Beyond Influencers: How to Maximize Your Reach and Brand Loyalty

It’s not just celebrities who wield influence for your brand. It’s your followers, fans and customers, too. When you start to look at all these audience segments as influencers, you look for opportunities to market with them, not just to them. Your customers in particular are essentially your brand community: a group of customers who are invested in more than what is being sold. They become a part of the brand itself and engage with your product in ways beyond making a purchase. Take UGC to the next level Look at the social media content your audience is already posting and leverage it to strengthen relationships with your would-be customers and loyal fans. Tapping into user-generated content (UGC) is one of the oldest forms of social commerce—which means it’s tried and true. A classic example is Warby Parker. It reposts UGC from customers’ social posts, such as their unboxing experiences, eyeglass selfies and fan reactions to ad campaigns. The company ensures that these posts are culturally relevant, positive and helpful for shoppers. It also makes sure that the captions uplift customers and show appreciation, while also providing the relevant information needed for anyone who’s considering buying the pictured eyeglasses. Athletic apparel company FLEO prioritized maintaining the connection to its community early on. It integrates customers’ photos into its Instagram posts and balances it with content from influential athletes and brands. For mission-driven entertainment brand Rebel Girls, known for its award-winning books and podcast, community is core to who this company is. It goes a step beyond UGC and integrates its fans, followers and its own influences into creative. For instance, you won’t see Rebel Girls simply repost a user’s content on its Instagram grid. Instead, you’ll see it incorporate users’ photos into its artwork. When you tap into UGC, you encourage followers to become brand ambassadors. Be sure to shine a light on them, show your appreciation and be genuine. Leverage testimonials as social proof Positive, authentic testimonials from your customers are one of the most effective ways to replicate word-of-mouth at scale. Various sources of data show up to 90% of people say that positive reviews influence their buying decisions. You can use the positive things people say on social media (with their permission, of course!), grab highlights from the product reviews on your site or ask customers to provide testimonials. When you display the social proof on your site, be sure to: Use testimonials that emphasize the value of your products.Highlight key statements instead of showing lengthy reviews.Add callout quotes or links to articles if you use a press mention. Bringing your fans and followers along for the ride and enabling them to be your biggest advocates is the foundation of your community. You can even use these testimonials in direct response campaigns such as Facebook ads. Fjord, the U.K.-based men’s underwear brand, says that its best performing Facebook ad is one that leans on social proof. Founder James Bertram says that of the company's ad set, it has the most comments and a 1.58% conversion rate. Reward customers with loyalty programs Speaking of community, loyalty programs can be a key factor in influencing future purchases from your existing customers as well as their closest friends and family. Loyalty programs allow you to reward your customers for completing actions at every stage of building your community. Here’s what to consider when setting up a loyalty program: Show the value up front. You can open up your VIP program to customers right away. Offer welcome points or include free products as perks. Make it clear what actions members need to take to reap rewards. Eco-conscious accessories brand Ocean & Co., for instance, showcases its wide variety of perks including free merchandise, discounts, exclusive content and opportunities to be chosen for press features and all-expenses-paid vacations. Brand your loyalty program. Giving your program a name or its own branding—like Sephora’s Beauty Insider program or subscription box service Smart Art’s branded currency called Peacock Points—helps your members feel like they’re part of something special. Incentivize customer actions that go beyond purchases. It doesn’t have to just be new purchases that yield points or increase status. Consider a points system where members are rewarded for reviewing products, social sharing or following you on social media. Meal replacement company Jimmy Joy, for instance, offers its members eight different ways to earn points which they can cash in for discounts, free products or merchandise. Jimmy Joy’s loyalty program has over 40,000 members; the company has generated over $1.1 million in referral revenue since the program launched in 2018. What makes these thoughtful, multi-layered loyalty programs so effective is that you’re essentially investing in your members. They go from rooting for you to joining you along for the ride. When you look at everyone in your audience, at every level, you’ll start to see the endless opportunities of influence. As a marketer, it’s your job to empower the audience; to influence them to influence the people around them. Because whether you realize it or not, you’re an influencer too. These Beauty Brands Are Nailing Influencer Marketing in 2021