This Black Friday, Influencers Are in Demand

Black Friday discounts are so irresistible to brands and consumers alike that the shopping holiday’s influence has extended beyond a one-day event into concepts such as Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday and beyond. In fact, online offers that are promoted days after Black Friday, during Cyber Week, represent 16.7% of the entire season’s revenue, with $35.3 billion in sales in the U.S. The undeniable economic impact of influencers on Black Friday (and Cyber Week) transcends doubt and highlights their indispensable role in shaping the retail landscape.

But there are other ways Black Friday has evolved in recent years: the rise of influencer partnerships across seasonal campaigns, helping brands better connect with audiences and stand out amidst competition. As brands plan their communication and sales strategies for this year’s Black Friday and beyond, it’s not too late to tap into the help of digital creators and their communities—here’s how and why you should add them to your marketing wish list.

Creators’ influence continues to grow.

Today, it isn’t unusual to see an influencer representing a brand by either acting as its spokesperson or simply creating stories about a product. Influencer marketing strategies have become increasingly essential and indisputable for the marketing ambitions of large, medium and small brands.

Marketing professionals understand that to reach new audiences and build loyalty, producing content about the features of a product or service alone is no longer sufficient to retain or win new customers. Instead, partnering with influencers bridges the gap between the brand and the audience by delivering social media engagement, loyalty and connection. By developing a close and authentic relationship with their community, influencers can provide honest recommendations and reviews of products and services. Such relations become imperative for Black Friday campaigns, where the focus is on finding the best deals among inbox and in-feed clutter.

Indeed, Black Friday makes the competition for attention fiercer as brands compete for reaching budget-strapped customers. “Black Friday and the holidays are undoubtedly one of the busiest times of year for both influencers and influencer agencies alike, with brands committing high percentages of their yearly budgets to drive consumers to shop their sales,” says Celine Sidani, Account Supervisor, Influencer Marketing. “With participating brands and holiday budgets growing higher and higher each year, it is more important than ever for brands to devise influencer strategies and creative narratives that will stand out in an oversaturated market and truly drive audiences to purchase.”

Influencers boost sales and relevance in the following ways:

• Increased visibility of promotions: The influencer’s community is a lever for the brand to genuinely connect with new audiences.
• Product recommendations and reviews: Reviews and unboxings are content categories highly sought after by consumers hoping to gain honest product recommendations. 37% of consumers trust social media influencers over brands, validating the persuasive power of digital creators.
• Development of personalized campaigns: With a diverse range of influencers excelling in various categories such as sports, beauty, entertainment, etc., brands can partner with them to create social media campaigns that target specific audiences.
• Humanization of the brand: Creating an authentic narrative allows consumers to better understand the benefits of the product or service and promotes a genuine connection with the brand’s community.

Get started planning an influencer campaign this holiday season.

Planning campaigns in advance helps marketing professionals avoid unnecessary or unforeseen costs, and working with influencers is no different. The first step is to analyze which influencers will be a part of the campaign depending on your defined goals and the measurement of influencer reach, social media engagement, traffic or conversions.

After this initial stage of goal and objective setting, begin selecting your creators of choice. It’s essential to check their history to ensure they have not been involved in controversies. Most importantly, the influencer should resonate with the brand’s audience to ensure a consistent tone of communication.

Once the influencers are selected, begin briefing and scripting the creative in partnership with them. A co-created effort with content creators brings more authenticity to the final product and makes it more organic to the relevant social platforms.

Put influencer Black Friday campaigns on your holiday wish list.

Brands recognize that using influencers in their marketing strategies amplifies results. As influencers become brands in their own right, they’ll only become even more formidable partners for brands who want to bridge the gap with end consumers. So, if you're a brand looking to make a big impact this Black Friday—or beyond—consider the power of influencers to help kick off the holiday shopping season on good footing. By collaborating with the right influencers, you can create a buzz, drive traffic to your store or website and ultimately achieve your sales goals.