How Catalogers are Utilizing Influencers
Don’t call it a comeback — catalogs have been here for years. But recently, brands are going back to catalogs to help breathe new life into their brand and attract a new millennial audience. But how are brands mixing it up? By using influencers.
Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Influence Central, shared at at the NEMOA DirectXchange conference the impact influencers are having on catalogs. Influence Central reports that every year 12.5 billion catalogs get mailed out to homes in the U.S. with 90 million Americans making purchases from catalogs, increase 164 percent from recent times. Part of the reason for the recent uptick catalog success is new trends, such as experience and branded inspiration and presenting a coffee book look and feel explained DeBroff. However, it’s influencers making the biggest impact on catalogs right now.
83 percent of consumers polled find influencer recommendations more authentic than traditional media and 92 percent have purchased a product after hearing about it from an influencer.
Here are five steps on how to leverage influencer content in your catalog marketing strategy.
Analyze the “Give-Get”
The “give-get” is what do you need to offer influencers to set them in motion (opportunity, exposure, compensation, etc) and what do you need the influencers to specifically do. Remember to be detailed about what is needed, the types of content you would like the influencer to produce and what social media platforms you would like to connect on.
Find Influencers
Find the right influencers for your brand. Look for people who are already brand advocates of your brand and creating a conversation around your product. When need assistance find a company to help find influencers that map to your audience.
Outreach
When first reaching out, go back to basics! Reach out via the contact info on their blog or direct message them on their most popular social platform.
Activate Influencers
Once you’ve made a connection you feel successful for your business, start moving your influencer marketing strategy forward. You need to…
- Provide editorial direction
- Come up with creative, visual projects
- Focus on first person storytelling
- Craft asks based on specific platforms
Amplify Influencer Content
Lastly, amplify your content by featuring visual content in catalogs, and embed the images in your branded website. Also, share images on social platforms and keep your brand voice consistent on all channels.
