PIM
Manage all product content in one central system of record.
Activation
Easily syndicate product content to every consumer touch point.
Enhanced Content
Enrich product pages with below-the-fold content and rich media.
Catalog Sites
Share customized, up-to-date digital product catalogs.
Automation
Enhance collaboration with Salsify’s automated workflow engine.
Activation Insights
Continuously optimize your organization’s product content syndication.
GDSN Data Pool
Synchronize standard supply chain, marketing, and ecommerce attributes globally.
PXM Platform, Integrations, and APIs
Integrate the PXM platform with the rest of your enterprise systems architecture.
Supplier Onboarding
Accelerate supplier onboarding while ensuring your schema requirements are met.
Product Listing
Sell products faster with Product Listing.
Content Enrichment
Increase online conversions with Content Enrichment.
Automation
Save time and increase operational efficiency with retail automation.
SXM Platform, Integrations, and APIs
Integrate the SXM platform with the rest of your enterprise systems architecture.
Activation Network
Automate how you exchange product content data to the digital shelf.
Enhanced Content Network
Turn product pages into product experiences with Enhanced Content.
Ecommerce Platform Integrations
Create winning product experiences on owned sites with powerful ecommerce software.
GDSN Data Pool
Synchronize standard supply chain, marketing, and ecommerce attributes globally.
Open Catalog
Connect to the digital shelf faster with an open, standardized, and free product catalog.
Resources
Resource Library
Explore our ecommerce resources to get everything you need to win on the digital shelf.
Blog
Read our blog to get actionable insights for navigating changing markets and industry demands.
Webinars
Watch our on-demand ecommerce webinars to gain expert advice and tips from our community of industry leaders.
Engineering Blog
Explore our engineering blog to get developer resources, insights, and tips.
Events
Register for our upcoming in-person and virtual events to connect with other industry insiders.
Knowledge Base
Investigate our knowledge base to build your Salsify skills and understanding.
Product Updates
Explore the latest news and updates for Salsify products.
API
Examine our comprehensive API and webhook guides to start working with Salsify quickly.
Learn how to prioritize and deliver what your shoppers want with the latest insights.
Social media has become a fruitful ground for product discovery, recommendations, and reviews — and influencers are often at the forefront, leading consumers down the path to purchase.
Influencers’ product and service recommendations have become the gold standard for many consumers. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, 61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations, while only 38% trust brand-produced content.
Influencer marketing, which often involves a partnership or collaboration between brands and influencers, has become lucrative for both: An Influencer Marketing Hub survey reports that marketing with influencers is expected to be worth $21.1 billion in 2023. Twenty-three percent of respondents will dedicate more than 40% of their entire marketing budget to influencer campaigns.
Explore the differences between brand influencers and brand ambassadors; tactics for starting your own influencer marketing campaign; and useful influencer marketing examples.
Influencer marketing is a type of marketing strategy that involves businesses partnering with influential individuals — also known as "influencers" — to promote a product, service, or brand on social media.
Influencer marketing happens when influencers:
Influencers are often well-known within a community for their knowledge or expertise on niche topics. They can influence their followers into purchasing products or services that they recommend.
Influencers can be:
While brand ambassadors are hired under contract to embody a brand and the lifestyle associated with it, brand influencers tend to work on a more short-term basis. Typically, they’ll be sent a product or service to review for their followers.
Occasionally, brands and influencers will partner to create a product, such as TikToker Professor Perfume's collaboration with a popular perfume brand. The niche content creator partnered with the brand to produce and promote a wedding fragrance.
While the product hasn't been released yet, Professor Perfume published a teaser video with users excitedly commenting that they can't wait for the product's reveal.
@professorperfume Replying to @erbtui
♬ original sound - Emelia | Professor Perfume 🫧
Video Source: Professor Perfume TikTok
Newlywed Sofia Richie Grainge, on the other hand, is the perfect example of a brand ambassador. Grainge wore three custom Chanel looks for her wedding, which received in-depth coverage by Vogue and forever linked her with the luxury brand.
@voguemagazine @sofiarichiegrainge worked closely with #Chanel to create three custom looks for her South of France wedding weekend. Like her "little girl dream" after-party look inspired by one Claudia Schiffer wore on the Chanel fall 1993 runway.
♬ original sound - Vogue
Video Source: Vogue Magazine TikTok
Businesses aiming to create successful working relationships with social media influencers should consider these six tactics.
Begin your strategy with marketing with influencers by identifying which brand influencers or ambassadors you’d like to work with.
Find influencers aligned with your brand mission and values and have social media accounts on the platforms your customers frequent. Draft a thoughtful message to them that shows you care about their content, and explain why they would be a good fit for your brand.
Hi [NAME],
I'm reaching out because our brand loves [SPECIFIC PROJECT THE INFLUENCER WORKED ON WITH DETAILS ABOUT WHY IT PROMPTED YOU TO REACH OUT, INFLUENCER STORY THAT RESONATED, ETC.] and feels that it aligns with who we are as a company.
[SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT YOUR BRAND VALUES AND MISSION AND HOW THEY ALIGN WITH THE INFLUENCER.]
We'd love to send you [PRODUCTS, PR, ETC.] because we value your genuine opinion and think your audience would too.
Let me know if this interests you, and I'll send more information!
Thanks,
[NAME]
[COMPANY NAME]
Give influencers who fall within your niche a bundle of your products to give away to their followers. Giveaway contests will boost the creator’s engagement and will earn your brand customer appreciation. It’s a win-win for both parties.
Send products that haven’t been released yet to a well-known influencer for them to review on their TikTok profile. Not only will reviews create excitement about the product release by possibly going viral on social media, but they’ll also evoke the fear of missing out (FOMO) because there’s a good chance of the product selling out.
Consumers will want to snag your product before that happens, boosting your sales.
Give an influencer the reins to your Instagram or TikTok account for a day. They’ll announce their takeover to their followers, driving people to your page and increasing brand awareness. A strategy for marketing with influencers that involves consumers directly interacting with influencers will help propel your brand to household name status.
Offer discount codes to influencers that they can share with their followers for a discount at checkout. Influencers will also receive a small commission, incentivizing them to promote their codes.
Providing discount codes is a smart move not only because you’ll be able to easily track traffic but also because doing so will entice new buyers and encourage purchases from repeat buyers.
Sending influencers on brand trips is a great way to showcase products and promote the lifestyle the brand wants to evoke for its customers.
Clothing and home goods retailer Anthropologie, for example, hosted a brand ambassador trip that highlighted their new ambassadors. In turn, the ambassadors documented their trip for their followers to see.
@ellapottersays SO excited for my mom 👸🏻#anthroambassador #anthropologie #motherdaughterrelationship
♬ Au Revoir - Sweet After Tears
Video Source: EllaPotterSays TikTok
Salsify’s “2023 Consumer Research” report, which offers a consolidated view of multiple surveyed countries, reports that social media is consumers’ top method for product discovery.
Partnering with social media influencers is a smart way to increase your brand awareness and trustworthiness, tap into a piece of the social media market share, and drive conversions.
Now that you know a bit more about influencers, download this crash course guide to harness the power of social media shopping to drive sales.
DOWNLOAD GUIDEMadeline Koufogazos (she/her) is an editor and writer at Salsify, based out of Boston. She enjoys sharing her insights on consumer trends and behaviors, commerce, media, pop culture, and travel.
Standing out on the digital shelf starts with access to the latest industry content. Subscribe to Below the Fold, our monthly content newsletter, and join other commerce leaders.