Shopper Marketing: Build the Next Big Influencer Network

Research states that word of mouth produces two times the amount of sales than any other type of advertisement. Also, due to some 5,000 ads the average American sees every day, the traditional ad is not nearly as effective as it was even just 20 years ago. In an attempt to reinvent word of mouth, companies are now starting to use influencer networks to promote their brand. However, we at PromotionPod see a bigger better opportunity for your CPG, FMCG and SMCG brand.
Before we begin to talk about this different, better option, let’s go over the basics of an influencer network. An influencer network is a network of social influencers that promote your product. Typically, this has been done through celebrities. A celebrity like the Duchess of Cambridge wears your dress, a picture is taken, and boom. Your dress instantly sells out, and you swim in cash. A couple of companies even had NBA stars tweet out their new coupon and saw a lot of success. However, a growing level of Millennials and Gen Z are not turning to celebrities for endorsements; instead, they are turning to this funny social star on YouTube for product information. They also are looking at Snapchat and Instagram to see ordinary people (with a ton of followers) liking goods and giving away coupons. This approach is the new face of word of mouth. These are social superstars uprooting Hollywood celeb endorsements.
However, this facelift on word of mouth can come with a hefty price for your CPG brand. Many of these influencers want some pretty big money to share your brand and digital manufacturer’s coupon. While these social influencers are an excellent way to get your product up and running, they may not ultimately pay off. If you have to pay superstar mommy bloggers to blog about you, it could end up costing you far more in the end than it could make you. At some point, followers realize these paid bloggers only share deals that are paid.
We believe that these social media influencers can help your company, but for genuine long-term impact, we recommend that you get average Sam or Suzie with 150 followers to share your brand and manufacturer’s coupon. Yes, this “follow” number is far less than Ashton Kutcher’s Twitter following, but Sam and Suzie don’t come with Ashton’s high price. Not only that, but consumers are becoming increasingly hesitant to listen to a big celebrity or influencer. They trust their friend to be authentic and have their best interest in mind. If Sam and Suzie share it, I will be more inclined to listen. Also, with the average American viewing over 5,000 ads a day, a post will tend to get lost in the shuffle. But, I will pay more attention if my friends share it and tell me how great this offer is. There are millions of consumers who can each share to hundreds of friends, and those multiples add up quickly.
So this is all great, but how do you get this to work? One easy way to get Sam and Suzie to share your digital coupon is with another digital coupon. We call this the “Share & Save Incentive“. They can “Share now to get an additional 50 cents off “. Or, “Tag five friends and get $1.00 off your next purchase”. Sam and Suzie will probably do it for that incentive, and so will some of their 200 Facebook friends. Not everyone will catch on, but even if just one other person prints it and redeems it, it was worth the added incentive. Also, every consumer who prints a digital coupon gets a chance to share it with friends and followers across multiple channels, at no additional cost to the brand. This strategy is an excellent way to increase your exposure without increasing costs.
Besides high exposure for your CPG brand, another great reason to use social sharing is the amount of tracking you get. You get to see every time your coupon is shared. With our platform, you are also able to see who is printing it so you can see if it is not just added exposure, but if it is paying off for your brand.
We are not saying throw out the bloggers and the Kings of Instagram, but we are saying consider the cost. Is it worth the price? Build your influencer network from the ground up, using real consumers who share because they want to. Go back to the basics: word of mouth is still as powerful as ever. Reward and incentivize your loyal customers who will, in turn, reward you over a lifetime. To continue this conversation and learn more about the industry’s best practices, contact us today.

PromotionPod specializes in creating well-designed CPG Manufacturer’s Coupon programs. We utilize our own innovative digital coupon software platform to create and manage digital coupon programs for CPG brands and shopper marketing agencies. PromotionPod is a leader in building effective digital coupons and has over 20 years of experience building targeted coupon programs used to drive sales and build customer loyalty for the world’s leading brands.