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Last year, Australians spent $750 million on Mother’s Day. Here’s how to tap into the mother of all retail opportunities.

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All around the country, women are dropping subtle (and not so subtle) hints, and partners and children are making Mother’s Day plans.&nbsp;For shoppers, Mother’s Day is an opportunity to show their mums (or the mother figures in their lives) how much they’re loved and appreciated. For retailers, it’s a highly lucrative sales moment on the marketing calendar – last year, Australian consumers spent more than <a href="https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/mums-to-be-spoiled-on-mothers-day-with-754-million-to-be-spent-on-gifts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$750 million</a> on Mother’s Day gifts and celebrations.&nbsp;&nbsp;And, according to exclusive research from Afterpay, customer retail spend was up a whopping 25.3 per cent in 2022 compared to the previous year, which sets the scene for a bumper 2023.Here’s a glimpse into what shoppers were buying last year, followed by our tips for getting the most out of May 14's retail moment.

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<h5>Time your marketing right</h5>Leave shoppers plenty of time to make their purchasing decisions by promoting your Mother’s Day offers early. Data from Google Trends shows that searches for gift ideas start rising about a month before Mother’s Day and peak during the week leading up to the day itself.“Start [marketing] a month out, particularly if you’re an online business as you need to make sure you manage people’s expectations around cut-off delivery dates,” says retail expert Sally Coates of The Retail Mentors. “You also need to give people the time to be able to think it through and have those conversations, which usually happen between the other parent and the children, at home.”&nbsp;But don’t neglect last-minute shoppers, either, by offering click-and-collect services, free Express Post, social media reminders and EDMs to your email list.<h6>Heard of the “thoughtful marketing movement”?</h6>Mother’s Day isn’t a joyful celebration for everyone – and marketing emails have the power to hit someone where it hurts. The ‘thoughtful marketing movement’ encourages retailers to offer consumers the opportunity to opt out of Mother’s Day marketing messages using email preferences. This proactive approach isn’t just considerate – it can stop customers from unsubscribing altogether.

<h6>Offer excellent value</h6>While cost of living might be top of mind for a lot of people, 94 per cent of Australian shoppers are planning to spend the same or more than last year, according to <a href="https://www.bandt.com.au/australians-will-spoil-mum-again-this-mothers-day-according-to-shopper-survey/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a recent survey by Shopper</a>.“People are really price conscious at the moment, so you’ve got to be showing value to the person doing the purchasing – shoppers will be looking for excellent value for money,” says Coates.For Mother's Day promotion ideas, instead of traditional sales, consider offering built-in discounts, like generous gifts with purchases over a certain amount (or with premium products with higher price points), “buy-one-get-one-for-less” options for those shopping for multiple women in their lives, free personalisations, and even gift vouchers with purchase – so shoppers can get a treat for themselves as well as for mum.<h6>Bricks and mortar retailer?</h6>Consider a creative in-store activation: think a VIP mother-daughter shopping night with canapés and Champagne (and plenty of Mother's Day gifts on display), or a wholesome make-grandma-a-card event for kids (perhaps with a discount for the pocket-money crowd).

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"People are really price-conscious at the moment, so you have to show value."

<h6>Simplify shopping</h6>Ninety per cent of people in the Shopper survey admitted that convenience is key when researching, selecting and purchasing gifts.“You’ve got to make it simple,” says Coates. “I would look at theming items for different interests as a merchandising strategy in-store so that people aren’t overwhelmed and can find something easily.“Creating categories, and even bundling items at a certain price point, makes the process simple and clear. And make it a one-stop shop: if you have an area for women who love to read, add themed gift bags and cards so shoppers can buy everything they need all at once – and you’ve just increased your sales.”&nbsp;For online retailers, a Mother’s Day edit tab or vertical, as well as EDMs that pull together a curated collection of gifts for the “foodie”, “sporty”, “sustainably minded” and “luxe-loving” mother, for example, make adding to cart simple.&nbsp;And never underestimate the power of free gift wrapping.<h6>Prep staff</h6>Don’t forget to train staff in the lead-up to Mother’s Day. Ensure that retail staff are up to speed with new products, and understand how to cross-sell or upsell (for example, suggesting cards, gift-wrapping or complementary products when customers come to purchase) and tips on how to use particular products. Consider holding a training session and offering role-playing, advice or sales scripts before Mother’s Day.<h6>Go big on styling</h6>Make sure you bring Mother’s Day into your branding and don’t forget visual merchandising: in-store, online and social media displays can be impactful and showcase your most desirable products.“Window and in-store styling enables people to visualise something that they can’t see themselves, which could be an outfit or homewares.”<h6>Download your free marketing templates now!</h6>Need help promoting Mother’s Day? Download our free campaign assets for social, web and email and have your biggest Mother’s Day yet.

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How to tap into the mother of all retail opportunities.

How to use Afterpay to make the most of Mother's Day

5 ways to boost sales on Mother’s Day

Discover retail tips and tactics to drive sales this Valentine's Day.

Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is the first milestone on many retailers’ marketing calendars each year – and given it brings in moe than <a href="https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/a-lot-of-love-to-share-with-valentines-day-to-deliver-a-415-million-spending-boon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$400 million</a> for Australian retailers, it pays to play cupid with customers. “There are a lot of opportunities for retailers… to play in that space,” says Brian Walker, the CEO of Retail Doctor.&nbsp;And it’s not just the florists and chocolatiers who can benefit from the <a href="https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/a-lot-of-love-to-share-with-valentines-day-to-deliver-a-415-million-spending-boon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$111 each Valentine’s Day shopper spends on average.</a> “Every retailer should ask themselves if they have a brand or offering that evokes an emotional response from a customer, and if so, can they do something with that emotion of romance, and can they be authentic about it?” says Walker, who adds that this doesn’t mean simply “sticking on a couple of red hearts on at the end of the display as a bit of an afterthought.”&nbsp;Here’s how to make the most of Valentine’s Day in 2023, whether your regular campaign needs a refresh or you’re trialling one for the first time.<h2>Think outside the chocolate box</h2>Red roses, chocolates, lingerie and jewellery might be the classic gifts, but there are plenty of products that can be promoted as romantic. “Homewares is an obvious example where it just makes sense,” says Walker.&nbsp;Beautiful stationery, gourmet food products, gardening, furniture, tech and more have plenty of room to be pitched as a personalised way to impress your partner. And experiences are on the up: in fact, almost half (41%) of 25-34 year old consumers are looking for experiences rather than physical products for the object of their affection.<h2>Know your customer</h2>One size doesn’t necessarily fit all when it comes to Valentine’s Day, and it pays to know who you’re targeting. Looking back on your Valentine’s Day sales for 2022 will provide helpful data on shopping habits – who bought what, which products sold well and what didn’t work.&nbsp;Then, there are two demographics retailers should consider speaking to specifically: Millennials are the biggest Valentine’s gift-givers, representing almost 36% of all Valentine’s spending, according to a <a href="https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/a-lot-of-love-to-share-with-valentines-day-to-deliver-a-415-million-spending-boon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">survey</a> by Roy Morgan and the Australian Retailers Association . Meanwhile, men spend more (male consumers will spend an estimated $63, while females will spend $46).&nbsp;<h2>Make it easy</h2>Shoppers start looking for Valentine’s Day gifts in the last week of January according to Google Trends, so start planning your marketing activities now. This might include adding promotional flyers to orders throughout January, planning social media content and sending out reminders and countdowns to your mailing list. And make sure you’re directing people to Valentine’s ideas on your website - a Valentine’s Day shopping category or a gift guide for different tastes and budgets offers convenience for customers – which translates to more temptation to buy.Use our free merchant assets to promote your business online this Valentine's Day...

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<h2>Have fun with it</h2>“This is one of the great times to be cheeky,” says Walker. “It will make sense for many to not take it too seriously.” While it’s natural for some brands to run with Valentine’s Day as romantic day with a capital R (think jewellery), others will do better with a dose of irreverence and humour. Think about opportunities that speak to the personal, unique approach over the generic gift choice – think messaging around giving them “what they really want” or something that will “show them you know them better than red roses ever will”, for example.<h2>Don’t forget Galentine’s Day</h2>Speaking of irreverence, don’t forget that the day before Valentine’s Day, February 13, is Galentine’s Day – an opportunity to celebrate non-romantic friendships, and another opportunity to market to a different demographic.“It’s a great thing for retailers to lean into because Galentine's drives that inclusion of everyone rather than just those that are in the relationships,” says Anastasia Lloyd-Wallis, head of consumer insights at Retail Doctor, who points to the recent drive to treat yourself and friends with small value goods.

"Galentine's Day [is about] inclusion of everyone rather than just those that are in the relationships."

“I think that's probably what we’re seeing with the rise of Galentine's Day, in particular around the Gen Z segments who are all about inclusion.”<h2>Offer last-minute options</h2>Most Valentine’s Day shoppers are procrastinators: <a href="https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/a-lot-of-love-to-share-with-valentines-day-to-deliver-a-415-million-spending-boon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">32 per cent </a>of purchases are made the week of the holiday. Capitalise on this by emphasising urgency and offering solutions for shoppers who have left things to the last minute. Remind customers and email subscribers about shipping cut-off dates, and ensure you offer express post and a click-and-collect option for those who are late, as well as vouchers (for those who are really, really late).Consider value adds like free gift wrapping, hand-written cards with the order to save time, or even bonuses like chocolates – when people are disorganised, they’ll appreciate having a few steps taken off their hands.<h2>Partner up</h2>Limited-edition collaborations between like-minded brands can tap into feelings of exclusivity and uniqueness for shoppers looking for something special for their sweetheart – while also exposing your brand to new, like-minded customers.Think complementary brands rather than competitors: if you sell chocolate, perhaps you could team up with a winemaker, or if you’re in the homewares industry, a limited-edition bowl coupled with high-end snacks could appeal.

Retail tips and tactics to drive sales this Valentine's Day, from preparing early to emphasising convenience.

How retailers can prepare for Valentine's Day sales 2023

How to prepare for Valentine's Day 2023

Valentines Day tips retailers 2023

It’s a new school year – and a fresh chance to engage customers and drive sales.

Back-to-school time is one of the big-ticket events on the retail marketing calendar, with good reason: surveys estimate that in 2022 parents and caregivers collectively spent $2 billion on back-to-school shopping for their kids.Laptops, books, uniforms and shoes take the lion’s share of spending, with stationery, school bags, lunch boxes and water bottles bringing up the lucrative rear.This year, with rising interest rates and power bills, parents will be expecting better value and more convenience than ever before. Here are some tips on how to engage your customers, and keep them coming back for more.<h2>1. Time it right</h2>&nbsp;Google Trends data shows searches for ‘school shoes’ and ‘school stationery’ start to climb very early in the New Year, so it’s never too soon to start planning. Tech giant Apple (Australia) traditionally starts its annual back-to-uni promotion on the first Wednesday in January, for example, with some knockout deals on gifts that Santa missed.But that doesn’t mean you should try to pip your peers at the post and launch a campaign too early.“We’ve generally seen most sales tend to creep forward in the retail calendar,” says Trent Rigby, director at retail strategy consultancy Retail Oasis.“But back-to-school remains fixed in early January, which allows a good three weeks before kids return to school or uni. Running back-to-school sales earlier risks messaging getting mixed up in the Boxing Day sales.”<h2>2. Stock up</h2>You know the demand for school-related items will be high during the back-to-school shopping season, but how do you maximise the potential for sales?&nbsp;<ul><li>Stock up on fast-moving essentials.</li><li>Check out your local schools’ requirements. Identifying what’s on their Term 1 lists, will ensure your products get sold.</li><li>Look at the brands that are trending in schoolyards. Is there are new Disney movie on release? What is LEGO up to? Are people really still playing Pokémon? If it’s a choice between a cool lunchbox and a utilitarian one, you’ll get the kids’ vote if you stock on-trend options.</li></ul><h2>3. Make it easy</h2>Back-to-school season is busy for shoppers, especially parents juggling the needs of children across multiple age groups. If you can simplify the shopping experience, they will choose your store.“Back-to-school shopping can be hectic, and convenience is a huge driver,” says Rigby. “Most parents prefer to get their back-to-school supplies in one shop or trip, so retailers should think of offering bundles or pack deals.”

"Back-to-school shopping can be hectic, and convenience is a huge driver."

Another way to streamline your offering is to provide guides or checklists of essential back-to-school items. Australia’s largest stationery retailer Officeworks has this down pat, further segmenting its back-to-school checklists by grade.<h2>4. Price it tight&nbsp;</h2>Affordability and price are always an important consumer driver, especially at this time of year, after a period of Christmas spending. And that’s expected to be more of a concern than ever during this back-to-school sales period. “Rising cost of living pressures and inflation mean that parents are going to be on the lookout for value,” says Rigby. “Retailers will need to move beyond simple price comparisons, and demonstrate genuine value.”Quality is likely to be in the spotlight too, with shoppers looking to make their purchases last well into the school year.<h2>5. Leverage your online assets</h2>While the adults are off work (and with all that free time to look at their phones), this time of year is a great opportunity to get your messages in front of the right eyes. Put up a dedicated tab on your website, compose a snappy e-newsletter to showcase your range, <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/product-photography/how-to-take-product-photos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">take photos</a> for social. Consider organising a Facebook competition with prizes, engage your audience with a poll, sponsor a local school event and make sure everyone knows it.“Think what additional value you can add online besides price and convenience,” says Rigby. “Blog content can be a powerful tool for building customer engagement and loyalty.”Think school lunch ideas, recipes for fussy eaters if you’re a food retailer or advice on how to ease back-to-school stress.Don't forget to download your free Afterpay assets for social, web and email to let your customers know all about your Back to School promos.

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<h2>6. Think outside the school gates&nbsp;</h2>So, you don’t sell a product that falls into the tech/shoes/stationery basket? Congratulations for reading this far! Because this doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the back-to-school fun.“COVID-19 has shifted the traditional ideas and priorities around learning and education,” says Rigby. “Now more than ever, we recognise that it doesn’t begin and end at the classroom. A back-to-school drive can talk to children’s health and wellness, active lifestyles, sports and hobbies after school.”We should also recognise that this time of year impacts not just the schoolies, but the whole family. Stay-at-home parents, for example, may see the return to school period as a reprieve and an opportunity to return to their beauty or fitness routines.Sportswear giant Adidas did this so well in the 2022 northern summer holidays, with back-to-school sections for grown-ups. Coining the phrase ‘Comeback Season’, it used the opportunity to promote its latest exercise gear and “help you start the school year strong”. Well played indeed.

It’s a new school year – and a fresh chance to engage customers and drive sales

Back-to-school shopping is a key retail moment for merchants. Discover ways to boost sales, including tips on timing, convenience and marketing.

Back to school retail tips to drive more sales 

How to make the most of back-to-school shopping

Back To School Retail

One of the most important metrics for any online store is the conversion rate. It measures how many visitors to your site make a purchase. The higher this number, the better. There are plenty of tools that can measure this for you, such as <a href="https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Analytics</a>.

By focusing on every website visitor to your site, you can create experiences that can drive your rate higher. If you want more people converting on your site, you need to think about the entire customer journey, optimising every touch point and page so you can drive more sales. Here’s how you can increase your conversion rate

<h2>1. Use clear CTAs</h2>Think of your call-to-action (CTA) buttons as ushers, helping customers quickly and easily find their way through your product pages to the checkout. They need to be clear and accessible and tell customers what to do next. Don’t hide them in copy or have them sitting at the bottom of your page where they can be missed. The sooner they appear on page, the better. Use words that are action oriented, like: Add to Cart, Shop Now, Earn More, or Get the Look. And make sure you position them where you want customers to take the action. If your CTA is linked to an offer, don’t forget to add a sense of urgency by adding reminders like ‘only 3 items left’, ‘limited time’ or include a count-down clock showing when the offer expires.

<h2>2. Promote fortnightly payments</h2>Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) providers like Afterpay are hugely popular because they allow customers to get what they need now and then pay for it in four&nbsp;interest-free instalments. Not only do customers see them as a convenient and cost-effective way to make purchases, but they also help them budget better.Letting customers know you offer BNPL can be a real drawcard. A recent study revealed that without Afterpay, 57% of customers said that they would have looked for another store that did have Afterpay or not purchased at all.1If you offer a BNPL option, you should display the fortnightly pricing/finance options on your product description. For customers who may not be able to pay in full right now, it lets them know they can get the item now but spread their payments over time. This can help reduce cart abandonment and increase conversions.

<h2>3. Show customer reviews</h2>Reading customer reviews has become commonplace for anyone making online purchases. Shoppers want to read about experiences from other people like them. This social proof helps them feel reassured before committing to their purchase and carries a much higher value than a company’s own description or advertising. Most consumers read reviews and the <a href="https://websitebuilder.org/blog/online-review-statistics/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">majority</a>2 consider them an essential step on their path to purchase. A study by Trustpilot revealed that <a href="https://marketing.trustpilot.com/the-psychology-behind-trust-signals-demandgen-us-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">86% of consumers</a>3 are more likely to buy from brands that have a positive star rating or review on their home page. Apart from sharing information about experiences, they also act as an important tool for building trust between your brand and your customers. <a href="https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">79%</a>4 of consumers say they trusted online reviews as much as the recommendations they get from family and friends. While showing reviews is vitally important for your conversion rates, just as important is asking your customers to review their experience. So, make sure you create a review process that’s simple to do and try to capture their thoughts as close to their moment of purchase while it’s fresh in their mind.

<h2>4. Create time-sensitive offers</h2>Nothing triggers FOMO like a limited-time offer. From a conversion perspective, customers are more likely to complete their purchase on the spot rather than return later and risk losing the discount/benefit of the offer.The great thing about these types of offers is that they can work for new and existing customers. First-time buyers are drawn in by the offer, which could appear as a pop-up when they land on their site. For example, you might display a discount coupon code that they can apply at the checkout. For existing customers, you can use your email to send them special offers that they can redeem online or in-store. And if you’re looking to clear old stock or build interest in a new product, these offers can work a treat.

<h3>5. Offer a first purchase discount/offer</h3>One way to encourage new visitors to checkout with you is by offering them a special offer when they land on your site. This delivers two main benefits.Firstly, it helps you improve your conversion rate because new visitors are more likely to purchase from you rather than just look around then move on. Secondly, it helps convert prospects into customers, which can lead to repeat purchases. Research shows that increasing <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/customer-retention/customer-retention-strategies" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">customer retention</a> rates by 5% increases profits by <a href="https://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/the-economics-of-e-loyalty" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">25% to 95</a>%.5Customers often return to stores they know and have purchased from before. By offering an initial discount, you give them a reason to checkout with you rather than a competitor they may have shopped at before.Increasing your conversion rate can be one of the most powerful ways to grow your business. Keeping the customer front and centre of everything you do will help ensure you’re optimising their experience, which ultimately leads to more sales.

Source: 
 <ol>
 <li>Afterpay FY21 Presentation, August 2021.</li>
 <li>26 Mind-Boggling Online Review Statistics & Facts for 2022, Website Builder, 18 December 2021.</li>
 <li>The Psychology Behind Trust Signals: Why and How Social Proof Influences Consumers in 2020, Trust Pilot.</li>
 <li>Local Consumer Review Survey 2022, BrightLocal, 26 January 2022.</li>
 <li>The Economics of E-Loyalty, Harvard Business School, 7 October 2000.</li>
 </ol>

You need to think about the entire customer journey, optimising every touch point and page so you can drive more sales. 
Here’s how you can increase your conversion rate

5 ways you can increase conversion rates

5 ways you can increase conversion rates ANZ

The simple secrets and expert ideas to help you supercharge your social media growth.

By now, most small business owners understand the immense power of Instagram when it comes to attracting new clients and customers, building a brand and selling products.&nbsp;&nbsp;Whether you’re an expert when it comes to Reels or you’re still getting your head around posting regularly, it pays to keep up with the platform’s ever-evolving offerings and learn how to harness them.&nbsp;And if you can save some time and effort while you’re doing it, that’s a business win. Here, social media experts share the tips and tricks that every small business owner should know right now.&nbsp;<h2>Add a link sticker to your Stories&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>Not so long ago, the ability to add a ‘swipe-up’ link to a story was reserved for those people who had more than 10,000 followers. Not anymore! You can now link directly to your website or product.It’s available to everyone to use now, albeit in a click-through ‘sticker’ rather than swipe-up form. Use your Stories to showcase your products, talk about their benefits, share behind-the-scenes secrets, and add a link for users to easily find your products and content. If you’re not doing this, you’re missing out on a huge sales opportunity.&nbsp;&nbsp;Here how to do it: once you’ve created your story, tap the sticker icon and type in the URL. You can then type the sticker’s text or call to action (or CTA: for example, “Tap to read!”) Note: You can also resize the sticker and change the colour.&nbsp;<h2>Reel people in with Reels</h2>Reels are a relatively new feature for Instagram, and, like most social platforms, Instagram rewards accounts that engage with its new features.&nbsp;

"A Reel doesn’t even have to be a video."

That means that the Instagram algorithm favours Reels, says growth marketer Jade Warne of<a href="https://www.instagram.com/smallbusinessgrowthclub/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/smallbusinessgrowthclub/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Small Business Growth Club</a>, who adds: “a Reel can be as simple as a solo image, a screenshot, or reposted stories – it doesn’t even have to be a video”.&nbsp;Her tip? “Make friends with the Import button on the bottom left of your screen, where you can upload content you already have from your phone in two minutes.” And consider using Canva, the free graphic-design tool, to create Reels. “Just search for the word ‘Reels’ and it will come up with pre-populated templates that you can add your graphics, text and brand colours to – it’s super easy.”<h2>Shop ‘til you drop with Instagram Shopping</h2>If you’re a product-based business, Instagram Shopping is a suite of features you need to know about. You can tag products in posts that send followers to your Instagram shop, have a full collection on your shop, tag items in Stories and lots more. In fact, any surface of the platform is ripe for selling your product with Shopping. Get started over<a href="https://business.instagram.com/shopping" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"> at Instagram.</a><h2>Encourage direct messages&nbsp;</h2>Another hot tool of the moment? Direct messages, which encourage people to respond to stories and get into your inbox. This will also boost your engagement, Warne adds.&nbsp;“Keep exploring all the different ‘surfaces’ of Instagram, all the ways you can post and engage, and you’ll be rewarded,” she says.Similarly, posing questions or using polls is another way to boost engagement, which in turn will increase the chances that your content will appear in followers’ feeds.<h2>Make your life easy with the Quick Replies feature&nbsp;</h2>Instead of answering the same questions over and over again in your DMs – whether it’s providing your shipping times or letting customers know you have Afterpay – try the new Quick Replies feature. Here’s how it works:&nbsp;<ol><li>Open your profile and tap the button with three lines in the top-right corner of the screen. This will open the sidebar menu where you can access your Instagram settings.&nbsp;</li><li>Under Business Settings, you’ll find Quick Replies.&nbsp;</li><li>You’ll need to write your most common replies and save each one under a keyword like ‘shipping’ or ‘Afterpay’.</li><li>Next time you need to answer that particular query, you just put in the keyword and the whole DM will be auto populated.</li></ol><h2>Schedule posts in advance - and in batches</h2>Does it feel as though you’re always thinking about posting, writing a post, or replying to comments on a post? It doesn’t have to be that hard. Instead, try batch content creation: set aside a couple of hours a week to write multiple posts (and create Stories) and then use a free tool like<a href="https://later.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> </a><a href="https://later.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Later</a> to schedule them in advance. Done!<h2>Aim for shares and saves&nbsp;</h2>“There's been a big shift to upweight saves and shares,” says Jordan Lomax of<a href="https://thesociallab.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </a><a href="https://thesociallab.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">The Social Lab</a>. “It’s a sure-fire sign to Instagram that your content is valuable and should be pushed out to a wider audience, so make sure you include a call to action on your posts that will encourage [saving or sharing].”<h2>Try a green screen</h2>Using a green screen is a fun new way of offering extra content, or context for what you’re talking about. It’s not nearly as hard as it looks, and it offers novelty factor for your Stories scroll (which equates to thumb-stopping engagement). Not only that, but changing the background colour of your Stories allows you to create a consistent and on-brand aesthetic for your Stories. How does it work?&nbsp;<ol><li>Simply search for ‘green screen’ in the filters section of your Story.</li><li>Tap ‘Add Media’ and add a video or photo from your camera roll.&nbsp;</li><li>Now, record your Story.&nbsp;</li></ol><h2>Switch up the background colour of Stories</h2>To get more eyeballs on your content, it’s a no-brainer to share your posts to your Stories. but did you know that if you don’t like the colour of the background that Instagram applies to the post, you can change it?&nbsp;First, tap the three dots in the top right, then hit draw, and tap the pencil icon. Then choose a colour and tap and hold the background of the post to fill it with the colour of your choice.<h2>Get interactive with polls</h2>Polls and questions are an easy way to wake up the algorithm and drive your engagement. Invite your followers to interact with you and you’ll automatically show up more regularly in their feeds. And it’s easy – whether you opt for fun polls or more serious questions, use this feature to learn what your customer wants, or offer access to your expertise. Just head to the Stickers in your Story and go nuts.&nbsp;<h2>Be on-brand</h2>You’ve got a sexy brand font (or several), but you’re limited to the handful Instagram offers for Stories, right? Wrong. Download the<a href="https://www.madewithover.com/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(29, 29, 29);"> </a><a href="https://www.madewithover.com/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Over app</a> on your phone, then use AirDrop on an Apple device (or use nearby share settings in Google on Android devices) to connect your font OFT file. A pop-up menu will appear; select ‘Over’, and when you create a Story, your on-brand font should appear as an option.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Lose the posts you no longer like</h2>You’ve spent some time overhauling your Instagram feed and your grid is looking beautiful, but chances are there are a few posts you’d rather not have any more…If you want to hide old posts that don’t fit your aesthetic, simply archive them – you won’t lose the comments and likes and you can repost down the track if you want to. Just tap on the three dots button on the top-right corner of the screen, select ‘Archive’ from the list of options available and you’re done.

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Ensuring the best return on investment when employing influencers to grow your audience.

When Rachel Burton launched baby-carrier business <a href="https://marsupiaustralia.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marsupi Australia</a> in 2018, she had limited experience in social media marketing and had never worked with social media influencers.&nbsp;In fact, the business groups she belonged to on social media were often filled with horror stories about partnerships that had either gone sour or failed to deliver results, despite hefty payments and promises of sky-high engagement rates.But after experimenting with social media advertisements, which resulted in limited sales, Burton began investigating new marketing channels – and today <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influencer marketing</a> is a key part of her sales strategy.&nbsp;“We’ve worked with dozens of influencers now and it’s become a vital component to the business,” says Burton, who adds that working with the right major and micro-influencers across platforms like Instagram and TikTok can drive thousands of dollars in sales with a single post.

"We tried paid advertising, but it never got the same cut-through."

“Partnering with influencers is a key marketing&nbsp;tool for many small businesses and has achieved significantly greater cut-through than some paid advertising we had tried&nbsp;previously.”Burton attributes this to the strong relationships that creators have built with their communities, which they can then parlay into sales. “There’s a sense of personal endorsement that isn’t there for other types of advertising.”Burton is one of countless small-business owners who have found success with social media influencer marketing both in Australia and around the world. However, before launching any kind of program it’s important to understand how partnerships are structured and how to negotiate rates.<h2>How much do influencers cost?</h2>In short? <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Influencer marketing</a> rates vary.While some content creators are happy to post in return for free products; others can command millions of dollars per post.Although some websites claim to offer an Instagram or TikTok influencer rates calculator (one oft-quoted formula suggests sponsored Instagram posts should cost roughly $USD100 ($AUD140) per 10,000 followers), the reality is more nuanced.Because marketing can range from highly produced video shoots to <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/product-photography/product-photos-iphone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">iPhone snapshots</a> accompanied by a hashtag, rates vary dramatically.

"Influencer marketing is definitely where art meets science."

“Considering the number of factors that can affect influencer marketing rates it’s hard to advocate for a one-size-fits-all policy,” explains Alice Kennedy, a publicist at<a href="https://www.kateco.com.au/about" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Kate&amp;Co PR</a>&nbsp;who has worked on partnerships for beauty brands such as&nbsp;<a href="https://tartecosmetics.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">Tarte</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.runwayroom.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">Runway Room.</a>“Influencer marketing is definitely where art meets science,” agrees Maxwell Mitcheson of Los Angeles agency<a href="https://www.talentxent.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> TalentX Management</a>, which represents some of the world’s biggest social media stars. “There are a lot of intangibles, but you can guarantee that every single additional term comes with an additional fee.”&nbsp;Those intangibles might include everything from:·&nbsp;Audience size·&nbsp;Engagement rates·&nbsp;What authority or niche social media space they occupy·&nbsp;The deliverables·&nbsp;Usage of the assets created·&nbsp;ExclusivityThe social media platform itself can also affect rates. Creators on YouTube and TikTok can often command higher fees because video production can be more expensive and time-consuming, whereas Instagram often requires less production.<h2>What to consider when negotiating influencer marketing rates</h2>Follower count&nbsp;This is perhaps the most obvious factor when it comes to calculating a social media influencer's marketing rate – the more followers, the more expensive they will likely be.Follower count is definitely important and can indicate how effective a creator is at building an audience and community – and how much influence they really command.

"Followers are not everything."

However, this is not the only factor to consider when negotiating rates. “Followers are not everything,” explains Kennedy, who has seen firsthand how brands can fall into the trap of being blinded by "vanity metrics" without considering other factors in influencer marketing campaigns.&nbsp;Audience engagementAn engagement rate – or the percentage of followers who interact with their posts – is arguably more important than follower count when determining&nbsp;and trying to calculate&nbsp;marketing rates.&nbsp;Be it macro-, micro-, mega-or nano-influencers working across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or any other social media platforms, engagement rates are a key factor in ensuring your campaign is successful.&nbsp;&nbsp;“In my opinion engagement rate is the most important thing for brands to consider when deciding to work with an influencer and how much to pay them,” says Kennedy.She points out that plenty of social media stars have fake followers – also known as zombie followers – that they have bought to bolster their follower count and attract advertisers.Engagement rates are more difficult (though not impossible) to fake – and if a creator's engagement rate is high, they’re more likely to have an authentic audience who trust them and may ultimately buy your product.

Scarcity and authorityUsing creators with niche specialisations offers the advantage that they can deliver an audience that is already interested in the product, and they have a sense of authority in the sector. For example, if you are a business that specialises in vegan burger patties and you promote your product using a vegan chef, you know that the majority of their followers already have an interest in vegan food, meaning you can directly advertise to your target market.&nbsp;The downside to this is that there may be only a small pool of experts who can speak knowledgeably to that audience, so they may command a bigger fee.

<h2>How to structure an influencer deal</h2>Agree on deliverables&nbsp;In social media, "deliverables" are the finished product that an influencer posts, whether that’s a YouTube video, TikTok or Instagram story, or a Facebook post or <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/product-photography/product-photography" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">photograph</a>.It’s important to agree on the exact deliverables, from the number of posts, down to specific details such as the exact information, words, hashtags or social media handles that need to be included in the image or caption. Don’t forget to specify which channels should be used, as well as "live" dates – down to the hour, if that is important.

“The number one mistake I see is brands not giving influencers creative freedom."

While having clear parameters is important, Kennedy cautions brands against being too prescriptive. “The number-one mistake I see in my job is brands not giving influencers creative freedom,” she says, adding that “brands often really want to edit down the content to be a picture-perfect idea of how they want their brand to be seen.&nbsp;“You work with an influencer because you like their content and you trust them to represent your brand, so you need to trust them to represent you in a way that their audience is going to respond to [as opposed to demanding a specific look and feel to the content]."ExclusivityImagine working with an in-demand TikTok star only for them to post about a direct competitor’s product in the days or weeks following your collaboration? Not only would it dilute the impact of the campaign, but it could potentially reflect badly on your brand.One way to avoid this is to consider working a category-specific exclusivity clause into your contract. This means that a creator can’t post about a competitor's product during a specific period.Jill Birmingham, influencer and partnerships director at Australian agency<a href="https://www.maxconnectors.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;MAXCONNECTORS</a>, says exclusivity periods can range from one day on either side of a campaign period to two weeks, three months or even 12 months for bigger partnerships.“Exclusivity could be for a specific subcategory, such as dry shampoo, to a category like haircare, or a major category, such as beauty,” she says.Birmingham warns any brands wanting an exclusivity clause should calculate an additional fee into the agreement as "they restrict an influencer from creating their usual content and can also have an impact on revenue as they have to turn [down] other paid partnerships.”Mitcheson agrees that exclusivity clauses can be important, but for smaller brands, they aren’t always necessary. “Take the beauty and skincare space,” he says. “It’s almost impossible to do a full face of makeup using just one brand and consumers know that.”&nbsp;Deadline for content approval processes and live datesIt’s common for brands to ask for content approval, which provides the opportunity to review content before an influencer posts anything.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In this situation, both parties should agree upfront about how many rounds of revisions are allowed within the scope of the agreement. Brands should also factor the approval process into their timelines and be realistic about how quickly content can be posted.Fee, including production costs and agency feesIf the influencer has a large social media following, it’s possible that you’ll find yourself negotiating&nbsp;influencer marketing rates&nbsp;with their manager or talent agency. This will always incur an additional agent’s fee – also known as an additional services fee (ASF) – which can be anywhere from 10-40 per cent. It’s a good idea to check whether the influencer fee is inclusive or exclusive of this fee, as it can make a big difference to the total budget.Any collaboration may also involve what’s known as "production costs", which are the costs of creating content, such as makeup, hair, lighting or studio rental.Rights and usageIt’s important to agree on who owns the rights to any content that’s created – and where it can be used.&nbsp;When an influencer photographs a product and promotes it on their social media page, they are often happy for the brand they have worked with to repost the image on their own social media channels (after all, this helps promote the influencer, too).&nbsp;However, the brand isn’t automatically entitled to use that photograph on its website or in paid advertisements.“Brands can usually only use influencer content for ‘organic’ usage,” says Kennedy, explaining that organic usage is just reposting the content to the brand’s account with no paid investment. “Once you put money behind it via advertising or boosting, that’s when it’s not organic,” she specifies.&nbsp;If a brand would like to use the influencer content for advertising this will require a usage fee and must be negotiated separately.&nbsp;“Sometimes influencers will only allow organic sharing of their content for a certain period such as six months, and then it must be removed from the brand’s social pages” adds Kennedy.To avoid confusion, it’s important to agree on usage up front and make sure that's included in the influencer marketing rates.

<h2>How to reduce the costs of an influencer package</h2>The good news is that there are lots of ways to reduce the costs of influencer marketing.Don’t settle on the first number&nbsp;“There's a lot of back and forth when negotiating influencer rates,” explains Kennedy, noting that brands should not be scared off by the initial figure an influencer or their manager provides. “In my experience, there’s almost always room for negotiation. It’s just about having a very open and honest conversation about what mutually beneficial objectives can be achieved.”

"There’s almost always room for negotiation."

She recommends that if you have a set (or limited) budget, it’s best to be up front with the influencer or talent manager, so you can work backwards to establish what you can afford.Build a bundle&nbsp;It is becoming increasingly common for influencers to deliver social posts as part of a package or bundle, which can be more cost-effective.For example, you might choose to purchase several posts, across multiple platforms, or a package of posts and Instagram stories.&nbsp;Plus, longer-term partnerships or repeat partnerships often deliver better value.&nbsp;

"Long-term partnerships feel more organic to audiences."

Mitcheson suggests that cheaper deliverables are not the only advantage of bundles. “Long-term partnerships feel more organic to the audience because you're getting hit repeatedly over time. We know that a consumer is more likely to convert after seeing an ad multiple times, not just one time.”Consider giftingDon’t have the budget for an influencer? Consider a gifting program, where influencers are ‘paid’ through products. This is how Burton prefers to work with influencers, explaining that it often leads to more authentic partnerships.“Our most successful partnerships have resulted from working with influencers that are aligned with our core values and have a genuine love for the product and brand,” she says. “When followers can see the product being used frequently in everyday life, and not just as a one-off post or story, they have more faith in the product meeting their needs.”

"Our best partnerships are with influencers that genuinely love our products."

Create impactful, visual experiencesAnother option is to invite influencers to a fun event or trip (known as a "famil", short for familiarization). For example, a beauty brand might host an afternoon of pampering, or a children’s clothing brand might invite influencers and their children to a fun event targeted at kids.If this is an option, don’t forget to create a photo wall or visually appealing backdrop or "moment" that influencers will want to post about.Holding a fun – photogenic – event is a great way to develop a relationship with influencers, and hopefully some will post about the event and your brand.Create discount codesOffering influencers a discount code, which can then be used by their audience, is a great way to drive sales.&nbsp;It also allows brands to track which influencers are driving sales, if they are each given different codes.This approach is also often popular with influencers, as it can help build their own following if the discount is attractive to their audience.&nbsp;Launch an affiliate programmeAnother tried-and-tested approach is to launch an affiliate program, where influencers receive a percentage of the sales they drive. To launch an affiliate-style program, brands need to work with an affiliate network, like Rakuten, or software for a sale to be tracked correctly.Burton offers every influencer a discount code, and sometimes passes on a commission to the influencer&nbsp;who has delivered the sale.“It's a great way for us to give back to those influencers we partner with and have supported our business.”

Ensuring the best return on investment when employing influencers to grow your audience.

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Ever wondered exactly how social media influencer posts come together? These business owners share their approach – and the secrets to influencer marketing success.

Influencers. If the term makes you think of the Kardashians, it may be time to think again.In the past six years, there has been a 50 per cent rise, year over year, in the global social media influencer industry, according to the<a href="https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report</a>,&nbsp;and today, more than 50 million people consider themselves content creators.&nbsp;In other words, it’s a gigantic industry, wide open to almost everyone. Sure, there are the influencers who wield a Kardashian level of fame, but there is also the growing crop of micro-influencers who wield a powerful engagement rate and know how to reach their target audience.&nbsp;&nbsp;Taryn Williams, founder and CEO of<a href="https://theright.fit/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;The Right Fit</a>, a model, talent and influencer agency, believes influencers - particularly Instagram influencers - have democratised marketing because brands can now reach audiences in a fast and affordable way.“If you find the right influencer in the right niche or geographic area, with targeted audience of interest, [and] who has already built trust with their followers, it’s a highly effective way for brands to market; [it’s also] suitable for all points of the marketing funnel – from brand awareness to conversion,” she says.

"It's not something that is limited to those with big budgets.”

“It's also fantastic because it's not something that is limited to those with big budgets or those with large agencies on retainer.”&nbsp;So how exactly does <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influencer marketing</a> work in an increasingly savvy social media world? Below, we detail four successful partnerships between brands and influencers.&nbsp;<h2>“We gifted our product to an influencer – and saw a 141 per cent rise in sales.”</h2>GlowDry beauty has found success with paid partnerships and a gifting strategyFiona Dunne, the founder of finishing fake tan powder<a href="https://glowdryaustralia.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;GlowDry</a>, started partnering with social media influencers to increase brand awareness soon after launching in 2018 and has since made influencer engagement an integral part of her marketing strategy.As part of this, Dunne frequently gifts products to influencers in the hopes that they will post about GlowDry, which is designed to be brushed on to prevent stickiness and staining from a spray tan. Gifting, she explains, is a low-risk way to identify the right influencers and expand the company's influencer marketing strategy organically.Last year she sent GlowDry’s fake-tan drying powder to I<a href="https://www.instagram.com/isabelalysa/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sabel Alysa (@isabelalysa</a>), a U.S. celebrity spray-tan artist with 124,000 followers who works with the Kardashians, Channing Tatum, Olivia Culpo and Katy Perry, among many stars.&nbsp;“We were shocked and delighted when she shared a story featuring our product,” says Dunne, and that day GlowDry saw a 141 percent spike in sales.“She’s since shared a few times and we always see a spike,” Dunne continues. "So, we’re now talking to her about a paid collaboration as her endorsement has been so powerful for us.”When it comes to paid social media influencer partnerships and influencer campaigns, Dunne’s number-one criteria when selecting those who genuinely love her product. She also values reliability, a clear target audience, and of course, engagement rates that lead to tangible results."A great influencer is one who commits to your product, [adheres to] a posting schedule, and is honest with their followers,” she says, adding that she measures&nbsp;influencer's&nbsp;success by checking website traffic, sales using a discount code, <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/email-marketing/what-is-email-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">email</a> signups, direct sales&nbsp;and social-follower growth."

“A great influencer is one that commits to your product."

<h2>“Long-term influencer relationships and expert partnerships work for us”</h2>Teeth-whitening brand Advanced Whitening has worked with mid-tier influencers and mega influencersWhen it comes to developing an influencer marketing campaign and partnerships, teeth-whitening brand<a href="https://advancedwhitening.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Advanced Whitening</a>&nbsp;has tried a range of tactics to ensure the right influencers - whether they be major Instagram influencers or micro-influencers - reach their target audience and deliver to the company's overall marketing strategy.The most successful&nbsp;influencer marketing&nbsp;campaigns to date have all shared several key characteristics, social media manager Emma Vosti says.First and foremost, the influencer must have authentic brand awareness.&nbsp;“When we find influencers that genuinely love and use our products you can see it through their content – it just comes more naturally.”One particularly successful&nbsp;influencer&nbsp;marketing&nbsp;partnership was with influencer and dental hygienist Ashley Gunner,<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.instagram.com/miss_gunner/?hl=en__;!!LBk0ZmAmG_H4m2o!6mhHSH58MW7RirrLywkgRakZTn1OnR0k8zqbWqOj7gbMuiLT158n7aQC0LzMzb0JbpjvphlwYt0$" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;</a>(<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.instagram.com/miss_gunner/?hl=en__;!!LBk0ZmAmG_H4m2o!6mhHSH58MW7RirrLywkgRakZTn1OnR0k8zqbWqOj7gbMuiLT158n7aQC0LzMzb0JbpjvphlwYt0$" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">@miss_gunner</a>),&nbsp;with whom the brand worked over a three-month period. During that period, Gunner shared one post to social media per month, plus stories as part of their agreed influencer marketing strategy.“That’s been a particularly successful relationship given her career as a dental hygienist,” says Vosti. “She is so knowledgeable and passionate about our products and speaks with such authority.”“With Ashley we regularly see consistent sales through her content. However, the objective here is slightly different – we love how educational her content is and we include ad usage [the ability to use the content in paid social media advertisements in her contract] as we find it works very well for social media promotions.”The brand has also worked with mega influencers to improve their social media reach such as<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.instagram.com/sarahrav/?hl=en__;!!LBk0ZmAmG_H4m2o!6mhHSH58MW7RirrLywkgRakZTn1OnR0k8zqbWqOj7gbMuiLT158n7aQC0LzMzb0Jbpjve_ufd2I$" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Sarah Rav</a>, who has 1.1 million followers. Much like the partnership with Gunner,&nbsp;Advanced Whitening worked with Rav several times.“With Sarah Rav we partnered with her to promote our Advanced Whitening Kit and saw great results, so we worked with her again six months later for the launch of our Sonic Electric Toothbrush and Charcoal Toothpaste. We felt her audience already understood our brand and they'd been receptive, so it was a natural progression.”&nbsp;An influencer campaign also includes an Advanced Whitening discount code so social media sale conversions can be easily tracked. This is something Vosti says is integral to any influencer marketing campaign being carried out on social media.&nbsp;

“We consistently see great results when we offer discount codes."

“We consistently see results when we offer this; we recently saw a seven-times return on investment with a midsize influencer, which is really strong."&nbsp;<h2>“Influencers were a key part of our launch strategy”</h2>No1. Bra London worked with two very different influencers to build brand awarenessWhen Jeanette Misseldine launched No1. Bra London in 2021, she’d already clocked up 30 years’ experience in the lingerie industry.Although Misseldine had spent decades designing and manufacturing lingerie, she knew very little about influencer marketing – and was unsure where to start when it came to promoting her new brand, which offered bras that were uniquely designed to be more comfortable.“The biggest challenge is getting the word out there,” she says. “We knew that once it got out into the market it would sell well.”

“The biggest challenge is getting the word out there."

That’s where influencers came in. In March 2021, Misseldine partnered with Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha, who posted an Instagram video of herself wearing No1. Bra Lingerie and talking about the brand’s uniquely designed underwire.That post resulted in a wave of media coverage after it was picked up by several major news outlets, including&nbsp;Daily Mail,&nbsp;Hello&nbsp;magazine and&nbsp;The Sun. No1. Bra London also used the video in paid Facebook ads. Within three months, the brand had virtually sold out, all thanks to an organic influencer marketing campaign.Next, No1. Bra partnered with&nbsp;Casey Stoney MBE, former manager of Manchester United women’s football team, to promote a patented "no-bounce" sports bra via a series of Instagram posts. A single&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSYwCSDDUuh/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">post</a>&nbsp;resulted in nearly 1,000 likes from the micro-influencer's followers and a noticeable uptick in sales.&nbsp;Misseldine says that Stoney lends authority to the brand. “Casey wants to help girls and over the years she’s seen many girls leave football due to a growing bust and ill-fitting bras. Partnering with influencers is all about selecting the best person to represent your brand.”<h2>“We used influencer marketing to reach a new, younger market”</h2>Olay’s partnership with The Influencer Agency aimed to engage a broader audienceSkincare brand<a href="https://www.olay.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Olay</a>&nbsp;is traditionally known for targeting women with mature skin but wanted to expand its product awareness and reach Millennial and Gen Z customers through its influencer campaign.The team approached<a href="https://www.tiaperth.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;The Influencer Agency</a>, which brought together 18 Millennial and Gen Z beauty, health, fashion and travel influencers to promote Olay’s new range of Super Serums.Influencers, who each allowed Olay to reach a new, young audience, were encouraged to explain what they loved about the Olay Super Serum and asked to include a swipe-up link to the products in their Instagram stories.One of those influencers, author and television presenter Sarah Davidson (@spoonful_of_sarah), who has a reach of 86.2K followers, elected to post a<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZBCf0vJ8XH/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> tutorial</a> to her grid and copied it to her stories. Olay then used their official Australian Instagram account (8,000 followers) to organically reshare and repost some of the content.&nbsp;The results? The campaign drove high engagement, receiving 722 comments, 5350 likes and 97,141 impressions, while overall, engagement rose by 25 per cent.

Ready to develop your influencer marketing strategy and start working with influencers? Here’s how to find the best talent for your brand and budget.

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4 examples of influencer marketing that drove sales AU

Discover how customers will be spending, and what merchants need to do to ace this major sale moment.

The countdown is on until Afterpay Day, and this year’s event (March 17-20) has the potential to be bigger than ever.This year, Afterpay commissioned dedicated research - Afterpay Day Unlocked - with reserach agency Kantar, looking into how Australasians are planning to shop and spend during Afterpay Day. The survey was in field between 17 January and 21 January 2022, collecting a total sample size of 943 respondents, and the results offer valuable insights for retailers.The good news? Most of the shoppers surveyed (54 per cent) are excited about Afterpay Day, and 60 per cent plan to take part.&nbsp;And even better, shoppers are ready to spend. Last year, most customers (67 per cent) spent between $100-$500; this year 41 per cent plan to spend even more.<h2>What they’ll buy</h2>Fashion, including apparel, jewellery and accessories, is the top priority for Australasians, with 61 per cent planning to update their wardrobes, followed by the health, wellness and beauty category (50 per cent).However, electronics, homeware, hobbies and outdoor have seen the biggest increase in engagement compared to last year, so merchants in these categories should be prepared for a surge in customer interest.<h2>Where they will shop</h2>Online always plays a major role in Afterpay Day, with 73 per cent of customers shopping exclusively online during previous Afterpay Day sales.&nbsp;However, name of report TK found that Covid-19 restrictions have affected customers’ past shopping preferences, and, this year, 50 per cent of shoppers say that in-store will play some role in their Afterpay Day shopping.<h2>What they want from retailers&nbsp;</h2>When asked what types of discounts hold the most appeal, the response was clear: an overwhelming majority of shoppers (73 per cent) want fixed discounts.&nbsp;This was followed by free gifts with purchase (41 per cent), tiered discounts (38 per cent) and buy-one, get-one-free discounts (33 per cent).<h2>How you can maximise sales&nbsp;</h2>Afterpay’s name of report TK offers a wealth of insights into consumer behaviour for Afterpay Day 2022. Here’s what it means for you:Take your store online.Don’t have a digital presence yet? With 73 per cent of customers historically taking part in Afterpay Day by shopping exclusively online, launching an online store will help you take advantage of this major sales moment.<a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/operations/take-bricks-and-mortar-store-online" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Read more: How to take your store online</a> Set an attractive offerExcitement around Afterpay Day is building, and 49 per cent of shoppers will be researching offers in the lead-up to the event. Start planning your offer now (remembering that fixed discounts will be most popular), register to take part by March 8, 2022.Let customers know you’re inThe next step? Reminding your customers that Afterpay Day is approaching, and pre-promoting the sale. Consider encouraging customers to sign up to your newsletter to be among the first to know what’s on sale. Then, from March 14, you can reveal your specific offer or discount.&nbsp;Consider visual cues.Although online is a key sales channel during Afterpay Day, half of all shoppers say that physical stores will play a role in their planning. That means that visual merchandising will be important for capturing and sustaining customers’ attention.Get staff on boardDon’t forget to ensure your team understands the sale, and roster on extra staff to match trading flows.&nbsp;Check stockWhen the sale begins, the last thing you want is to run out of stock and miss out on valuable sales. Check inventory levels against previous sales days to forecast demand and stock up accordingly.&nbsp;&nbsp;Get more tips and read the report in its entirety <a href="https://business.afterpay.com/rs/539-RJA-633/images/Afterpay%20Day%20Unlocked%20-%20March%202022.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">here</a>.

How customers will be spending, and what merchants need to know

How to ace Afterpay Day

Influencer marketing has become an important small business strategy. Here’s how to identify the best talent to represent your brand and drive sales on Instagram.

Instagram <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Influencer marketing</a> might seem like a brave new world, but in 2022, it’s a key small business marketing strategy across all industries – not just beauty and fashion.Unlike traditional paid media - print, television, radio, online and social advertising - influencer marketing offers a different perspective on your brand, and content that you can’t completely control. Risky? Potentially, but the reward is great. In fact, <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influencer marketing</a> is more than six times more cost-effective than paid media according to a<a href="https://klear.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> 2020 study of global influencer marketing</a>

“Influencers are social media’s trusted tastemakers."

Why? “Instagram Influencers are social media’s trusted tastemakers,” Aaron Brooks, UK-based co-founder of global influencer platform<a href="https://vamp-brands.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;"> Vamp</a>. “Their powerful recommendations drive social users to action both on and offline. By producing authentic, creative, and relevant content, influencers help drive awareness, website traffic, and online sales for brands.”&nbsp;The first step to a successful influencer collaboration on Instagram ? Finding the right Instagram influencer for your brand and budget.1. Prioritise brand alignmentOverall follower count on Instagram is an important metric when it comes to selecting an Instagram influencer. However, personality and brand alignment are just as crucial.“Ask yourself, ‘is this the kind of person I want representing my brand?’” says Jules von Hep, UK-based founder of body-positive self-tanning brand<a href="https://theisleofparadise.com/uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> </a><a href="https://theisleofparadise.com/uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Isle of Paradise</a>, sustainable knitwear brand<a href="https://yan-tan.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> </a><a href="https://yan-tan.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Yan Tan</a>, and an Instagram influencer in his own right (80K+ followers).&nbsp;“Do the Instagram influencers' values reflect those of your brand? Are you aligned on tone? Do they offer something you can’t? Do they speak to an audience you want to capture? That’s what you should be asking yourself when looking at Instagram influencers. Work with people who make you feel good and can communicate your brand message effectively.”2. Location, location, location“If you’re a small local business, an Instagram influencer who lives and works in the area you’re based, or the area you’re wanting to target, is more influential for your brand than someone who influences on a more national or global scale,” says Von Hep. “In these cases, someone with 5,000 followers on Instagram can do more than someone with 1m followers.”

"In these cases, someone with 5,000 followers on Instagram can do more than someone with 1m followers.”

Breana Phillips, marketing and partnerships manager at parenting product e-tailer<a href="https://thememo.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> </a><a href="https://thememo.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">The Memo</a>, agrees, adding that even for medium-sized or online businesses, the location of an Instagram influencer's fan base is the key metric to get the desired result. “The Memo is based in Melbourne, we have good brand awareness here, and in Sydney. But we’d like to be known more nationally, so we’d look to work with influencers who have audiences in Queensland or Adelaide to introduce our brand to new parents in those areas.”&nbsp;3. Read the commentsJustin Gaggino is the general manager of teeth-whitening company, <a href="https://hismileteeth.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Hismile</a>, which runs an extensive global influencer programme across Instagram and TikTok. He recommends not only checking an Instagram influencer’s engagement rate, but reading their posts on Instagram to gauge the type of relationship they have with their followers.&nbsp;“You can look at their rate of engagement on Instagram, but I think it’s better to look at the quality of the comments, and what’s being talked about as that’s a true indicator of how receptive a community is to an Instagram influencer’s messaging.”In other words, when you look at an influencer’s Instagram posts, what do the comments say?&nbsp;Are they discussing the topic of the post? This shows they are interested and absorbing the Instagram influencers message.4. Look for content fit“Followers can see straight through a paid partnership if it feels out of the norm for an influencer or their organic content,” says Phillips.

“Followers can see straight through paid partnerships."

There are Instagram influencers for all industries - finance, parenting, business, education, DIY, homemaking – and it’s all about finding the right influencers for your brand’s niche.For example, cleaning agency<a href="https://www.urbancompany.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </a><a href="https://www.urbancompany.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Urban Company</a> regularly collaborates with micro and macro lifestyle Instagram influencers. The collaborations work because the Instagram influencers show before-and-after images of their living spaces, which offer behind-the-scenes glimpse into influencers aspirational homes and personal lives.&nbsp;5. Consider adjacent verticalsJust because you're a fashion brand doesn’t mean you’re restricted to partnering with fashion influencers. There may be lifestyle influencers, entrepreneurs, DIY enthusiasts or even food influencers who align with your values and could potentially be great ambassadors for your brand.&nbsp;

I want them to be the influencers within their own network.

For example, Phoebe Simmonds, the founder of Australian blow-dry brand <a href="https://theblow.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Blow</a>, targets female business owners, “I don’t need them to have a big following, just the kind of following that would also see the value and benefit in a blow-dry subscription, which is usually busy, working women. I want them to be the influencers within their own network.”6. Scour social mediaWhile large brands often employ partnership managers to connect with, manage and track social media influencers, smaller businesses usually rely on organic searching to discover potential influencer partners.“It’s not hard to find people right for your brand, just by spending time on the platforms. If you know your business’ target market, you can find an influencer,” says Simmonds, who employs a partnership manager now, but started out doing the legwork herself.Not sure where to start?<ul><li>Look at hashtags that are relevant to your industry</li><li>Check whether there are influencers already following you</li><li>Check whether your brand has already been tagged in posts</li><li>Research which influencers your competitors are following&nbsp;</li></ul>Once you do find an influencer who is a great fit, check whether they are connected with other influencers who might also align with your brand.7. Consider agenciesDon’t have the time to manage influencer partnerships yourself? Consider enlisting a talent agency or influencer marketplaces and self-serve platforms like <a href="https://vamp-brands.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Vamp </a>to help you find talent.“Vamp’s assistance, businesses can produce higher-performing and higher quality content. Our platform offers faster connections, effortless collaboration, and powerful tracking. This means your investment produces more, reaches further, and performs better than before,” says Brooks.<h2>Finding the right Instagram influencer for your budget</h2>As a small business owner, it can be difficult to know how much influencers will charge. However, it’s generally accepted that there are several tiers of influencer.&nbsp;<ul><li>Nanoinfluencer = 500 to 5K followers</li><li>Microinfluencer = 5K to 30K followers&nbsp;</li><li>Macroinfluencer = 30K to 500K followers</li><li>Mega influencer = 500K+ followers</li></ul>Smaller businesses should focus on nano and microinfluencers, while larger brands may have the budget for big-name Instagram influencers.<h2>Gifting vs paid</h2>There are generally two types of Instagram influencer marketing: gifting or paid collaborations.Gaggino describes gifting as a “fluid” approach, and recommends that businesses be realistic about results they’ll get from sending influencers unsolicited gifts.“If you have a launch, or a send out gifting, you can’t expect that they will all post, or post on that particular day. It’s fast and unvetted, and won’t always be exactly what you expect. It’s better to loosen your expectations on how and when they’ll post.”<h2>Forget transactions. Build relationships instead.</h2>Simmonds views gifting as “an awareness play” – and the first step in building a relationship with an influencer.“That’s what a small business should really focus on in the beginning: community building and brand awareness. Gifting, done well, is great for that. Particularly as you’ll most likely not have the budget for paid collaborations.”Simmonds says that approaching an Instagram influencer out of the blue with an offer of a paid collaboration can be detrimental, and adds that it’s much better to slowly foster a genuine relationship.That might mean introducing an Instagram influencer to your brand or products through gifting. Then, if they respond well, the next step may be inviting them to events or broaching the subject of a paid collaboration.“When the influencer has never spoken about your brand before, it can feel less authentic to their audience. Paid collaborations are signified as such, so it’s important to think about how it will be received.”<h2>How to approach Instagram influencers</h2>Once you’ve identified an influencer who seems like a good fit for your brand, the next step is approaching them.Ditch the DMs&nbsp;It might seem the best approach to contact the influencer you want to work with through the direct messages on the platform they influence on, but not so, says Leigh Campbell, an Australian-based beauty and lifestyle journalist and influencer with 68K+ followers.

"Influencer DMs are out of control, and used for community management, not business."

“Generally, influencers have a decent following, so their DMs are probably out of control, and regardless, [used] for community management, not business.”Instead, she suggests checking their bio for an agent or email address, and connecting that way, particularly for paid collaborations. “It’s a much more professional way to start the conversation, and they’ll appreciate you taking in the information on their profile.”Talk to them business owner to business owner“When influencer culture was emerging, it was very much about giving people ‘free stuff’ in exchange for exposure,” says Campbell.“As the industry has evolved, most influencers are small businesses in their own right - it’s their primary source of income and how they support their families, so when working with an influencer, keep that in your mind, and treat them how you would want to be treated.”Be personal&nbsp;“If you’re starting with gifting or offering contra to influencers, make it as personal as possible,” says Phillips.

"The more thoughtful, the better."

“This doesn’t mean you have to monogram your product with their name, but put it on their card, make it a reaction to their content. For example, a mega-parenting-influencer posts about spraining their ankle and how the mess in the house is already starting to get her down, a local cleaning company gets in touch to offer their service complimentary while she’s laid up, ‘We heard your foot’s put you out of action, let us take care of the big clean this week.’ Much like gifting to a friend or family member. The more thoughtful, the better.”Be upfront about budgets“It’s understandable if a small business doesn’t have a huge budget, and that’s completely fine,” says Campbell. “It’s best to be upfront and honest about budget, and it’s absolutely acceptable to offer contra and ask if the influencer would be open to that as payment, but it’s also totally acceptable for an influencer to decline contra as payment.” If your budget is small, or you're relying on gifting or contra, stick to nano or micro influencers. “Nano and Micro influencers are really good to work with because they have engaged communities and are willing to put in the effort with the content,” says Gaggino.It’s all about the relationship“Relationships are key, remember to treat any digital talent with respect and build a working relationship with them,” says Von Hep. “Be grateful and courteous to each person you work with and remember an influencer’s following can explode overnight.”Gaggino agrees, well-fostered relationships and the passing on of education helps the influencer be informed and confident in speaking about your brand. “We work to really educate them on the product and brand so that they can speak to the science behind it intelligently. It’s super important that they understand and believe in what they are selling.”Involve influencers at launch“Instagram Influencers should never be an after-thought,” says Simmonds. “Instagram Influencers are a key way to drive brand awareness from the inception of your business.”

"Influencers should never be an after-thought."

Both Simmonds and Gaggino engaged influencers right from the beginning of their brands, and recommend that any small businesses do the same.“Pre-launch, reach out, talk to your USPs,” says Simmonds. “Give them a brand preview, the education and key messaging and then gift a sampling of your product.”

Considering influencer marketing? Here’s how to identify the best talent. 

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