As ecommerce retail continues to become more and more commonplace, direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands must embrace a new reality: The traditional buyer’s journey has evolved into a more engaging and interactive experience.
With social media platforms becoming the preferred method of product discovery and purchasing decisions, D2C brands have an unprecedented opportunity to connect with their target audience in new ways. This shift has also opened up new avenues for brands that weren’t traditionally D2C, allowing them to establish more direct relationships with consumers. That’s the good news.
On the flip side, this new reality comes with a significant learning curve. Many brands find it challenging to reach their target audience in such a dynamic environment with so many different ways to interact—not to mention the competition for eyeballs.
This can be confusing for marketers trying to find the best ways to promote their products. But among all these choices, working with influencers and online content creators has emerged as a standout strategy.
By teaming up with people who create brand-aligned content and have loyal followers, marketers can stand out and connect with their target audience more effectively than ever before. In other words, D2C influencer marketing has become essential to reaching the modern consumers.
Before we get into the details of different strategies, it helps to first look at what online shopping looks like these days. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t always involve a Google search.
A new buyer’s journey: the creator’s place in the D2C market
The way people shop has fundamentally changed, and content creators are now central to every phase of the new buyer journey.
In the awareness stage, product discovery often begins on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, especially for younger generations.
This happens in one of two ways: In the super organic, we-weren’t-even-trying department, we have the example of a person who’s just scrolling and someone they follow is talking up some product they’re loving.
The second way is through search. Social media searches have become a lot more precise and useful in recent years. Modern shoppers—especially Millennials and younger—will use these search features to find a specific product they’re already interested in, and this is where creators play a crucial role in moving them along the funnel.
For their followers who might never have heard of the product, the content acts as a friendly introduction.. The social proof they provide during this introduction is invaluable for D2C brands.
What makes that social proof so powerful?
People often follow creators because they either aspire to be like them, their lifestyle and interests align with them, or, preferably, a combination of both. The creator gives their audience access to their life to the extent that follows begin to develop a connection with them. That relationship makes product recommendations feel as if they are coming from an actual friend or a “trusted advisor.”
That social proof becomes even more critical when we enter the consideration stage. Here, word-of-mouth marketing reaches unprecedented levels from creators providing product reviews, tutorials, and real-life demonstrations.
Creator content in the consideration stage isn’t just about education. It’s about consumers seeing a product in action before they buy it. The audience sees the product in a real-world setting that is far more visceral than a traditional ad could ever recreate. In ecommerce, this is about as close to “try-before-you-buy” as we can get.
Finally, at the purchase stage, we see many social media platforms with integrated in-app purchasing options. This allows customers to buy products without having to leave their favorite apps. many social media platforms have integrated in-app purchasing options, allowing consumers to buy products without leaving their favorite apps.
Creators can directly influence purchase decisions, and brands arm them with the tools to sweeten the deal. Affiliate links, discount codes, and compelling calls-to-action all help guide their followers from discovery to purchase—and today’s leading brands know this.
If you’re still not sold on the use of influencers and creators, maybe some compelling numbers might help.
D2C influencer marketing stats you should know
To understand the importance of influencer marketing in the D2C space, consider these key statistics:
- Nearly a third (31%) of U.S. adults say their purchase decisions are influenced by social media creators. Narrow the age range down to 18-29 year olds, and that number goes up to 52%.
- 57.6% of respondents to a survey about influencer marketing run their own ecommerce stores—that’s about as direct-to-consumer as it gets—and that number is trending upward.
- 51% say that working with creators and influencers has helped them to acquire better, more loyal customers.
- 58% bought a product after seeing it on social media.
- For every dollar spent on influencer marketing, brands can expect—on average—a return of $5.78.
- During the consideration phase, more than 50% of shoppers prefer to do their research at the brand’s website.
- 55% of consumers prefer to buy directly from brands—a statistic that probably explains Amazon’s push to register brands in their marketplace.
- What does all of this data tell us, in a nutshell?
Consumers want to buy directly from brands. And they rely on social media and content creators to learn about those products and decide which are best suited for their lifestyle.
Top D2C influencer marketing trends
Because influencer marketing is still relatively new, it’s still evolving—and quickly. As trends and best practices continue to shift, it’s critical for brands to pay attention to these changes.
Keeping a pulse on the latest developments in influencer marketing can help D2C brands effectively connect with their target audience.
Here are some of the most prominent trends in the influencer marketing world:
Video content rules.
We saw this in the explosion of TikTok’s popularity a few years ago, and we saw it again when other platforms were desperate to play catch up.
Instagram launched Reels, YouTube started offering Shorts, and Facebook…well, Facebook realized it owned Instagram and started offering Reels, too.
Creators make content—and sales.
Investment in influencer marketing has increased each year since 2017, but that’s more than a marketing investment. As we’ve touched on here, the consumer shopping experience has evolved dramatically.
With social media becoming increasingly shoppable, influencers are finding themselves with the dual function of being both a spokesperson and an actual distribution channel. Your marketing budget doubles as operational expansion in this case.
Niche creators drive conversions.
Smaller, niche-focused creators often deliver higher engagement rates and more targeted audiences.
“Small” and “niche” aren’t just about the size or scope of their audience—creators are becoming more specialized in the content they put out.
These days, “beauty influencer” is a general category that contains niches like skin care or makeup. Especially when you’ve gotten to the purchase phase of the buyer’s journey, there’s just not as much of a benefit to an influencer with massive reach.
This is when you want to focus your efforts on reaching target audiences that are likely to buy, and a specialized creator can be the best way to get you there.
If you like it then you better put a ring on it.
Brands and influencers, like a match on Hinge, are both looking for long term relationships. Influencer marketing’s effectiveness is rooted in authenticity and trust, neither of which is expected from a one night stand. There’s a time and place for a more mercenary approach to using creators, but to build a loyal, genuine audience, you need a loyal, genuine partner.
People like shopping from their favorite social media platform.
In-app shopping is becoming increasingly popular. In 2023, people spent over $1.2 billion on in-app shopping worldwide. That’s a nearly 30% increase from the year prior.
Experts think this trend in the compound annual growth rate will more or less hold at around 30% for the next 5 years—and that in the United States alone, people will spend more than $175 billion on social media shopping by 2029. Ignore this information at your own risk.
AI can improve efficiency
If you thought you’d get through a blog post in 2024 without reading about AI, you are about to be disappointed. AI is changing the game for a lot of industries, and marketing is no different.
We’re not talking about AI influencers, though that is now an artificial reality. Instead, marketers are using AI software to help with efficiency.
This can be using something like ChatGPT to brainstorm campaign ideas with all the way up to having it map out complete strategies for you. More common is the use of AI in influencer platforms, which can help to automate the tedious tasks involved in influencer relationship management, outreach, payment, and discovery.
Common pitfalls with D2C influencer marketing (and how to avoid them)
As much as influencer marketing can help D2C brands, there are a few things to watch out for that can hinder the effectiveness of campaigns. Avoid doing the following:
Prioritizing reach over engagement
We touched on this before, but it bears repeating: don’t focus solely on follower count. While a large following might seem appealing, it’s more important to prioritize engagement rates and ensure that the influencer’s audience aligns with your target market.
It’s better to reach an audience of 100 people you’ve researched (and who come with a high probability of conversion) than broadcasting to 10k random people you know nothing about. The only reason people care about reach in print and TV ads is because that’s their biggest benefit.
Lacking measurable objectives
Another frequent oversight is neglecting to set clear goals: You should identify these explicitly ahead of embarking on any collaboration. How can you measure success effectively if you haven’t set specific KPIs to track? This strategic approach allows for better assessment of the campaign’s impact and helps in making informed adjustments.
Without a good strategy, inconsistent brand messaging can dilute the effectiveness of influencer marketing efforts. Brands should provide clear guidelines to creators while allowing them the freedom to express themselves authentically. This balance helps maintain brand integrity while leveraging the unique voice of the influencer.
Bypassing FTC disclosure rules
And speaking of brand integrity: we’re six years removed from when the Fyre Festival put skeptical eyes on influencer marketing and served as a catalyst for the FTC to create some ethical guidelines around the practice. And yet, overlooking FTC guidelines is still a common issue.
The FTC’s own guide for disclosing partner- and sponsorships is aimed squarely at influencers, but you shouldn’t think that lets brands off the hook. It’s crucial for brands to ensure that all sponsored content is properly disclosed and to hold influencers to that standard.
Failure to comply can result in fines, legal actions, and injunctions—all the major forms of bureaucratic punishment. Beyond having a regulatory body breathing down your collective branded neck, failing to follow the rules can be a big breach of trust with your audience, too.
D2C influencer marketing strategies to implement today
Knowing how vital influencers can be to your D2C marketing efforts, you’ll probably want a little inspiration for your campaigns. Let’s look at five effective D2C influencer marketing strategies, each explained with real-world examples.
1. Gifting creators
Most big-name creators (and even some smaller ones, too) aren’t going to accept gifts in exchange for content. However, if you identify the creators with the sweet spot of follower count and brand alignment, gifting can be a highly effective strategy.
Identify your creators and ask if you can send them some products to try out. Tell them you’re looking for their honest opinion.
But here is the key: Do not ask them to post. This is a no-strings attached gift. If they love it, chances are they’ll post about you organically.
A notable example of this strategy in action is Mamaearth, a skincare brand that successfully utilized gifting with micro-influencers to create widespread awareness of their “Goodness is a Choice” campaign.
By sending products to influencers who shared their natural beauty ethos, Mamaearth was able to reach moms and beauty enthusiasts across various social platforms, resulting in a significant boost in brand visibility and customer trust.
2. Collaborating with micro influencers
Let’s say this again! Partnering with influencers who have smaller but highly engaged followings, often in niche markets, is a strategic approach for D2C brands. These micro-influencers typically boast higher engagement rates, which means their audiences are more likely to trust and act on their recommendations. They’re also cheaper to work with than macro influencers.
A great example of a successful micro-influencer campaign is Glossier’s approach to building brand awareness and increasing sales. Before it was a billion dollar company, Glossier perfected the art of micro-influencer campaigns.
They partnered with a group of Instagram creators—with a combined total of a little more than 30,000 followers—to promote their beauty products. These influencers shared authentic posts and stories on Instagram, showcasing how they used Glossier products in their daily routines.
This strategy allowed Glossier to build trust with a niche audience, which resulted in a significant boost in both brand visibility and sales, leading to them being described with words like “billion” and “dollar” and “company.”
3. Content co-creation
Working together with influencers to make content is a great way for brands and influencers to show off products and, maybe more importantly, the level of partnership.
A more professional looking video or image that still adheres to the influencers style can work better than just sticking products in videos or photos. The content feels real and matches what the influencer’s followers expect to see.
When done right, this kind of content gets more likes, comments, and shares because it doesn’t look like a regular ad—but it can look better than normal. It also helps build trust with the audience. Plus, brands can learn from influencers about what their followers like, which helps them make better, more targeted content.
Dunkin’ saw the effects of a collaboration firsthand when they named a coffee drink after TikTok star Charli D’Amelio, who was already known for professing her love of the brand.
Instead of merely having Charli pose with their products, Dunkin’ went all in on her, naming a cold brew drink after her. The Tiktok campaign included videos of Charli ordering the drink and resulted in a 57% increase in Dunkin’s app downloads and a 45% surge in cold brew sales.
4. Leveraging TikTok for organic reach
If you google “how to beat tiktoks algorithm” you get thousands (and thousands, etc.) of results. These might have good advice for content creators but, for a brand, “hacking” the algorithm can be as simple as partnering with someone who’s already done it—that is, a popular TikTok creator.
They don’t even have to be huge: Compared to other social media platforms, TikTok’s ‘For You’ page is more likely to make even small accounts go viral if people like their content. This means D2C brands can compete with bigger companies more easily.
Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but virality is easier with TikTok’s algorithm. By making fun, informative, or trendy videos that fit their brand, D2C companies can reach TikTok’s many active users.
But if reach is your goal, then bigger accounts are the way—and once again, Charli D’Amelio is your girl.
American Eagle Outfitters leaned on her reach to promote Aerie, their intimate apparel brand. The campaign’s success was unassailable: It rapidly spread across TikTok, with D’Amelio’s initial post garnering nearly 4 million likes.
Aerie then had its “Role Models”—a group of other creators they work with—amplifying the message. Within the first week, the campaign had amassed over 1.3 billion views, catapulting Aerie’s TikTok following to 15,000—an increase from zero!
The impact extended beyond TikTok, with Aerie gaining over 16,000 Instagram followers in one weekend and their #AerieREAL Life homepage receiving 138,000 pageviews in a single day. This multi-platform success demonstrated the campaign’s ability to resonate with audiences and drive significant engagement across various digital touchpoints.
5. Influencers as affiliates
Influencers can be more than just spokespeople: They can act as a guerrilla sales force. By leveraging influencers as affiliates through the use of unique affiliate links—they each get their own personal link to share—you can easily track the sales they generate and compensate them through commissions.
Revolve, a fashion brand known for its millennial and Gen Z appeal, has built its success largely through a robust influencer marketing strategy. By working with over 3,500 influencers, Revolve drives nearly 70% of its total sales through these partnerships. Instead of relying solely on traditional advertising, the brand uses influencers to promote their clothing, create content, and drive engagement across social media platforms.
Key Takeaway: Creators and influencer marketing is more critical to D2C companies than ever before.
For D2C brands, investing in creators is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. D2C brands can greatly benefit from building strong partnerships with influencers and using their content throughout the marketing process.
These partnerships help brands reach new customers, teach people about their products, boost sales, and create loyal fans. If it’s done right, these results come about not because of a hard sell, but because companies are integrating their brand and products into the daily lives of their target audience.
