“We really take that time to build that relationship and nurture it… I want our members to feel like they are part of Organifi, because at the end of the day, they are the face of Organifi.” – Lauren Maxwell, Organifi

The best way to attract loyal customers and increase ROI through influencer marketing is to build a program that’s focused on the relationships with influencers. Relationships help influencers feel more connected to the brand and gives them motivation to learn about the products and the brand story so they can pass on that knowledge to their audience. If a brand’s approach to influencers lacks communication and support, brands will see increased turnover in both their influencer program and in their customer base. 

“If you’re only focusing on pushing sales, you’re going to turn away so many people, because you’ve never built that relationship” – Lauren Maxwell, Organifi

Forming strong relationships with influencers takes time and persistence. Brands need to have a dedicated team member who is vetting influencers thoroughly, communicating clearly during the onboarding process, connecting with influencers daily, and following up both when something is working well and when improvement is needed. When influencers feel supported, they will naturally be more excited about the brand and share that enthusiasm with their followers, increasing engagement and ultimately sales.

Breakdown of the GRIN Gets Real Podcast Customer Spotlight on Organifi

“Our program is so special, because we do focus so much on the relationship and so much on the community…I want them to feel like they are part of Organifi. We go above and beyond with the support.” – Lauren Maxwell, Organifi

Organifi offers a line of organic, plant-based, high quality superfood blends. The brand strives to bring health and happiness to the world by providing access to high quality nutrition, education, and community. One way they do this is through their community of influencers, who they call members. Their members are excited to share their stories of transformation and love of Organifi products to their audience. But this inspired community of influencers, called “the collective,” didn’t develop overnight. Through the dedicated efforts of collective manager Lauren Maxwell, the program was transformed from a 4000+ group of disconnected affiliates, to a tight knit, motivated community of just over 400 Organifi superfans, who act as part of the Organifi team.

In this episode of the GRIN Gets Real Podcast, Katya from GRIN talks with Lauren about how her approach to influencer marketing is different from many others in the industry, and what elements of Organifi’s program make it stand out. They discuss what it takes to build a successful program from the beginning and how to approach sales in a way that won’t turn people off. 

Lauren has been a student of influencer marketing for several years, and developed strategies through a lot of trial and error. She also pays close attention to the data available inside GRIN, and uses it to grow the program, encourage brand loyalty, and increase ROI. During the podcast, Lauren shares the tactics and strategies that have been the most effective such as:

• Why being intentional with titles matters when partnering with influencers.
• Why talking directly to influencers is essential during the approval process.
• The types of data Lauren and her team refer to daily in their program.
• How to coach influencers to sell without being salesy.
• The benefits of having a detailed criteria for evaluating potential partners.
• Ways to leverage influencers when launching a new product.
• What brands should to commit to in order to build a successful program.

“If [influencer marketing] is something that you want to do, you need to go into it 100%. It can’t be here and there part time… you have to be fully, solely into it.” – Lauren Maxwell, Organifi

Many brands don’t understand the value of committing their time and energy to developing relationships with their influencers. But the truth is, nurturing relationships from the beginning is one of the best ways to grow a successful program. A focus on relationships will attract the highest quality influencers, motivate them to talk about the brand authentically, stimulate engagement, and establish more consistency in the program.

For an insider look at a brand who knows how to build and nurture strong relationships, and has one of the most vibrant influencer programs out there today …

Listen to the podcast now!

Quotes from the episode

“An influencer is someone who is making an impact on others lives by sharing about what they personally love, and are passionate about, on a social media channel. It doesn’t matter how many followers they have.”
 
“Instead of thinking of it as a sale, think of the value you are providing your followers and your audience.”

“If you’re just focusing on just transactional, you’re not going to have repeat customers. They’re going to purchase once and be done, because they don’t know the value behind it, and they don’t know the education behind it.”

“With GRIN it’s so much easier for us to go in and individualize the coaching for our  members so that it is fun and successful.”

“If you’re posting on Instagram, you should have a highlight, you should have the link in your bio, show how you’re using the product, and always have a call to action.”