DTC POD - #297 - William Gasner, Stack Influence: How To Win With MicroInfluencers

1️⃣ One Sentence Summary

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

"Gasner on leveraging micro influencers for effective brand promotion strategies."

Interview Breakdown

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

In this episode, we’re hosting William Gasner from Stack Influence, a leading voice in micro influencer marketing, who will share with us how the right influencer strategy can drive brand success and increase sales. Full of actionable advice and insights, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Here's what we will cover today: - The importance of aligning influencers with your brand for authentic collaborations - How smaller influencers can impact your reach more significantly than larger ones - Why handing creative control to influencers (while providing guidance) could be a win-win for your brand - How automated systems can help manage influencer collaborations more effectively - Current social media trends and predictions for the future of influencer marketing.

🔑 7 Key Themes

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

1. Importance of data in influencer marketing 2. Risks and benefits of micro influencers 3. Issues with traditional influencer models 4. Advancements in influencer marketing technology 5. Efficacy of authentic influencer collaborations 6. Tracking and measuring influencer marketing success 7. Future trends in influencer marketing

💬 Keywords

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

Influencer marketing, William Gasner, Blaine Bolus, Ramon Berrios, halo effect, data analysis, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube shorts, AI analysis tools, automation, micro influencers, brand image, emotional connections, user-generated content, influencer collaborations, product seeding, Stack Influence, ecommerce, Amazon, social media trends, content creation, live shopping, social commerce, creative campaigns, direct attribution, customer lifetime value, creative control, conversion analysis, fidget toy boom.

🎞️ Clipfinder: Quotes, Hooks, & Timestamps

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 6

William Gasner 00:03:59 00:04:07

"Influencer Marketing Strategy: The ads performed much better than the kind of professional content that we were paying actually photographers to generate."

William Gasner 00:05:54 00:06:10

"Influencer Marketing Challenges: You really need to work with a lot of them. And that was the first challenge we really faced was even using these CRM softwares, finding enough people, and then even if you found enough, managing them and getting them product, making sure they do what they say they're going to do. That was the largest challenge we found."

William Gasner 00:08:26 00:08:47

"The Future of Social Media Influencer Platforms: And that's the biggest thing I see changing and where things evolving to is more management solutions. Right now, everyone can really access creators and find creators and do that in an effective way. But how do you effectively manage them? How do you get the right types of content, the right type of collaboration, and do that in an efficient manner that's also cost effective?"

William Gasner 00:10:26 00:10:40

"Influencer Marketing Strategies: You love the brand you're representing, right? So it's, first off, the correct matchmaking, second off, the product compensation model, which is what we focus on, we find it to be more authentic and trustworthy."

William Gasner 00:12:54 00:13:13

"Influencer Accountability: So this solved a lot of big issues because literally we were losing like 20% of the products we sent out. And sometimes depending on what strategy you do, you can lose more. So now we ensure that when we send a product to someone, they don't complete the post. If they don't do what they say they're going to do. There's some skin in the game and then they don't get reimbursed."

William Gasner 00:20:37 00:20:46

"Importance of Content in Social Media Platforms": "What now matters is content, and you could have 100 followers and your post now on TikTok or Instagram Reels could go viral. Like, you can get millions of views."

William Gasner 00:24:53 00:25:15

"Influencer Marketing for Unconventional Products: So it's another thing to actually think about when also creating a product because influencer marketing has become very established and one of the most effective ways to get the word out. So it's like when you create something, is your branding positive? Will people actually use this product and promote about it and talk about it?"

William Gasner 00:34:06 00:34:17

"Influencer Marketing Misconceptions: But it's not always the case that it's going to be a perfect one person promotes and right away, in the next 20 minutes, you're going to drive ten sales and you're going to have five X ROI."

William Gasner 00:45:32 00:45:54

"Future of Social Commerce: Video sells, right? Like someone speaking about your product still value to imagery, but video is absolutely where things are trending. And then also social is like, especially we're at a very much infancy in the US. Like China and Asia has already are light years ahead of kind of live shopping, social commerce."

William Gasner 00:46:25 00:46:41

"Future of Social Commerce: The most trustworthy people in your life are the ones that you actually get buying decisions from, right? It's like word of mouth marketing is the most powerful marketing that's ever existed. And now every single human being almost has a social platform, or at least the majority."

📚 Timestamped overview

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 2

03:18 Smaller creators provided cost-effective marketing solutions.

07:41 Platforms expand influencer markets, management solutions emerge.

10:13 Authentic brand representation through product compensation model.

14:32 Building brand momentum is crucial for creators.

17:43 Setting expectations, volume over obsessing, multi-platform challenges.

22:41 Early brand content strategy: test, validate, scale.

24:28 Influencer marketing and positive branding are crucial.

27:02 Managing creators varies from handholding to autonomy.

31:02 Oatley's genius ad went viral with ping-pong.

36:33 Analyze data, control experiments, avoid simultaneous initiatives.

39:02 Halo effect leads to replicated, influential content.

41:56 Organic content gains trust, but ads deter buyers.

45:54 QVC essential in US, influencer evolution, social commerce.

47:42 Stackinfluence.com: Find us on all socials. Email.

❇️ Key topics and bullets

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

1. Introduction of Guest: William Gasner - His background in D to C ecommerce - The creation of Stack Influence - His experience with influencer marketing during the fidget toy trend 2. Concept of Micro-Influencer Marketing - Emphasizing quality content over follower count - The risks and benefits of working with micro-influencers - Strategic suggestions for early brands 3. Importance of Data Analysis in Influencer Marketing - Running controlled experiments for impact measurement - Understanding the halo effect - The challenge of obtaining direct attribution 4. The Role of Stack Influence - The platform's automating brand and micro influencer promotions at scale - A system making influencers consumers of their collaborating brands - The integration plan for TikTok and YouTube shorts 5. Influencer-Brand Collaboration Strategies - The importance of authentic influencer-brand match - Providing creative control while offering guidance - Utilizing influencer software or managed systems for better tracking and conversions 6. Potential Challenges in Influencer Marketing - Issues with traditional influencer marketing models - Problems with outsourcing to agencies - Difficulties in managing a large number of creators 7. Future Predictions and Social Media Trends - The continuing dominance of video and the rise of live shopping - The expected role of AI in the social media ecosystem - Foreseeing everyone becoming a content creator 8. Conclusion - Thanking William Gasner for his participation - Details for reaching out to Gasner - Final thoughts by the hosts

🎬 Reel script

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

In this riveting episode of DTC POD, we had the pleasure of hosting William Gasner from Stack Influence, sharing insights on working with micro influencers. Discussing key topics such as trends in social commerce, the significance of creative campaigns, and effective use of influencer-generated content, William emphasized on understanding your data before embarking on influencer marketing. We navigated through the challenges of influencer marketing, and hit upon the potential of spreading brand awareness through smaller content creators. The episode ends on a future-focused note, talking about the prospects of video content and AI in social media. Join us, and tune in for some revolutionary ideas about the world of micro-influencers!

✏️ Custom Newsletter

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

Subject: Get Influenced! Tune in for Exciting Tips on Winning With Micro-Influencers 🎧 Hey there, We hope this email finds you in great spirit! We've got a refreshing brew served up hot in our latest episode of the DTC POD, and we promise, it's one you won't want to miss. In this week's episode "#297 - William Gasner, Stack Influence: How To Win With Micro-Influencers", we had an insightful conversation with William Gasner, the mastermind behind Stack Influence. With his rich background in D to C ecommerce and his million-dollar sales success during the fidget toy boom, William brings a truly unique perspective to our discussion about influencer marketing. Here are the 5 key take-aways you can look forward to in this episode: 1. The importance of understanding the data in influencer campaigns to measure sales impact and brand awareness. 2. Advantages and drawbacks of working with micro-influencers, dealing with scale for successful results. 3. The essence of striking the right influencer-brand match for authenticity, even considering product compensation over monetary payment. 4. Re-thinking traditional influencer marketing models; William's innovative system requires influencers to become consumers of the brands they partner with. 5. A peek into the future: Integration of video trend in social commerce platforms (think TikTik, YouTube shorts, and Amazon's Inspire app!) plus AI’s stints in the social media rotation. Now here's a fun nugget from the episode: Did you know that William Gasner cut his teeth in ecommerce during the 2017 fidget toy trend which led him to exploit influencer marketing strategies, eventually paving the way to the creation of Stack Influence? Truly a testament to the saying "One man's fad is another man's fortune". Talk about serendipity! As we wrap this up, we encourage you to tune in to the episode and discover the exciting world of micro-influencers through William Gasner's lens. It's time to unlearn some things and pick up a few new tricks, because in the world of influencer marketing, there's always something new around the corner. Tune in today to broaden your influencer marketing horizons and ace your strategy game with these golden nuggets from our heart-to-heart with William Gasner. Remember, these sessions are not just about the 'what', but also the 'how'. It's about getting the gears in your head moving, contemplating possibilities, and scoring those winning goals. Until then, happy listening and stay tuned for more exhilarating episodes! Best, Blaine & Ramon PS. Don't forget to share your thoughts, comments, and any exciting insights you learn from our episodes on our social media channels. Connect with us today! (List social media handles) Call-to-action: Listen to DTC POD, Episode 297 now!

🐦 Business Lesson Tweet Thread

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

1/15 "Ever wondered how the 'small guys' are making a big impact in the influencer world, and how you can get in on it too? Let's unpack this. 2/15 The 'halo effect' of influencer marketing is astounding. It's about the ripple created, not just the direct sales splash. 3/15 Data matters. It's crucial to run controlled experiments before launching a full-scale influencer campaign to measure impact on sales and awareness. 4/15 Trustworthy word-of-mouth, that's what influencer-generated content is. Traditional ads just can't compare. 5/15 Social media trends favor quality over quantity. A smaller creator with top content can make as big of an impact as a big-name influencer. 6/15 This isn't a one-size-fits-all game. For early brands, 10-20 collaborations with creators is a good start to test the waters. 7/15 Keep your cards diverse. Relying on one influencer, or platform, is a big risk. In this game, variety is not just the spice, but the main dish. 8/15 Outsourcing can be a huge timesaver. Automation and managed systems can track conversions better and generate higher quality UGC. 9/15 Remember, each brand-influencer relationship should be authentic. It's more than signing a contract, it's about creating a bond. 10/15 Product seeding pays off. Let your influencers become genuine consumers. Believe me, their followers can spot an impassioned endorsement connected to personal use. 11/15 Creativity & authenticity over staging. Let the influencers you work with show their version of your brand. 12/15 Influencer marketing can be a long-term play. Even if immediate sales don’t showcase performance, stick around for the long haul. 13/15 Visionary foresight: Social commerce and live shopping are steadily on the rise. 14/15 Brace for the future: Everyone is a content creator. And AI will be a crucial player in the social media realm. 15/15 Conclusion: Embrace micro-influencers. Use data wisely. Cultivate genuine relationships. The world of influencer marketing is ripe for the taking. Are you ready to take a bite?"

🎓 Lessons Learned

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

1. "Data-Driven Influencer Marketing" - Understand and use your data before commencing an influencer marketing campaign, ensure effective measurement of result. 2. "Exploring the Halo Effect" - Discusses the importance of comprehending the ripple effect of influencer promotions, affecting both sales and awareness. 3. "Trust in Influencer Content" - Discuss the organic, trustworthy nature of influencer-generated content in comparison to traditional ad platforms. 4. "Emphasizing Quality Over Quantity" - In the social media sphere, the quality of content is becoming more crucial than the number of followers. 5. "Navigating Micro Influencer Marketing" - Discusses the benefits and risks of working with micro influencers, the scale necessary for success, and how to find suitable creators. 6. "Influencer Marketing: A Brand-specific Tool" - Influencer marketing might not be suitable for every brand, puts emphasis on the product and its brand image. 7. "Building Emotional Connections" - An audience exists for almost every product, and fostering emotional connections can be even more effective than viral content. 8. "Creative Control for Influencers" - The preferred approach is to give creative control to influencers while providing guidance to maintain brand image and authenticity. 9. "Automating Influencer Marketing" - Talks about the power of automation in influencer marketing, handling large scale promotions, and its advantages in efficiency and time saving. 10. "Future of Social Media" - The trend of video content, and how the ongoing integration of social media and e-commerce platforms will shape the future.

💎 Maxims

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

1. Understand your data before pursuing influencer marketing campaigns. Without controlled experiments, we cannot measure the full impact on sales and awareness. 2. Harness the halo effect of promotions. How a promotion affects your brand’s overall sales and awareness is crucial. 3. Trust earned organically goes further than that earned through traditional advertisements. 4. When measuring conversions, consider various data points for a more accurate representation of customer lifetime value. 5. Small creators have the potential to create viral content – follower count is not the only measure of influence. 6. Testing with multiple creators – even as few as 10-20 – can provide important insights on what works best for your brand. Utilize influencer software or direct engagement to find the right fit. 7. Not all products or brands are suitable for influencer marketing. Assess the compatibility of the product and the influencer’s brand image before initiating a partnership. 8. An audience exists for almost every product. Even more effective than viral content can be forging emotional connections that drive conversions. 9. Creative control should fall under influencers’ hands while brands provide guidance and support. 10. When working with influencers, hire within the company or use effective software for better tracking, conversions, and user-generated content (UGC) quality. 11. Outsourcing to agencies can come with issues. Review your multi-platform strategies to avoid overpaying. 12. Investing in software and managing systems can save time, resources, and effectively handle influencer marketing on a large scale. 13. Product seeding and matching creators with the right brands and products can lead to more successful promotions without the dependency of monetary compensation. 14. Proper communication of a brand’s objectives to influencers is important. Detailed briefs help guide creators to achieve the marketing goals. 15. Attribution in social media marketing can be challenging. Employ alternatives like coupon codes for tracking conversion. 16. Long-duration marketing strategies have proven successes. Influencer marketing doesn't always yield immediate success but pays off in the long run. 17. Video content has become the trend of the hour. To stay ahead, it’s important to adapt to emerging trends and embrace new platforms. 18. Everyone can play a role in the evolving social media ecosystem. Harnessing the creative potential of each individual is the way forward. 19. Social commerce is on the rise as social and ecommerce platforms continue integrating. 20. Authentic testimonials serve as an effective selling tool, especially for brands that are starting up. Trust in creativity and authenticity over rigid marketing scripts. 21. Collaboration with creators can decrease ad costs and help find effective brand ambassadors and advocates. 22. Even nano and micro influencers can grow rapidly and significantly impact your brand's conversion over time. Don’t underestimate the power of small beginnings.

🌟 3 Fun Facts

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

1. Before becoming the Chief Marketing Officer at Stack, William Gasner was a seller in D to C ecommerce and achieved million-dollar sales during the fidget toy boom, where he utilized influencer marketing tactics for success on Amazon. 2. William Gasner and Stack Influence have handled hundreds to thousands of micro-influencer brand promotions per month, proving their capability in effectively dealing with scale and automation. 3. Stack Influence leverages a unique system that requires influencers to genuinely become consumers of the brands they collaborate with. This approach not only creates intent, but also streamlines shipping logistics and addresses issues related to unfulfilled requirements or product theft.

📓 Blog Post

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

##Title: Micro Power: Maximizing Micro-Influencer Marketing with William Gasner ###Subheader: Harnessing the Potential of Micro-Influencers for Brand Presence and Influence Knowing your audience, their tastes, and preferences isn't just relevant for content creation - it's also crucial when choosing who will endorse your brand. Enter micro-influencer marketing. William Gasner of Stack Influence explains how to make this strategy work for your brand. ####Understanding your Data and the Halo Effect Influencer marketing is not about shooting in the dark. Hosts Blaine Bolus and Ramon Berrios emphasize the importance of understanding the data you have before diving into influencer marketing campaigns. One aspect to look at is the halo effect, where one popular promotional campaign can bolster your entire brand. Conversely, a misstep could harm all areas of your sales. Data-driven strategies allow for controlled experiments to measure a campaign's impact. ####Trust in Influencer-Generated Content Influencer-generated content can often feel more organic and trustworthy to consumers than traditional advertising platforms, making it a valuable tool for brands. That said, a clear understanding of various data points and accurate conversion analysis remains critical in measuring customer lifetime value. ####Diversifying the Platforms While Gasner and team's main focus is currently on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube shorts are among their future integration plans. The shift towards automation for handling large numbers of promotions and the development of AI analysis tools can help confirm efficacy while catering to different media platforms. ####Tile: Choosing the Right Creators Micro-influencers are on the rise, with their quality content often more influential than their follower count. Engaging with a small group of creators in the initial phase can lead to high-scale success, even though it isn’t without risks. Search for the right fit for your brand - whether that's through influencer software or direct engagement. ####Product and Brand Image: Critical to Success Not every brand will find success with micro-influencer marketing. The product and the brand's image are pivotal to its success with influencers. Brands need to understand that audience niche and the emotional connections the audience has with them are often stronger conversion drivers than viral content. ####The Ideal Brand-Creator Relationship To maximize efficiency, brands are advised to give creative control to influencers while providing guidelines and support. Cementing an authentic influencer-brand match could create a much higher value than monetary compensation. ####Outsourcing vs. In-House Collaboration According to Gasner, managing influencer collaborations in-house may not always be effective. Using software or a managed system could ensure better, quality user-generated content (UGC), tracking, and conversions. ####Trends to Watch Out for We see a surge in popularity of video content, live shopping, and the social commerce. With social media continuously evolving, Gasner predicts that AI will soon have a place in this ecosystem. With platforms like Amazon's Inspire app being launched and everyone becoming content creators, the frontier of micro-influencer marketing is never static. ####Conclusion When implemented wisely, micro-influencer collaborations could lead to not only increased sales but decreased ad costs and long-term brand advocates. Even if it doesn't lead to immediate sales, influencer marketing can prove to be an effective long-term marketing strategy. Coverage on a micro scale could make a macro impact.

🎤 Voiceover Script

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

"In this fascinating DTC POD episode, William Gasner from Stack Influence unveils the power of micro-influencers and establishes the importance of authentic brand-influencer matches. Astoundingly, he recommends product compensation over just monetary payment and discusses how beneficial it can be for influencers to genuinely become consumers of the brands they collaborate with. He also accentuates the significance of running controlled experiments before launching influencer campaigns and shares practical advice to newbie brands - test with 10-20 creators to locate the perfect fit. Gasner reminds us that social commerce is trending, and influencer marketing is turning into a long-term play rather than just a quick sales boost. Listen in to unpack the full trove of insights!"

🔘 Best Practices Guide

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

1. Run controlled experiments before pursuing influencer marketing campaigns to understand their impact on sales and awareness. 2. Leverage the trust and organic word-of-mouth impact of influencer-generated content over traditional ad platforms, yet ensure accurate conversion analysis. 3. Initially test with 10-20 creators, either through influencer software or direct reach out. 4. Allow creative control to influencers while offering guidance; strive for authenticity in the influencer-brand match. 5. Highlight the emotional connect of your product to drive conversions. 6. Automate when handling large-scale promotions; effective management systems and software aid in better tracking and conversion. 7. Engage with micro-influencers in line with the trend of quality content over follower count but do it at scale for success. 8. Understand that influencer marketing may not be immediately tied to sales and could be part of a longer-term performance marketing strategy. 9. Diversify your collaborations to mitigate risks while allowing room for creator growth.

🎆 Social Carousel: Do's/Don'ts

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

Slide 1: "10 Key Insights from William Gasner: Mastering Micro Influencer Marketing" Slide 2: "Understand Data" Ensure data comprehension prior to launching influencer marketing campaigns. Analyze sales and awareness impact. Slide 3: "Appreciate The Halo" Track the halo effect of your promotions and its influence on overall sales and brand recognition. Slide 4: "Acknowledge Trust" Recognize the organic impact of influencer-generated content. Gain trust to increase impactful word-of-mouth campaigns. Slide 5: "Embrace Automation" Automate promotions for efficiency with en mass micro-influencers. Utilize AI tools for accurate analysis. Slide 6: "Champion Quality" Focus on optimal, creative content over mere follower count. Allow for the potential virality of smaller creators. Slide 7: "Manage Influencers" Successful influencer marketing requires careful management. Utilize software or systemized handling to maximize results. Slide 8: "Authentic Collaboration" Promote authentic engagement between brands and influencers. Effective collaborations give influencers creative control with necessary guidance. Slide 9: "Diversify Partnerships" Mitigate risks by diversifying your collaborations. This encourages stability and momentum for brands and creators. Slide 10: "Evolve With Trends" Stay ahead by embracing new social media trends and platforms. Expect the rise of video content and social commerce. Slide 11: "Prioritize Testimonials" Uplift authentic testimonials as selling tools. Directives should allow for effective product portrayal while promoting creativity.

🎠 Social Carousel

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 3

Slide 1: "10 Tips Every Marketer Needs to Know" Slide 2: "Data-Driven Approach" - Understand your brand's data before launching an influencer marketing campaign. Slide 3: "Halo Effect" - Measure the indirect impact of promotions on overall sales and brand awareness. Slide 4: "Quality Content" - Focus on quality content over follower count to maximize viral potential. Slide 5: "Micro Influencer Strategy" - Test with 10-20 micro-influencers before scaling to gain successful results. Slide 6: "Brain-Brand Match" - The product and brand's image should match with the influencer's persona for maximum impact. Slide 7: "Emotional Connections" - Greater emotional connections can lead to higher conversions than viral content. Slide 8: "Creative Control" - Allow influencers creative control but also provide guidance and support. Slide 9: "Effective Tracking" - In-house influencer collaborations might not give accurate tracking, opt for software or managed systems instead. Slide 10: "Social Commerce" - Consider the trend of social commerce and integration of social and e-commerce platforms. Slide 11: "Connect with Us!" - Learn more marketing insights from DTC POD by subscribing to our podcast or reaching out to us on our socials.

One Off Tweets

✨ Preset prompt

1 / 1

Tweet 1: Influencer marketing is an art and science. Master it by understanding your data and measuring its impact. Remember, uncertainty does not discredit its power. Tweet 2: Don't let follower count fool you. Quality content always wins. Nurturing a relationship with micro-influencers may just give your brand the big break it needs. Tweet 3: Embrace the risk and ride the rewards of influencer marketing. Test the waters with 10-20 creators and fine-tune your strategy. Discovery lies in diversity. Tweet 4: Authenticity is key for successful influencer-brand collaboration! Encourage influencers to become genuine consumers of your brand, and the impact will be significant. Tweet 5: Don't underestimate the power of an emotional connection. It could be your secret weapon to drive more conversions, even more effectively than viral content. Tweet 6: Step into the future of influencer marketing with automation. Handle countless promotions with ease and take full advantage of AI analysis tools. The scale is no longer a hurdle. Tweet 7: Brand and influencer management are more effective when handed to experts. Precision tracking, increased conversions, and quality UGC await with the right software. Tweet 8: E-commerce success is tied to effective influencer strategies. Learn from the fidget toy boom. It's not just about selling; it's also about creating buzz and building communities. Tweet 9: Looking to venture into influencer marketing? Provide your creators with a clear brief yet ample room for creativity. Trust their instincts; they know their audience best. Tweet 10: The future trends of social media are shifting towards video and social commerce. Stay ahead of the game, leverage these trends, and open your brand to new possibilities.

What is Castmagic?