In today’s digital marketplace, standing out and attracting new buyers can be a daunting task for any Shopify merchant. Leveraging the influence of creators and influencers in an affiliate capacity offers an effective solution to reduce advertising costs while expanding your reach. This strategy aims to drive more sales by tapping into the creators’ existing audiences. Introducing Shopify Collabs, a free-to-install app designed to help merchants collaborate and manage creator partners efficiently. Whether you are a business owner or a marketing professional, Shopify Collabs equips you with the tools needed to work successfully with creators—from establishing connections to automating creator commission payments using your Shopify bill.
1. Setting Up Programs
The journey to boosting your sales through influencers begins with setting up your programs on Shopify Collabs. The first crucial step you need to take is to determine what you want to offer creators in terms of commissions and discounts. Typically, merchants using Collabs offer commissions on sales and discounts to the creator’s audience through specialized affiliate links and codes. These incentives not only attract creators but also encourage them to promote your products more actively. Moreover, using Collabs, you can easily send gifts or product samples to creators, which they can use to produce authentic content showcasing your products.
Once you’ve decided on the incentives, configuring affiliate links and discount codes in Shopify Collabs is the next step. This involves navigating to Programs in the left menu and selecting Programs at the top of the page. Here, you have the option to create multiple programs catering to different levels of creators, each offering varying commissions and/or discounts. For example, you could create a tiered system that allows creators to graduate from one program to another, based on their performance and sales numbers.
You can further customize these programs by clicking on Create Invite Program and setting the specific commissions and discounts according to the profit margins you can afford. Additionally, Shopify Collabs provides flexible options to increase discounts and affiliate commissions, particularly for sales from new customers or subscription services. This tailored setup ensures that you effectively incentivize creators, making the collaboration mutually beneficial.
2. Creating and Dispatching Gifts to Creators
Gifting is a significant component of any affiliate and influencer marketing strategy. It helps in building stronger relationships with creators by allowing them to test and experience your products firsthand. This, in turn, leads to more genuine and authentic endorsements. To create and send gifts, navigate to the Gifts tab under Programs in the Collabs menu. You can either create a product gift or offer new creators a discount on their purchases from your store.
By doing this, not only do you welcome new creators to your community, but you also give them an opportunity to become true advocates of your products. For instance, a company like Ceremonia, known for its clean hair care products rooted in Latinx heritage, incorporates welcome gifts into its creator onboarding process. Such initiatives help build a stronger bond with creators, ensuring they are genuine fans and users of your products.
Remember that while gifts can inspire creators to test and subsequently post about your products, it is crucial to create a formal agreement outlining expectations if you seek guaranteed content in return. Gifting, when done correctly, can go a long way in fostering stronger relationships, increasing brand awareness, garnering authentic reviews, and serving as a cost-effective marketing strategy.
3. Enlisting Creators to Join Your Program
After setting up your gift and affiliate programs, the next step is recruiting creators to join your Shopify Collabs program. One of the most effective ways to do this is by setting up a creator application page. This is essentially a customizable landing page with a quick form for creators interested in partnering with you. The form gathers essential information such as the creator’s name, contact details, social media handles, and reasons for wanting to collaborate with your brand. Shopify Collabs includes a template to help you get started. When filled out, the information is automatically stored in your Collabs account for review.
Promoting your application page is crucial. Copy and paste the link to the application page in visible places that will attract creators, like your brand’s Instagram bio. Consider also adding it to your store’s header or footer, making it easily accessible to existing customers who are potential creators. Companies like immi, a healthy ramen brand, have successfully recruited hundreds of creators through their detailed application pages. Including comprehensive descriptions of your brand and asking insightful questions about the creators’ relationship with your brand can help you identify the best fits for your program.
Apart from application pages, you can also directly invite creators to join your program. If you already have creators in mind, invite them directly via email through Collabs. This is especially useful for migrating current creator partners to the platform without requiring them to fill out a complete application. If you have a list of potential creator partners, upload their email addresses using a CSV file. Direct invitations can be more personalized and are likely to expedite the recruitment process.
4. Managing Your Creators
Managing your creators efficiently is paramount once they start joining your program. Through the Contacts section in Shopify Collabs, you can view and manage all the relationships you establish. This feature allows you to keep track of each creator’s activities, such as the content they generate and the sales they drive. Ensuring continuous engagement with your creators keeps the momentum going and ensures their sustained participation and efforts in promoting your products.
Engagement involves regular communication, sharing new product updates, and periodic check-ins to understand their experiences and challenges. This interaction can be through onboarding emails, email newsletters, or direct messages (DMs) on social media platforms. These communications help keep your relationship with the creators strong and productive.
5. Paying Creators for Commissions
Tracking sales driven by creators and paying them accordingly can be a tedious task if done manually. Shopify Collabs simplifies this by automatically keeping track of all the sales made through affiliate links or codes and calculating the corresponding commissions. After a predetermined holding period, which you can set between seven and 90 days, the app automates commission payments to the creators who have met a $25 minimum threshold.
The commission payment process is seamless for the creators as well. They can view their sales and the commissions they have earned in their Collabs Creator account. Creators then set up their payment accounts by logging into their account and inputting their personal and billing information under the Payouts tab. This ensures they receive their earnings promptly and securely. Automating commission payments not only saves time but also ensures accuracy and builds trust with your creator partners.
6. Next Steps
In today’s digital marketplace, it can be challenging for any Shopify merchant to stand out and attract new buyers. The competition is fierce, and traditional advertising methods can be costly. However, there’s a powerful solution that can help you reduce advertising expenses while expanding your reach: leveraging the influence of creators and influencers through affiliate partnerships.
This strategy focuses on tapping into the existing audiences of creators and influencers to drive more sales. By aligning your brand with influential figures who already have a dedicated following, you can more effectively promote your products without breaking the bank.
Introducing Shopify Collabs, a versatile and free-to-install app designed to help merchants build and manage successful collaborations with creators. This innovative tool caters to both business owners and marketing professionals by providing the essential resources needed to work seamlessly with creators. From establishing initial connections to automating commission payments directly through your Shopify bill, Shopify Collabs streamlines the entire process.
With Shopify Collabs, you get the chance to not only expand your audience but also enhance your marketing efficiency. It’s an invaluable asset for anyone looking to boost their sales and gain a competitive edge in the crowded digital marketplace. Embrace the power of collaboration and take your Shopify store to new heights with the help of creators and influencers.
