Don't let your content strategies underperform any longer.

 
For many modern retailers, the marketing content they promote often falls short of its full potential. While many content strategies focus on creating owned content through their traditional web and e-commerce platforms, a significant amount of retailers’ referrals come not from their own content, but from the content consumers are generating about them and the brands they sell. Brands do this all the time but I find in talking to retailers, too many forget that they, too, are recognized by consumers as a brand. A brand that needs to be built if they want to draw in loyal consumers with more than just the products they sell. Products consumers can get almost anywhere.

It’s time for retailers to pick their heads up and consider how to use these referrals – often accompanied by original and authentic content, the consumer interpretation of the retailer as a brand – to bolster their own brand story and, ultimately, sales.

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When approached appropriately and briefed comprehensively, these influencers can drive high-quality, on-brand content and can offer specific strategies to leverage that content to both inspire more widespread user-generated content and realize a more well-rounded approach to marketing their retail brand.

Retailers need to take a page from the book of the brands they sell, and start building brand affinity by taking advantage of social influencers and their current customers. Customers especially are already spending half their shopping trip on their mobile phones. Why not put that device to use for you and capture user-generated content?

Sure, you won’t be able to plug each and every Instagram post from the aisle in your outdated media mix models but consumer insights strongly indicate their value to retail brands.

You ready? Good. Let’s start with just one of these five types of retail content that we’ve seen benefit retailers just like you!

1. BRAND-BUILDING STORIES

Admit it, you’re selling the same products as your competitors. Even if the tag reads a different name, it’s the same product. So, calling yourself a “retailer and not a brand” is somewhat silly. You can be ARE both!  Let’s leverage the people whose voices have more power over your customers’ shopping habits than anyone else – their friends and other influencers they follow online. Let’s not get so focused on driving a direct sale that we miss the opportunity to shape your brand into something powerful, and beyond a list of products you sell.

Carusele Influencers helping communicate that Walgreens Mobile App makes customers’ lives easier

2. PATH-TO-PURCHASE

It is beneficial to retailers to communicate and show the process of how a purchase is made. Oftentimes this is something only influencers and consumers can create, not the retailers themselves. Social shops provide a clear path-to-purchase and motivate target audiences to take action.

Carusele Influencers illustrating path to purchase (both in-store and online) for Reeds Jewelers

3. HOUSE BRAND REVIEWS 

Many retailers simply don’t put enough marketing effort behind their house brands so they aren’t able to effectively compete against name brands. Influencer campaigns can go a long way to elevate these generic brands. In-house brands are generally priced lower than comparable items sold at a higher price which enables influencers to effectively break through to a variety of otherwise untapped audience segments.

A Carusele campaign for Studio35 elevated this house brand to the same level as it’s branded counterparts

4. EVENT SUPPORT

Cultural moments such as holidays naturally bring consumers in stores, granting opportunities for the retailer to build events that further engage consumers with the specific occasion, to become a one-stop-shop for the given moment. Influencer content can be timed appropriately to ensure that target audiences are reminded about upcoming events that might be important to them.

Carusele Influencer content for #GetReadyForGold at Albertson Companies grocery stores

5. VENDOR-FUNDED ACTIVATIONS

When vendors are activating traditional shopper marketing tactics like retailer digital placements or point-of-sale materials, influencers can generate content that supports the brand and retailer at the same time, driving traffic and ultimately sales of that brand at the retailer.

A hyper-local Carusele campaign for Häagen-Dazs promoted tasting events and BOGO offers at NYC Walgreens locations

For more tips on influencer marketing for retailers, check out this article.