consumers see your product (through demos, reviews, or otherwise), a significant discount or promotion will reduce the risk of purchasing and motivate them to take the final step.
Deep discounts (30%) and promotions (29%) are the second and third most important factors, respectively, that encourage consumers to follow influencer recommendations.
Providing your partners with a unique promo code can help you track their leads. Additionally, performance-based compensation motivates many influencers, so consider offering them a cut of sales in addition to a flat fee (learn more about influencer compensation here).
An extract from The State of Influencer Marketing for Consumers in 2023.
3 Proven Ways Brands and Creators Align [+ how to stay on track]
Learn how influencers align with brands and how to strengthen your partnerships in this blog.
Read here
#3 Recruit long-term partners to post about your brand multiple times
To consumers, one-off posts are seen as a transaction between the influencer and a brand – and ultimately, that seems disingenuous.
Brand promotion feels more authentic to consumers when an influencer posts about a brand multiple times (29%) or occasionally for a month or two (28%).
Publishing multiple times is linked to the importance of long-term partnerships. When an influencer partners with a brand for an extended period of time, the public notices. Once familiar with a brand’s product/service, influencers can test new ways to build audience loyalty, especially for new product launches.
Another extract from The State of Influencer Marketing for Consumers in 2023.
Mike Montgomery, aka Modern Builds on YouTube, has amassed an impressive audience of nearly 1.8 million subscribers thanks to his DIY videos. Mike regularly promotes Squarespace on his channel, offering a discount code and product highlights in his videos.
DIY teacher @modernbuilds has a long-term partnership with Squarespace, offering promo codes in its videos.
FAQs
Why should brands give influencers more time to test their products?
Giving influencers more time to test products allows them to create authentic and credible recommendations. According to a report, 57% of consumers find it more authentic when an influencer shares a product experience. This authenticity builds trust with the audience and makes them more likely to buy.
How do product demos and influencer reviews impact consumer purchasing decisions?
Product demonstrations and reviews have a significant impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions by reducing perceived risks. According to a study, 35% of consumers are encouraged by these factors to follow the recommendations of influencers. Consumers gain confidence in their purchasing decisions by seeing a product in action and receiving detailed reviews.
What role do discounts and promotions play in influencer marketing?
Discounts and promotions play a crucial role in converting consumer interest into purchases. Once consumers are exposed to a product through an influencer’s content, substantial discounts or promotions can reduce purchase risk and motivate them to purchase. These incentives rank as the second and third most important factors, with 30% and 29% of consumers respectively incentivized to follow influencer recommendations.
Deliver customer value and win
Although impulse purchases are common among consumers, many want to reduce the risk of purchasing and get the best value for their money. Providing value to your customers will instill confidence in them when they are ready to buy.
Research shows that brand-influencer partnerships are most effective when they offer real product demos, discounts or promo codes, and consistent posting.
Using the right technology will help you track conversions and nurture consumers at every stage of their journey. impact.com/creator offers a robust partnership platform covering influencer recruitment through campaign management and much more.
Ready to learn more? Request a demo Today.
Learn how to manage and track your influencer programs in our free e-learning course.
Take the course
