NEW YORK—Influencer marketing is an essential method of capturing audience interest and gaining the trust of new consumers. Individuals are more likely to purchase a product or try out a new business if other people say they’ve had a good experience with the product or company, not just marketing agencies. A social media influencer acts as a trustworthy source of information to communicate your product or service to your target audience. By working with a social media influencer, you are able to speak to your consumer from their point-of-view.

Zyloware recently shared ideas and tactics about using social media influencers on its blog and breaks down the three benefits of partnering with a social media influencer to help grow your business.

1. Brand Exposure to Your Target Audience

Effective social media marketing reaches consumers where they already are. Statista reports that 81 percent of consumers in the U.S. are on social media regularly, so establishing a presence online is essential for successful, modern marketing.

Therefore, partnering with a social media influencer builds your online presence and allows you to reach your target audience. Not only does a social media influencer provide quality content that you can reuse on your own social media platforms (with their permission, of course), they also promote brand awareness of your company to their audience. If you have an eyewear collection and are looking to partner with a fashion blogger/influencer, request for them to not only wear your product, but also tag your social media handles and reuse your brand hashtags. This will allow their audience to easily connect with you, which will grow your following.

2. Trust and Expanded Reach


Instagram Influencer @alialistone
One of the greatest benefits of partnering with a social media influencer is the trusted audience they are able to reach. With so many competitors out there, it can be difficult for a smaller business to stand out from the crowd and win the trust of their target audience. By establishing your business as a trustworthy company, you are able to make a lasting impression. When an influencer posts about your product, the information comes from a reliable source their audience already knows, likes and trusts. It maximizes their efforts and establishes a level of confidence and expectation between the consumer, the influencer and the company that the influencer is promoting.

For example, Zyloware partnered with influencer Ali Stone, who requested her audience follow the Zyloware account. From this shout-out alone in June 2018, Zyloware’s Instagram page gained 180 followers in just one day!

3. High Engagement


Instagram influencer @thedapperjuan
In addition to getting the word out about your product/service to their audience, a social media influencer can drive engagement through contests and giveaways. Sending extra product to an influencer is a cost efficient way to host a giveaway that’s high in ROI. Ask the social media influencer to run a contest on all their social platforms (e.g. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter) where their audience will be able to enter to win your product.

Here’s an excellent example: Zyloware partnered with TheDapperJuan in June 2017 to host a giveaway contest for a free pair of Randy Jackson sunglasses.

The rules were simple:

  1. Follow Zyloware and TheDapperJuan.
  2. Like the photo.
  3. Tag a friend you’d like to share these shades with. (Each comment counts as an entry. You may comment more than once with different friends for multiple entries.)

Because participants were required to follow Zyloware and TheDapperJuan, Zyloware saw an impressive growth of 600 new followers in just 24 hours. Contests create engagement, which in turn drives growth. Giving people a reason to take action is a guaranteed way to generate buzz about your brand and products.

Optical Is Adapting to the Social Influencers Landscape

Vision Monday explores the important role that social media influencers are playing for brands and retailers in many categories and optical is no exception. Read this month’s feature and learn how brands and ECPs are starting to take part in using these powerful tools which can appeal to various consumer segments, including Millennials and Gen Zers who value authenticity and transparency, as well as Gen Xers and Boomers.





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