Most small companies take a look at influencer advertising and marketing and assume it is out of attain.
They’re flawed.
“Folks assume influencer advertising and marketing is all about money offers,” says Steven Vigilante, director of strategic partnerships on the soda model Olipop. “However a few of our greatest partnerships began with a free pattern and a dialog.”
Right now, Olipop is a power — just lately valued at $1.85 billion, dominating the better-for-you soda class, and showing in cultural moments like Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World” music video. However the model started as a small upstart, and Vigilante, who was there firstly, mentioned it needed to function like another scrappy startup.
From the very begin, he mentioned, influencer advertising and marketing was central to the model’s technique. Vigilante believes it is extra highly effective than promoting, which regularly frustrates customers. “I am all the time attempting to be in a bit of content material that somebody is electing to observe versus interrupting content material that somebody is electing to observe.”
Listed below are 3 ways
1. Spending: Do not Wager It All on One Influencer
A typical mistake? Placing all of your cash into one big-name influencer.
“The sensible transfer is to check throughout a number of influencers,” Vigilante says. “It is higher to study what works by a wide range of voices than to go all in on one particular person and hope for the perfect.”
Early on, Olipop unfold its price range throughout 10 smaller influencers as an alternative of 1 high-profile deal. They requested for engagement metrics earlier than paying anybody, making certain they partnered with the suitable folks.
For small manufacturers, this implies:
Request information. Vigilante loves asking for screenshots of an influencer’s Instagram tales, as a result of it is a robust indicator of how engaged somebody’s followers actually are.
Ask round. When Vigilante travels, he typically asks folks (like bartenders or cashiers) who they comply with on social and what podcasts they hearken to. This offers him concepts for who to associate with.
Double down on what works. Relentlessly observe outcomes, preserve the partnerships that drive engagement, and minimize those that do not.
A smaller however engaged viewers will all the time outperform a giant viewers that is not paying consideration.
2. Gifting: The Most Underrated Advertising Hack
When Olipop was beginning out, they’d no price range for large influencer offers. As a substitute, they centered on one of many oldest (and only) methods within the e book: gifting.
“We gifted product like loopy and tracked natural responses,” Vigilante says. “If somebody posted about us on their very own, that was our signal they might be an ideal model associate.”
For small manufacturers, gifting is a low-cost solution to check influencer advertising and marketing:
- Supply free product in alternate for a submit.
- Ask for engagement screenshots to gauge viewers curiosity.
- Construct relationships with influencers who genuinely love your model.
Many influencers will promote merchandise they imagine in — while not having a giant paycheck. Gifting helps you discover these folks.
3. Scaling: Use Platforms As a substitute of a Enormous Crew
One of many greatest challenges for small manufacturers is scaling influencer and UGC efforts with out hiring a large staff.
That is why Olipop leans on a tech stack that manages all their influencer relationships for them.
A few of their favourite instruments:
- Kale: Helps on a regular basis prospects flip into model advocates by submitting UGC (user-generated content material) in alternate for rewards.
- Hummingbirds: A community of micro-influencers (typically mothers within the Midwest) who create genuine content material round model partnerships.
- 98Strong: A strong NIL (Title, Picture, Likeness) platform that helps manufacturers join with school athletes for hyper-local advertising and marketing.
- Tribe Group: A platform to trace influencer efficiency and handle collaborations at scale.
These platforms permit Olipop to show on a regular basis prospects into model advocates—with out manually managing hundreds of influencer campaigns.
Your small enterprise can use them too.
Backside Line: You Can Do This Now!
For small companies trying to break by, the technique is not difficult — simply underused.
Comply with Olipop’s playbook: mix into tradition, check relentlessly, and let actual followers do the speaking.
Once you do it proper, folks will discover your model — after which guarantee that everybody else does, too.
