It is estimated that as many as 90% of U.S consumers interact with influencers on a daily basis. The rise of influencer marketing has been swift, quickly growing into a nuanced industry with a number of specialisations. You may have heard of certain influencer distinctions— such as micro or nano-influencers, often determined by their follower count. However, today’s influencers can also be defined based on their market specialisation. One example of this is deal-centric influencers.
Who are deal-centric influencers?
Deal-centric influencers are the modern-day equivalent of an extreme couponer. With a primary focus on apparel, health and beauty markets, these influencers use their platforms to cultivate an authentic online presence that their audience trusts to find the best promotions and discounts currently on the market.
Women— specifically, those who are actively looking for a deal– often follow deal-centric influencers. Furthermore, many establish an authentic connection to the type of product or industry that they are promoting. For example, influencers promoting products for babies and toddlers are often parents, themselves. This personal connection also helps them to establish themselves as a trustworthy source for their audience.
Deal-centric influencers in particular have seen significant growth recently, with the threat of a recession looming. With many retailers offering clearance sales and steep discounts, there are greater opportunities for these influencers to promote discounted products to their follower base. Still, deal-centric influencer content can vary wildly, particularly with their follower counts, which can range anywhere from 5,000 to around 50,000.
How do they work?
Generally, influencers promote products by advertising them on their social pages using graphics, video, and often an affiliate link. When a customer clicks the link and makes a purchase, the influencer receives a payment for that conversion.
This specific niche of the market began to grow in popularity with the introduction of the Amazon Associates Programme. This programme allowed publishers to generate affiliate links for their favourite products, and place them on their websites, receiving a percentage of the sale if a purchase was made through their link. This innovation allowed for a wider pool of people to become influencers and lit the spark for a new form of widespread social media advertising, which was soon adopted by brands and retailers across the board.
When it comes to deal-centric influencer posts today, many follow similar formats. These influencers most often use a template for the products they promote. While one might expect flashy graphics and attention-grabbing headlines, these simple templates often add to the authenticity of a deal-centric influencer’s image. Additionally, deal-centric influencers tend to prefer advertising across a range of products, as opposed to one specific item— so giving access to your store’s entire catalogue might be more successful than giving a specific product or homepage link.
How can you utilise them?
Utilising deal-centric influencers has many benefits. Although they have a smaller reach than macro or lifestyle influencers, such as the Kardashians, their personas are often built around reliability and authenticity. In addition, much of their target audience is already in shopping mode, raising the likelihood of them making a purchase. Furthermore, these influencers range across multiple platforms— some of the most popular influencer platforms are Instagram and Facebook— so by utilising influencers, you can further expand your social strategy.
Deal-centric influencers can also specifically reach segments of your audience that you may not be reaching directly via other marketing channels. Someone who is focusing on a deal might not be looking for that product through your official website. They could, however, be doing more research on the product— such as comparing prices across retailers. By utilising deal-centric influencers, you’ll be able to get in front of this segment of your audience and drive greater sales.
Deal-centric influencers are a specialised segment of influencers seeking good deals for themselves and their followers. Their areas of specialisation may vary, but they often establish themselves as authentic and likeable to their followers and tend to have background experience with the markets they prefer to specialise in. Utilising them effectively can unlock an additional segment of your audience, and effectively increase your sales across multiple platforms.
