THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL INFLUENCERS Q&A with Crystal Vilkaitis

Crystal Vilkaitis is an industry leader, transforming the digital marketing landscape for small businesses. In 2012, she founded Crystal Media, a progressive media company leading the charge in modern retail marketing. Her innovative strategies have driven significant growth and sales for retailers, cementing her reputation as a trailblazer in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Crystal sits on the Board of Directors for Heart on Main Street and Gift for Life and is the host of the highly praised podcasts: Rooted in Retail and Crystal Uncorked.

We had a chance to sit down with Crystal to learn more about the rise of influencer marketing and collect some great takeaways for today's retailers.

Q: Why do you think influencer marketing has been so successful?

A: Influencers know how to build trust with their audiences, and are great at building their audience When they love a product, it sells, and often sells out, depending on the audience size. The key takeaway here is that they love the product or business they're helping to keep authentic

Q: Do you suggest the use of influencers?

A: Absolutely! As long as it's genuine and they use or like the product as mentioned earlier. Also, the influencer needs to align with the brand Pick someone who has your ideal customers, and don't just work with someone because they have a large following. You also want to ensure the influencer has engagement lots of followers doesn’t mean they have influence; they need engagement.

Q: What about using an influencer for a local brick-and-mortar store?

A: It's a little harder for a local brick-and-mortar who doesn't sell online to find a local influencer But, there's a chance someone in their town/city is a microinfluencer (under 100k followers) whose audience loves them and would love to come to see them and hang out for a few hours, and the retailer could host that!

Another method is the retailer can have the influencer model products or do photo shoots and the retailer can use that content because usually the influencer is great at creating content. Know where you need help and start searching!

Q: What metrics do you prioritize when measuring the success of influencer collaborations?

A: Really you're looking for growth in many different forms: sales, website traffic, list growth (email/text), quality followers (your perfect customer who actually engages), brand sentiment, re-orders from original purchases, and reviews. When looking for an influencer who is the right fit, ask how they believe they can help with these measurable metrics www.crystalmediaco.com

Q: How do you foresee influencer marketing in the coming years?

A: Influencer marketing will continue to be a strong way to market and sell products I see it only growing from here, especially on TikTok.

Connect with Crystal
@crystalmediaco
@crystalvilkaitis