Communicating with your target market is changing. In the past you were limited to mass advertising, your packaging or signage in store and social media. Now there are people who create relatively homogeneous groups of consumers and they can have a significant impact on what these consumers buy. These people are called influencers. Think about how the market has changed:
- People are online more than ever.
- Consumers are willing to take advice from people they have never met but trust because they have a relationship with them online.
- Social media platforms provide opportunities to communicate with millions of people.
- The infrastructure to create an online community is not huge so these people can grow rapidly when consumers want to hear what they have to say.
- Many segments of the population are not exposed to mass media like network television or print because they simply do not spend time there.
All of these factors impact how consumers consume information and influence their buying decisions. The ‘influence’ of the influencer is directly related to the size of their following and the ability they have to get them to make buying decisions. The fame or notoriety they have can be developed in a number of ways:
- Famous athletes generate huge online followings because of the exposure they get in their sport.
- People in the entertainment industry also generate large followings from their acting or music.
- Some influencers develop their community by offering insights into their own preferences or offering information and advice. This is more common in the area of food or household goods. A chef would be an example.
- Online communities can be built partnering with others to find mutual benefits like promoting each other or offering information or advice to the other person’s community.
- Niche influencers focus on a small but lucrative group where they can have a distinct advantage.
Regardless of how they build the online community the most important attribute they have is a following that pay attention to what they do and what they use to do it. Products recommended, discovered or promoted by these influencers can be changed forever. We have all heard the story of a reality TV star who creates an online community and then ‘discovers’ an interesting product that takes off after they share the benefits.
So this all sounds good but…
- How do you find these people?
- How do you get their attention?
- What does it cost?
Ultimately how do you get them to share the virtues of your products?
If you want the answers to these questions and more, join us Wednesday June 24 for our SKUFood Recipes for Success, presented by FCC.
Neil Stephen will be here to share a lot of insights into influencers. Neil is a brand communicator and CEO of This is Marketing.
Brand strategist behind the Peace By Chocolate brand, Neil and his team have helped small business brands understand and speak with their unique voice on the path to growth.
A graduate of StFX University, Neil brings 15 years of brand centric strategy to companies looking to stand out and compete with bigger brands in the grocery store.Join us on Wednesday June 24 for our next Recipe for Success, presented by FCC. This is not an IT session; it is an Internet Marketing session for food & beverage.
Join us Wednesday at 2 pm Atlantic (1 pm Eastern)
June 24 – Influencers and how they can impact your sales
To help you figure out how to understand influencers and what impact they can have for your food or beverage business our Recipe for Success, presented by FCC, will be dedicated to this tactic in Internet marketing.
July Recipes for Success, presented by FCC
It is more important than ever to tell your story effectively to consumers and customers. Consumers are shopping differently in store and online. Your products need to be on their list before they start shopping. If you are not top of mind chances are you will not make it into the shopping cart.
Join us for a 4 part series about telling your story effectively. We will focus on how you create demand for your products in a new environment.
July 8- There are so many great products that do not maximize their potential. One of the biggest reasons for the lack of sales is they do not tell their story effectively to consumers. All of the communication is focused on the product features and not the benefits to consumers. There is a great opportunity to separate your offering from the crowd when your story resonates with consumers. Peter Chapman from SKUFood will share a process to help you get the right story out there.
July 15- With more consumers online than ever, influencers are having a big impact on consumer’s buying decisions. People respect the opinions of the influencers they follow and they are much more likely to try the products they focus on. Kayla Short, an established influencer will join us to explain what she does and how it has an impact on food & beverage products.
July 22- Social media is a crowded world. There are millions of messages every day and although consumers are spending more time there it is difficult to be heard. Carly Minish from Smak Dab will join us to share what she is doing and how she is doing it. Her premium mustards are on a lot of shelves in Western Canada and she does a great job telling the story and resonating with consumers and customers.
July 29- Your story needs to resonate with consumers and customers. Some of the components overlap and some are mutually exclusive. Peter Chapman from SKUFood will share exactly what your customers need to hear from your story. If you want to get your product on the shelf and keep it there this will be a valuable hour. Peter has over 19 years working in retail and understands what your customers need to hear for you to be successful.
Do you really understand what is selling in stores?
If you are in the bakery category check out the free webinar on June 23rd sponsored by FCC in association with Nielsen, the Bakery Showcase and the Baking Association of Canada. They will explore the impact of COVID-19 and share insights where the category is going. Front-end data is so valuable and you really do need it to make decisions.
At SKUFood we have changed our model to address the changing priorities of producers and processors in the food industry. All of those great conferences and events are not happening so I will not be able to travel across the country with my shopping cart. I will miss those events but we are making changes to allow us to deliver virtually. If you would like more information about that just send me an email at Peter@SKUFood.com or give me a call at (902) 489-2900. There are many great opportunities to interact virtually with your audience.
We made the decision to make our SKUFood content available online too. It was/is a lot of work and success does not come overnight. In our case the product is information, processes to help you deliver better results and a community of people in the food industry.
We are also doing all of our consulting and coaching online. With the technology available now we can talk while you are wherever you want to be. It takes less time and you can be very focused and effective from your own chair. If you have a challenge with a customer or need some advice just send me an email at Peter@SKUFood.com or give me a call at (902) 489-2900. There are many great opportunities to interact virtually with your audience.