10 Tips on Engaging Content Creators to Boost Social Commerce
- Content creators are an essential link between brands, audiences and social commerce.
- Brands must find ways to engage content creators to enhance the effectiveness of social commerce.
Content creators are the bridge between brands and audiences in social commerce, an amalgamation of social media and e-commerce. It allows users to discover and purchase products directly within social media platforms, revolutionizing the shopping experience by creating a convenient and engaging scenario.
According to Tidio, the social media market size was around $1.3 trillion in 2023 and is expected to cross $6.2 trillion by 2030. Porch Group Media says that 67% of consumers have already made purchases through social media platforms. For example, people see a hoodie on Instagram, tap on view details, and buy it through a seamless purchase experience within the app itself.
Content Creators & Social Commerce: The Power Couple
Social commerce is a budding scenario, and people are now comfortable discovering and buying products directly on social media platforms. However, this shopping experience thrives on a crucial element—content creators. With time, content creators and social commerce entered into a symbiotic relationship and became considered a power couple.
According to NAB Amplify, around 53% of Gen Z shoppers have purchased after watching a product review video on social media. People connect with captivating content, and “Get Ready with Me” videos influence their purchase decisions. Creators have established communities, and brands leverage these target audiences, creating win-win situations.
For example, Michelle Phan and EM Cosmetics, this beauty guru, leveraged her massive YouTube following to launch her makeup line. Her tutorials and product reviews helped showcase genuine use, authenticity and her passion for the product, which eventually led to the brand’s success.
Here are ten tips on how brands can engage content creators to activate and capitalize on their social commerce scenario.
- Find the Right Fit
Social commerce largely depends on content creators to drive engagement and sales. However, finding the perfect fit is a crucial aspect of an effective social commerce strategy. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, micro-influencers with around 10k to 50k followers usually outperform mega-influencers with millions of followers. Micro-influencers have highly engaged, niche communities that trust their recommendations.
For example, in The Livestream Makeup Revolution, beauty brands can steer away from celebrity makeup artists and find success with smaller beauty influencers famous for detailed livestream tutorials. These creators offer a relatable perspective and in-depth product knowledge appreciated by the target audience.
Marketers must work on aligning the brand with creators whose audience demographics align with their target market. Understand whether their content style matches the brand voice. Authenticity is the key; a playful comedic creator might be unsuitable for luxury brands. Consider the type of content the creator excels at and align the social commerce strategy accordingly.
Aligned content resonates with the target audience and leads to higher engagement metrics like shares, likes, and comments. When a creator showcases trust in the product, it fosters brand authenticity and trust. The end goal is to reach the right audience with a compelling message, which translates to higher sales conversion.
- Maintain Transparency
Transparency in social commerce is a vital bridge between brands, creators, and audiences. According to Cone Communications, around 73% of consumers say that they only trust transparent brands. CreatorIQ says that 88% of content creators value transparency from their partnered brands.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has enforced guidelines for disclosing sponsored content, as transparency helps brands avoid legal issues and builds consumer confidence.
For example, Benefit Cosmetics and Manny Mua partnered with a beauty influencer known for vibrant makeup looks. They provided clear guidelines regarding brand messaging while facilitating Manny’s creative freedom to showcase the product in a unique style. The campaign further resonated with the audience and felt authentic.
Creators must clearly state when a post is sponsored or features gifted products; they can use hashtags like #ad or #sponsored to be upfront. Marketers must be transparent about the campaign goals and compensation structures with creators to build trust and avoid misunderstanding.
Being upfront about underlying issues builds stronger relationships between brands, creators, and audiences. Transparency demonstrates that brands have nothing to hide, leading to a positive brand image. When the creator-brand relationship is built on trust, the resulting content feels genuine and engaging.
- Respect Creative Freedom
Authenticity must be the foundation of your social commerce strategy. Brands and marketers need to balance creativity with authenticity while respecting the creative freedoms of content creators. According to Social Media Today, around 86% of consumers value authenticity in influencer marketing.
CreatorIQ says that around 88% of content creators prefer working with brands that respect their creative inputs. For example, GoPro and Everyday Athletes. GoPro empowers everyday athletes by allowing them to use cameras to capture their adventures. Instead of traditional scripted videos, GoPro provides creators with broader themes and lets them showcase their unique perspectives, resulting in captivating and authentic content.
Marketers must provide clear brand guidelines on brand messaging, key product features, and desired content tone. They should also try to maintain open dialogue with creators and facilitate a platform for idea sharing and discussion of content approaches. They should emphasize the desired outcome rather than micromanage the creative process.
When creators feel empowered, they produce genuine content that resonates with the audience, leading to higher engagement. Trust and mutual respect between the parties foster stronger partnerships. Sometimes, creators might stumble upon innovative ideas that brands might not have imagined. Note that respecting creative freedom can lead to unexpected campaign success.
- Provide Resources
Creators can create content only with the right tools and resources brands and marketers provide. According to CreatorIQ, 76% of creators are likely to partner with brands again if they provide high-quality product samples. Marketers must provide resources like brand guidelines, product specifications, etc, to enhance effectiveness.
For example, Dollar Shave Club and Men’s Lifestyle Bloggers: DSC sends bloggers complimentary razor kits and offers them access to customer support teams. This approach allows bloggers to personally experience the product and answer readers’ questions comfortably, leading to more effective promotions.
Providing creators with high-quality samples allows them to test the product or service and effectively showcase its features in the content. The provided guidelines must outline brand messaging, key product features, and desired content tone. Creators should also be equipped with resources to answer audience questions about the product, including access to FAQs, product information sheets, or a dedicated customer support line.
Equipped creators can produce accurate, informative, and visually appealing content, leading to better engagement. Access to resources helps creators facilitate effective campaign navigation, demonstrating that the brand respects and is committed to the partnership. Eventually, it fosters trust and long-term collaboration.
- Go Beyond the Transactions
Remember, social commerce is more than just one-off sales; it’s more about building lasting customer relationships to foster brand loyalty. Hence, marketers and brands must strive to go beyond the transactions. According to Bain & Company, acquiring new customers might cost five times more than retaining new customers. Also, Power Reviews says that 91% of customers trust online reviews, and creators can be the source of the required authentic social proof.
For example, Lululemon & Fitness Influencers: Lululemon actively partners with fitness influencers who showcase their workout apparel while creating workout routines and healthy lifestyle content. This approach goes beyond selling clothes and builds brand loyalty while inspiring a healthy lifestyle.
Marketers must partner with creators to develop informative, engaging and entertaining content to build brand awareness and educate consumers about the benefits of products and services. They can leverage User-generated Content (UGC) via testimonials, reviews and photos as social proof. Focus on moving away from one-off campaigns and shift to long-term collaborations.
Engaging content fosters a sense of community and brand love, leading to loyal customers and repeat purchases. Focusing on educating and building relationships helps brands nurture long-term customer relationships. When customers feel connected to a brand, they’re likely to become loyal advocates and spread positive word-of-mouth through social media.
- Leverage Native Features
Brands must leverage social media platforms’ native features to collaborate with content creators and boost social commerce success. Shopify suggests that 73% of consumers are more likely to purchase products directly from social media apps. Hence, utilizing native features like shoppable posts eliminates the need to leave the app while streamlining the buying journey.
For example, Sephora and Beauty Bloggers: Sephora utilizes product stickers on its Instagram stories, highlighting the specific products that beauty bloggers mention in their collaborations. This lets consumers quickly learn about the product while making informed purchase decisions.
Marketers can utilize Instagram and Facebook shoppable posts, where creators can tag products directly within the photos and videos. Also, it hosts interactive livestreams with creators on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Note that platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer product stickers and story features. Creators can leverage these features to highlight specific products within their stories, driving viewers to explore and purchase.
The inclusion of native features makes the buying experience convenient and smooths the friction in the purchasing process. Incorporating native shopping features within engaging content creates a valuable and interactive experience for viewers. They can also access the platform’s analytics tools, allowing them to make data-driven decisions.
- Incentivize Engagement
Social commerce thrives on engagement, and brands need something to motivate creators to walk the extra mile to craft content that truly resonates with and interacts with the audience. According to Social Media Today, social media posts with higher engagement rates perform better than those with lower engagement rates. Plus, engaged audiences are more receptive to brand messaging.
For example, Buzzfeed & Food Content Creators: Buzzfeed usually partners with food creators who utilize interactive pools within their content. For instance, viewers can vote on recipe variations they’d like to see prepared next. This element of engagement and interactiveness encourages them to create relevant content.
Incentivizing engagement encourages creators to go beyond simply featuring a product. They would focus on crafting content that sparks conversations, drives engagement, and inspires curiosity, which could ultimately lead to action. Engagement metrics are valuable data points to work on, and incentivizing engagement refines the strategy for future collaborations.
Incentivizing creates a sense of bonus rewards based on key performance metrics by going ahead of sales commissions. Marketers can partner with creators to host contests and giveaways within the content. Also, encourage creators to utilize interactive formats like polls, quizzes, Q&A sessions, etc., boosting engagement and audience participation.
- Embrace User-Generated Content
Social commerce thrives on trust and authenticity, and the majority of it can be generated by embracing user-generated content. According to Nielsen, 90% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family over traditional advertising. Plus, UGC feels authentic and relatable, fostering trust in the brand.
For example, GoPro and Adventure Enthusiasts’ immense success can be attributed to UGC. They encourage users to share their authentic experiences captured via GoPro cameras using #GoPro. This inadvertently creates a vast library of authentic content showcasing the versatility and capabilities of their products.
To capitalize on UGC, marketers can host contests to encourage users to create content featuring the product. If necessary, they can offer incentives like discounts or product giveaways to boost participation. They can also showcase UGC photos and videos on the brand’s social media channels, credit creators, and express gratitude for the content. They can also create dedicated UGC galleries to enhance their effectiveness.
Note that UGC feels genuine and relatable. It also strengthens brand authenticity, fostering trust with consumers. Leveraging UGC allows brands to tap into a diverse range of voices and perspectives. Eventually, the brand can organically reach wider audiences.
- Track & Analyze
To excel in social commerce, brands need to track and analyze the effectiveness of their collaborations with content creators. Without proper tracking of relevant data, it’s nearly impossible to comprehend the impact of a creator campaign. Marketers need to keep a close eye on metrics like engagement, reach, sales conversions, etc, to assess success and areas of improvement.
For example, Fashion Nova and Instagram Influencers skillfully utilize Urchin Tracking Model (UTM) codes within influencer posts to track website traffic. They also actively monitor brand mentions and engagement metrics like comments and likes on influencer posts. This data lets them see which influencers generate the most buzz and website traffic.
Detailed data analysis provides valuable insights into which content formats resonate better with the audience and deliver the most impactful results. This knowledge empowers brands to refine their approach and align content creation efforts with tangible return on investment (ROI).
Obtained insights contain information about future collaborations and allow brands to partner with creators and develop content strategies to deliver the greatest impact. Tracking ROI helps brands allocate resources better. Plus, data analysis provides concrete evidence of the success of a creator’s collaborations, which helps brands justify their social commerce investment to stakeholders.
- Show Appreciation
The effectiveness of social commerce hinges on a strong relationship between brands and content creators. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, around 72% of content creators feel valued by brands, which is important for maintaining long-term partnerships. Creators who feel valued are more likely to become vocal brand advocates, and their appreciation will be visible in the content.
For example, Glossier and Beauty YouTubers: Glossier, the famous beauty brand, frequently partners with beauty creators and extends invitations to exclusive brand events and product launches. They also engage with their consumers in the comment section of their videos to show appreciation and foster a two-way conversation.
Marketers must ensure timely payments and maintain open communications throughout the campaign to showcase appreciation. Brands must respect creators’ time and expertise. Give credit for their work in social media posts, blog articles and press releases. Offer creators the opportunity to learn and grow, which could be taken as a token of appreciation.
Benefits include long-term partnerships, as creators who feel valued are more likely to continue working with the brand and foster long-term collaborations leading to consistent success. Appreciation fosters loyalty and can lead creators to become trusted brand advocates who organically promote the brand to the audience.
In conclusion, the partnership between content creators and social commerce is symbiotic. Content creators rule the arena by leveraging trust factors and engagement champions and facilitating targeted reach. They provide the required human touch in the digital world of social commerce.