I’ve Heard of an Influencer But…
You’ve no doubt got a robust social media marketing program in place, but are you wondering how to get key influencers on board with your products or services? An excellent way to do this is by using influencer product seeding marketing (also called influencer gifting).
In case you’ve never heard of it, influencer product seeding marketing involves giving a product to influencers at no charge in hopes that they’ll love it and generate content about it. Products are given with no strings attached, that is, there is no requirement or even expectation of content from the influencer. (Although a marketer can hope!)
Why Engage in Influencer Product Seeding Marketing?
For some marketers, the idea of giving away products doesn’t seem right. But wait! There are major benefits for your brand.
- Brand awareness gets a boost
- Your audience grows
- Your credibility gets a boost when an influencer shares their positive experience
- The cost is low compared to other types of marketing
How To Run an Influencer Product Seeding Marketing Program
Running a successful influencer product seeding marketing program takes research, planning, and follow-up. Here are the best practices to keep in mind:
Get the Right Influencers
Identify the influencers that reach your audiences and share your brand’s values. You can start by limiting your group by geography or audience so you can test the strategy and adjust as needed.
Research Your Targeted Influencers
Take time to get to know the influencers you’re targeting. Read their posts and the comments they generate. Learn where they post, what they post about, their personality, and if they tend to use photos, videos, text only, or a mix.
Build Relationships
Reach out to influencers – comment on their posts, call and text them. Relate what you’ve learned about them to your brand. Eventually, ask if it’s okay to send them a product. Do not in any way imply that you expect them to produce positive content about your product in exchange.
Send a Memorable Package
What you send should stand out, be memorable, and reflect your brand’s personality.
Gentle Followup
Checking to make sure the product got there is good. Asking for some feedback about the product is okay. Pushing for content is definitely not okay.
Be a Good Partner
When an influencer creates positive content about your product, you can comment on it, share it, and otherwise boost it so the influencer benefits. This creates good feelings for the future.
Case Study: SideChef/Panasonic
Our client, SideChef, is a home cooking platform that partners with Panasonic, combining recipes, meal planning, and grocery ordering/delivery with high-tech appliances. Since food influencers are leaders when it comes to cooking trends, DPM enlisted eight key influencers with a combination of recipe walkthrough videos, product placement recipe shots, branded stories, a giveaway contest, and a virtual cook-along event. One of these influencers became an official SideChef Premium partner.
Let DPM Help Grow Your Brand
Dunn Pellier Media (DPM) specializes in growing health and fitness brands. We’re experts at developing and executing social media campaigns and running successful influencer product-seeding marketing programs. Contact us today to see how our expertise can help elevate your brand.
Dunn Pellier Media is an established health, wellness, and lifestyle pr firm in Los Angeles. Our CEO Nicole Dunn is a former Senior Level Television Producer who started DPM around health and wellness after seeing a lack of positive health coverage in the media marketplace. She is a thought-leader in all things health and fitness and often writes for Forbes Magazine covering all things wellness.