With social media becoming more of a retail platform, fashion brands and retailers are well advised to take note. A 2018 study by Ofcom found that the average Britons now spend 24 hours a week online; more than twice the time they did in 2011. They also check their phone every 12 minutes, no doubt to share their experiences with peers on social platforms and to look for recommendations.

Influencers play a crucial role when it comes to shopping decisions as their reach continues to grow. In addition, social media platforms are making further enhancements and brands and retailers are adapting to them. By acknowledging the power of influencers, brands are innovativing to remain relevant in the future and are exploring to create a space that connects both the digital and the physical world. FashionUnited has put together a list of various players who contribute in shaping the influencer power in the retail business.

Instagram to allow influencers to sell things to users directly

Instagram, the social media platform of choice for influencers, is doing its bit to push e-commerce. Now, users can shop the looks of their favourite influencers by simply tapping on photos. Influencers tag the brands they are wearing, add details in the caption and respond to countless comments and DMs, expressing themselves and sharing what is on their mind with their followers.

Read more...

Fashion careers: Personal branding with Lynn Quanjel, model, influencer and founder of Social Nomads

Model Lynn Quanjel, also known as @whoisthatblonde founded Social Nomads, a social media consultancy powered by influencers. Quanjel elaborates on how to make a lasting impression through personal branding as well as what the next trends will be in influencer marketing.

Read more...

Fashion brands are turning to influencers with fewer followers

Nano and micro influencers are considered the most powerful influencers because of their high engagement rates: They may only have a few handfuls of followers, but they reach deep into their niche markets and have a better connection with their target audience. Because of this, brands are embracing influencers with smaller social media followings for a more genuine return on investment.

Read more...

Pioneer Alice Ferraz on the past, present and future of influencer marketing

Alice Ferraz founded the world’s first network of fashion and lifestyle bloggers, F*Hits, back in 2010 when marketing professionals had not even coined the term “digital influencer” yet. Realising that we are not in the age of intuition anymore but in the age of data, Alice Ferraz shifted from analog PR to digital PR.

Read more...

Louis Vuitton turns to younger audiences with new influencer campaign

French luxury house Louis Vuitton is aiming to reach a younger audience by extending its relationships with influencers, promoting its wares on the brand’s Instagram Stories and its YouTube channel, as the intent to buy online is higher in the younger age group than among older consumers.

Read more...

Working in Fashion: Influencer manager

Oliver Jopke is an influencer manager who works in Berlin, Germany. He decrypts what exactly his job is about and how it is very diverse. He also develops strategies for influencers, is responsible for project acquisition and implementation and general day-to-day business, so that the influencer can concentrate entirely on creating content.

Read more...

Amazon taps into ‘drop culture' with new influencer-designed collections

US retail giant Amazon is trying its hand at the drop culture, the streetwear-led trend that sees brands offering limited-edition items in small quantities and at select retail locations. Amazon will release influencer-designed collections at unspecified moments every few weeks and has already started with the first two.

Read more...

Related news:

Amazon launches second collaboration for the drop

Fake influencers cost brands 157 million pounds

Social media platforms like Instagram have become powerhouses in the world of online advertising, bringing with them the problem of “follower fraud”. Instagram users pay fake or automated accounts to follow them in order to boost their own online popularity, and brands are also unknowingly paying these “influencers” to advertise their products.

Read more...

Launchmetrics teams up with Pinterest to provide data to brands and influencers

Launchmetrics has partnered with Pinterest to educate brands and influencers on how to best use the visual search platform to gain insights into their audiences, find the right partners to work with and increase the reach and engagement of their campaigns. The data insights company specializing in the fashion, beauty and luxury markets uses its Influencer Relationship Management (IRM) platform with Pintrest to gather data and statistics to “enrich” influencer campaigns. According to the company, Pinterest is an effective tool to reach consumers at the discovery part of their buying journey.

Read more...

Photos: courtesy of Social Nomads, Lynn Quanjel; Instagram newsroom; Pexels; Amazon The Drop Patricia Bright