Influencers and PR Mailers: The Keys to Driving Earned Social Posts
By Doug Cipriani
The world of influencers is ever evolving, but the success influencers hold when it comes to PR is undeniable. Brands continue to have major opportunities to work with creators to drive their reach, penetrate new audiences and foster connection with new & existing consumers. One of the most impactful ways to do this is through influencer mailers and product samplings that help drive earned and unpaid social posts. However, securing unboxing posts from creators takes a bit of strategy. Here are four key things to consider to maximize the likelihood of securing these posts.
It’s All About the Visuals
It’s crucial to keep the goal in mind when developing a new mailer for influencers: earned social posts. Creators focus on content, so providing a unique and eye-catching visual should be the top focus to make sure you’re providing something interesting to post. This can be through things like the items you’re including, the packaging of the box or even the box itself.
One tip is to create a custom box that plays into the aesthetic of the campaign or product you’re centering around. This not only allows for the branding to pull through, but can help curate that visual to entice recipients to post. When designing a mailer box, be sure to think about where branding and messaging will be included. Influencer mailers posts typically are an unboxing-style post, so the top interior panel of the box is prime real estate. However, don’t forget to spread the thoughtful design to the exterior of the box. Creating excitement before the box is opened will help your recipients feel immediately engaged, thus further contributing to your odds of receiving the coveted earned social posts.
Additionally, focus on developing a cohesive visual aesthetic throughout the entire mailer. Leverage the same colors, fonts and design elements across the box, note cards and products included to ensure the entire mailer comes together for the perfect post by your recipient.
What’s in the Box
PR mailers have come a long way and influencers’ preferences on what they’re receiving from a brand have too. The era of logo-branded hats, t-shirts and mugs is gone as influencers now prefer thoughtfully designed apparel and useful items in the shipments they receive. This is for a few reasons.
First, in today’s creator economy, influencers are typically receiving countless shipments as brands continue to harness the power of influencer posts. Because of this, receiving another logo t-shirt or tchotchke will not only land the item in a junk drawer, but will also burden the creator with another item they can’t or don’t want to use. Second, influencers are showing a stronger preference for sustainability and high-quality items, making it crucial to avoid “junk” items in favor of things like apparel, homewares or food & beverage items without overt and excessive branding. This could be things like creating a custom pattern that ties back to the brand or focusing on including 1-2 high-quality items with strong ties to the brand or product instead of 3-5 lower-quality items for the sake of quantity.
Reach the Right Creators
Finding the best creators to send your mailer to is a sure way to maximize the chances that they’ll post about it and this can be done in a few ways. First, make sure you’re looking at creators who have posted about your brand, products or competitors. Searching to identify who is already a fan of the brand or product is a strong starting place, as these folks will likely be the most excited to receive the mailer. From there, expand to creators who post content in the same theme as your brand, product or campaign. For example, if you’re sending a mailer of a snack item, target influencers who post food & beverage content. Lastly, take the time to strategically expand to different influencer beats. Based on the type of product, consider targeting lifestyle, family, fitness, cooking, beauty, gaming, travel or any other types of influencers that may be relevant. Doing so will only drive your campaign’s reach by tapping into the different audiences each of these groups holds.
It’s also beneficial to think about the size of the creators you’re targeting with the mailer you’ve created. Think about what you’ve included and if it feels realistic that influencers with millions of followers will be intrigued enough to post. If so, go for it, but it’s generally more common for smaller creators to post the mailers they receive from brands. Making sure you’re realistic in the creators you’re targeting will, in turn, help your results go further, which is particularly important when working with a limited budget & small quantity of mailers to leverage.
Power in Personalization
Everyone loves to feel special and personalized elements are a foolproof way to make that happen. Customized mailer elements will make the recipient feel special, but will also show that the brand went one step further to ensure the mailer was well thought out and put together. Personalization can come into play through a variety of methods, so consider engraving initials onto a product, adding in a flavor, shade or variety an influencer has mentioned in past posts or sending additional items for a significant other or family members, if relevant. At the very least, including a handwritten notecard that’s personalized with the creator’s name and messaging to show that the brand follows their content is a great and simple way to personalize.
Want to learn more about how your brand can leverage influencers and PR mailers for your next product launch? Reach out to the Double Forte team for more information.