And surprisingly, it’s not capturing weird photos, but actually beating Amazon at its own game
They pose on walkways at outdoor shopping villages, scenes of crimes, and contort themselves weirdly at top-rated scenic spots. Making fun of influencers has become a sport of its own. You need only look at the online account @influencersinthewild with its 4 million followers to see the world’s infatuation with laughing at and shaming anyone who has tried to go viral.
But most people might be surprised to find out that being an influencer is not just about the photo. Sure, twenty-somethings are out there trying to get attention and praying to get famous, but authentic influencers are quietly connecting with real people, making good money, and living lives of freedom and financial security they always dreamed of.
These influencers are moms, fashion devotees, makeup pros, travelers, fitness gurus, bargain shoppers, and DIYers. They are the ones that have real influence. They are the ones we turn to when we need advice about our three-year-old or how to paint and revive an old cupboard. When these influencers give us advice, we are all-in. They can easily influence our buying choices because we trust them. We see their expertise and are grateful for it.
“The Word of Mouth Marketing Association reports that every day in the US, there are about 2.4 billion brand-related conversations. 92% of consumers trust referrals from people they know, and people are 4 times more likely to buy when referred by a friend.” [42 Referral Marketing Stats] This makes perfect sense. If someone you respect and admire suggests a product, you are much more likely to check it out.
Businesses know this. They are keenly aware of the power of trusted referrals. These businesses reach out to influencers to promote their products, and because they believe that most influencers don’t know their own value, they don’t pay much (if anything) for this advertising.
The biggest offender of these take-all-you-can businesses is the retail giant Amazon. Early on, Amazon recognized the huge potential in influencer referral marketing and decided to harness this power. They came up with a self-styled prestigious program targeted at only the “best” influencers. Through their genius marketing, the Amazon Influencer Program became the ideal and the goal for influencers everywhere.
And what did these influencers get in exchange for promoting Amazon’s products? Pennies on the dollar.
You have to sell a lot of makeup brushes to make any money at $.25/each.
But now, real influencers and bloggers are taking back their power. And they are beating Amazon at its own game.
E-commerce platforms like Shopify have made it easy for anyone to open an online store. Using the business model of drop shipping (that Amazon perfected), influencers are building their own online boutiques without having to pay upfront for products, store them or even ship them to customers.
And the best part? They get all of the profit.
Now, when influencers recommend and sell a cute t-shirt, they are only paying the wholesale price and pocketing the rest. Selling one t-shirt in their own online store can bring in more money than selling 30 t-shirts on Amazon!
The real influencers that we rely upon daily can finally focus their efforts on providing valuable content instead of trying to get sponsorships just to make their car payment. They can have fun, connect with their peeps, and make a lot of money too. It’s about time!
Gina Kershaw, a digital profit strategist, and the founder of InfluencerCEO™️ is helping influencers learn more about how to easily create their own online boutique. More information about the 48 hr. Blog Boutique Formula can be found at https://www.ginakershaw.com.