Influencer commerce programs are one of the most effective strategies for brands to engage their target audiences across the entire customer journey—from initial awareness through to the final purchase. With social media platforms evolving and customer behaviors shifting, now is the time for brands to double down on this powerful tool for driving sales and brand loyalty.
Running a successful influencer commerce program requires more than just tapping into social media stars to create awareness. Brands must craft a comprehensive strategy that aligns with influencers who can authentically engage consumers across platforms, inspire trust, and drive measurable results.
To help brands unlock the full potential of their influencer commerce programs, here are our top five success strategies:
#1 - Optimize content for social media algorithms
Social media plays a pivotal role in shaping purchase decisions, making it critical to source content optimized for each platform’s algorithms. Influencers are the go-to choice for scaling a brand’s presence on social for several reasons:
Rapid Testing & Iteration:
Collaborating with influencers allows brands to test and scale content quickly, identifying the most effective channels, formats, and themes for their audience.
Trust & Authenticity:
Research shows that 61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations, and influencer-generated content (IGC) is 8x more engaging than brand content.
Cost-Effectiveness:
Leveraging influencer expertise can be more affordable and faster than producing content in-house while delivering higher engagement.
In a recent survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, 20% listed social media product reviews as their top source for trusted recommendations. As brands embrace this trend, influencers become invaluable in driving authentic conversations that cut through the noise and build consumer trust.
Thought Starter: The rise of video-based platforms like TikTok has underscored the importance of short-form, snackable content. Partnering with influencers skilled in this format ensures that your brand stays relevant and impactful in an ever-changing social landscape.
#2 - Repurpose Influencer Content Throughout Your Full Digital Shelf
Brands often silo their influencer marketing efforts from other content production, missing out on opportunities to maximize their digital presence. Forward-thinking marketers are bridging this gap by repurposing influencer content across their digital shelves.
Why this approach works:
Professional Quality: Influencers are seasoned creators capable of delivering high-quality content suitable for product pages, social ads, and even traditional media like billboards.
Consistency Across Touchpoints: Repurposed content reinforces a cohesive brand message, building recognition and trust with consumers.
Cost Efficiency: Reusing influencer content extends its lifecycle, providing more value for your investment.
Actionable Ideas for Repurposing Content:
Embed influencer videos in product pages to enhance purchase confidence.
Use testimonials in email campaigns to boost click-through rates.
Leverage influencer-generated imagery for display ads and organic social media.
Perspective: According to Nielsen, ads featuring influencer content deliver 3x higher recall rates than standard brand ads. Repurposing this content across channels amplifies its impact and strengthens brand storytelling.
#3 - Know How Influencer Channel Size Affects Sales
When choosing influencers, size isn’t everything. While larger influencers may deliver broader reach, smaller influencers often excel in engagement and conversion rates. Here’s how channel size affects sales on different platforms:
YouTube:
Influencers with 500k-1M subscribers hit a sweet spot, combining reach with authenticity.
Instagram:
Micro-influencers (10k-100k followers) consistently drive the highest sales, thanks to their niche audiences and stronger community connections.
Recent Trends: Data from Influencer Marketing Hub’s 2024 report shows that micro-influencers achieve 60% higher engagement rates than macro-influencers. Brands should align their influencer choices with their KPIs, whether focused on awareness, engagement, or direct conversions.
Thought Starter: Diversify your influencer portfolio by combining micro-, macro-, and nano-influencers to balance reach and ROI.
From gen.video campaign data, we see that different channel size groups excel at selling depending on the platform you're using. For this specific study, we took a look at Instagram and YouTube to see who the top-selling influencers were by channel size.
For YouTube overall, we saw that bigger influencers definitely had a higher impact on selling products, with a sweet spot in the 500k-1M subscriber range.
For Instagram overall, we saw something different as the influencers in the 10k-100k follower range performed the best in terms of sales.
#4 - Apply an Always-On Influencer Strategy to Maximize Return
Focusing solely on tentpole campaigns for launches or holidays leaves significant value on the table. An always-on strategy ensures your brand remains visible year-round and taps into long consideration cycles.
Key Insight:
A recent survey found that 20% of shoppers fill their carts 1-2 months before a shopping event. An evergreen influencer strategy captures these early planners while keeping your brand top of mind for last-minute buyers.
SEO Boost:
Always-on campaigns create content that builds over time, improving your brand’s discoverability in search.
Content Longevity:
Influencer posts often continue to gain traction long after a campaign ends, driving additional impressions and sales.
Action Point: Implement a calendar that balances evergreen content with seasonal spikes, ensuring a steady stream of engagement throughout the year.
#5 - Capitalize on the SEO Value of Evergreen Influencer Content
Influencer-generated content provides long-term value, especially when optimized for search. While the immediate ROI of a campaign may dominate initial evaluations, the cumulative impact on SEO and sales over time is substantial.
Why It Matters:
Influencer content has a compounding effect, gaining visibility as it gets indexed by search engines.
Posts with high engagement often climb search rankings, increasing organic traffic to your brand’s pages.
Supporting Stat: According to BrightEdge, 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine. Optimizing influencer content for SEO ensures your brand stays visible when consumers are actively looking to buy.
Final Thought: Set up robust tracking systems to measure the long-term impact of influencer content on search rankings, web traffic, and post-campaign sales.
By implementing these strategies, brands can harness the full potential of influencer commerce programs to drive awareness, engagement, and conversions at scale. With consumers increasingly looking to influencers for purchase guidance, the time to invest in these approaches is now.