It has recently been confirmed that global online retail sales have increased from 16% to 19% in 2020, and this is only set to continue in 2021.

This rise in e-commerce spending means that brands are able to open themselves up to a global audience. Influencer marketing has proven itself to be one of the most effective ways to branch out into these new markets, and introduce products and services to the eyes of many. Why? Because content creators allow brands to introduce their offering to a new audience in a genuine way. By making use of a creator’s voice that an audience already knows and trusts, brands can enter new markets both seamlessly and effectively.

How to collaborate with creators and create campaigns that will help your brand break into new markets

Viral campaigns

Viral campaigns can offer an incredible opportunity to reach a completely new audience. When creators are introduced, brands should give them the lead to come up with a highly creative angle, one that will take the brand’s offering to the next level. One way of doing so is to align the creative to current social media trends - 61% of TikTokers like brands better when they create or participate in a trend online. In doing so, content creators can associate the content and the campaign to popular moments and themes that are circulating on the social landscape. This will offer a brand an authentic and highly successful way to connect with a new audience and showcase their offering to a completely new market.

Viral campaigns tend to have common features:

- They’re highly creative, with a unexpected twist or surprise

- They can have an emotional appeal

- They’re shareable

- They can have a positive social impact

World-wide campaigns

As the global marketplace is opening up in front of brands’ eyes, collaborating with content creators in different locations is a great strategy for success. By using known and trusted creator voices across different territories, brands can be sure that they are positioning themselves in various new markets.

Content creators can assist with world-wide campaigns by also:

- Breaking down cultural barriers and providing culturally appropriate content

- Breaking down language barriers and speaking to the audience authentically

- Avoiding any social and cultural taboos

Local campaigns

While new global audiences can often be a target for brands, so can local and regional markets. Some products and services might be targeted towards a location-specific audience, e.g. those living in a city, by the sea, or in rural areas. In this case, working with micro creators who can activate content quickly, can leverage regional messaging to drive greater brand rapport and have huge sway over their local audience, is hugely beneficial. For this reason, working with this creator type can help give brands their big break.

The importance of selecting the right creators

Ultimately, collaborating with creators is a super effective way for your brand to venture into new markets. However, it’s important to note the importance of selecting the right creators. This is especially true when wanting to access an entirely new market.

Working with creators who resonate with your target audience is an essential part of the puzzle, and without the relevant information to hand, this can be a challenge. That’s where we come in. Our new technology platform, Waves, has a creator approval process that is based on client key success metrics, as well as creators’ historic campaign performance and previous content. This ensures that our clients work with creators who don’t have a track record of providing fraudulent or manipulated data. As a result, brands are able to fully understand the creators they are working with and can form those all-important long-term partnerships.

With an influencer technology platform, like Waves, behind you, you can cut the guesswork and ensure that the creators you’re collaborating with will be effective in helping your brand move into new and unexplored territory.