Webinars

Influencer marketing isn’t as difficult as you think. An influencer is someone who has the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of their authority, knowledge, and position through their relationship with an audience.

Who are your business’s influencers? They can be your passionate employees, satisfied customers, local designers, and celebrities – virtually anybody! Learn how retailers use their networks to influence sales, what platforms have the most impact, and how to measure your success.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS WEBINAR

• Anybody can be an influencer – employees, community members, customers, etc.
• Selecting an influencer requires knowing your company’s core values and beliefs and then associating your brand with like people.
• Look at how your influencer responds to their own comments. That is a great way to see how they will respond on your behalf.
• Apps like “Nextdoor” are good community-based venues to engage with people to get people talking about you.
• Influencers should be honest and authentic to appeal to and connect to your audience.
• Paid influencers are good to have but consider them only after the organic route is mastered.
• Encourage customers on all points of the sale (in-store, on receipts, in social ads, etc.) to post images of their new furniture and tag your company.
• Cultivate your networks where they are, but be aware of other channels in which you may be mentioned.
• You can repurpose influencer content and apply it to multiple platforms.
• Take the time to build relationships with social influencers to ensure they are a good match. Start by following their content, engage with it, and reach out and develop a relationship.
• Using customer testimonials is a form of influencer marketing.
• Small retailers can utilize community groups and organizations to connect with local influencers.

OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS

Amy Myers – Chief Marketing Officer, Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM)
Amy is the Chief Marketing Officer for NFM, one of the nation’s largest home furnishings retailers, selling furniture, flooring, appliances, and electronics. This Top 100 company is also part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway family of companies. Currently, it has locations in Omaha, Des Moines, Iowa, Kansas City, Kansas, and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.

Marisa Peacock – Chief Strategist, The Strategic Peacock
Marisa is the founder and chief strategist of The Strategic Peacock. Before founding her company in 2010, Marisa managed and produced websites, multimedia, and online content for non-profits, independent schools, and small businesses. Marisa is also a full-time lecturer in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.

Jamie Gaston – VP Client Services, Esquire Advertising
Founded in 2012, Esquire Advertising is an Ad-Tech company with a full-service in-house advertising and marketing agency pushing the limits of advertising performance. The company uses its own unique combination of marketing strategies and proprietary technologies to pinpoint in-market consumers using mobile and internet-connected device matching technology.

Shane Spiller – Owner, Spiller Furniture and Mattress
Spiller Furniture and Mattress is a 13-store organization serving Alabama and Missippi. Spiller is led by 3rd Generation Shane Spiller and has been immersed in the community since 1948. They leverage their loyal generational customers, the longevity of their employees, and their local celebrity status (with their family band) to continuously brand and influence locally to attract more customers.