Effective Influencer Marketing Strategies for Shoe Brands
By the end of 2024, the global footwear market is expected to hit $412.9 billion, with 23.6% of sales coming from online sales, according to Statista. That’s good news for influencer marketing campaigns, which can be designed to capture nearly one in every $4 spent on shoes via digital purchases. Before launching campaigns to promote shoes, boots, sneakers, or other footwear, check out these tips for influencer marketing for shoe brands to help you choose the right influencers, reach the right markets, and maximize your ROI.
Work with Diverse Influencers
Partnering with influencers from diverse backgrounds allows more consumers to relate to your content, increasing trust and engagement. Beyond just representation, the inclusion of influencers from different cultures, genders, ethnicities, and lived experiences—not to mention professions—can also provide your target audience with unique perspectives or information that they may not get to see otherwise. Diversity, equity, and inclusion can also demonstrate your brand’s values. This is particularly important when building a relationship with consumers.
To see how this works in practice, consider this example: Academy Sports + Outdoors partnered with @thelaymarie, a fitness and lifestyle influencer, to share the store as the ultimate destination for affordable yet high-quality running shoes.
Lean into Keywords and Hashtags
To reach the right audience, you must research the keywords associated with your specific products, whether you’re promoting hiking boots, running shoes, sandals, or winter footwear. You’ll want to include these in your messaging, titles, descriptions, and tags. Search each platform where you’ll be hosting your influencer marketing campaign to identify trending hashtags — not only for the footwear itself but also its features and benefits. Think sustainability, vegan, waterproof, shock absorbency, cruelty-free, and individual sports and activities associated with your brand.
Promote Across Multiple Platforms
Look for creators with followings across multiple platforms to reach new audiences and target different stages of the purchasing funnel. Different platforms offer unique opportunities for showcasing footwear:
- Pinterest: Might serve to highlight three different colors and patterns of tights to pair with your brand’s vegan platform-heel boots.
- Instagram: The 10-video Carousel feature could provide a way to style the boots with 10 different outfits.
- TikTok: A video could allow the influencer to do an unboxing video and discuss sustainability packaging, the quality of craftsmanship, and proper boot care.
Capture and Upcycle Content
Capture UGC
Because most nano- and micro-influencers have earned the trust of their followers, engagement tends to be higher than that of celebrity or mega-influencers. This engagement can create opportunities for your brand to capture user-generated content (UGC) that can be used for future marketing. For example, customer reviews can be shared on your brand’s website or e-commerce store. Testimonials can be included in emails and mailed collateral. Images can be used at in-store kiosks or in other social media campaigns.
Upcycle CGC
Creator-generated content (IGC) creates high-performing assets that can be repurposed for organic social, paid ads, e-newsletters, and real-life examples on your brand’s website and e-commerce store. To target shoppers farther along on their buyer’s journey, consider using CGC in follow-up emails when a consumer leaves your site after browsing or abandons their shopping cart before making a purchase.
Analyze Your Campaign Results
Determining if your influencer marketing campaign was successful requires the right KPIs and data analysis. After all, you’ll be looking at each influencer’s reach, engagement, audience alignment, content quality, and the effectiveness of different content on each social media platform. Invest in the right tools or team to measure everything from brand awareness and sentiment to click-throughs and sales. Anything less than a comprehensive analysis is just a guess and will not improve your future campaigns.
