Growing your brand with influential experts

Transcription

1 The Experticity Resource Library no. 34 An Experticity How-To Guide Growing your brand with influential experts Power Sports version 04

2 We know your experts. Do you? From the heart-stopping pause between soaring through the air and landing a jump to getting creative and freeriding off the track, motocross riders are all about chasing the thrill. They need to keep their gear and bike light, which means they re constantly researching different brands and recommending their favorites to other riders at the track. They re power sports experts, and building a relationship of trust with them is worth it: They can be a powerful voice for improving your brand awareness and growth. What s Inside 1. Meet your match Your brand already has advocates and experts. Let s talk to them. 2. Hear what they have to say Find out what this important community has to say about your products and brand. 3. Help them talk the talk Connect with your experts so they can make informed recommendations. 4. Don t forget walking the walk The more experience they have with your products, the more they can say about them. 5. Gather and share inspiring content Lucky for you, experts have big, inspiring lives and the social posts to match. 6. Case studies See experts in action.

3 1. Meet your match For Chandler, sharing the joy that comes from speeding down a dirt track or tripling jumps is second nature. He teaches complete strangers the basics of motocross, and readily shares advice on what gear is best when they decide one ride just isn t enough. It s great to focus on the races and the training, Chandler says. But it s so much more fun to be able to share it with new people and show people new trails and new rides. If you want to know which gear is the best for keeping you safe on the track while keeping your ride light, Chandler s got plenty of recommendations. Safety is high priority when giving advice, and he also guides new riders on the parts and accessories they need to get their bike running smoothly. His expertise even goes beyond consumer recommendations brands benefit, too. Chandler already has many power sports companies reaching out to him to do beta testing. He s helped brands develop new gear and technologies, and he continues to keep his ear to the ground, researching the brands he s passionate about. Any company that I m passionate about or love their gear, I m always checking them out to see what s next, he says. Foster trust The world is full of influencers, but instead of tallying followers our experts are leading passion-filled lives. They re not social media stars, they re everyday people you know and trust: your child s teacher, your colleague, your neighbor with all the power sports toys tucked in their garage. When these experts give their opinion on a brand or product, you know it s authentic and not just another paid promotion. Experticity lets you discover these authentic experts and connect with them. This is the first step toward building a trustworthy relationship that benefits you both. Insights Experts like Chandler have 15x more buying conversations a week than the average consumer 82 % of people who receive a recommendation from a passionate expert or someone who works in the industry are highly likely to follow it

4 2. Hear what they have to say Experts love sharing insights on products and technologies. So before your brand crafts an engagement strategy, make time to survey these potential advocates. Ask thoughtful questions and truly listen to what they have to say. Not only will you build brand affinity with a loyal crowd, you ll gain valuable insights you can use to improve both your product and marketing strategies, too. Find out what these experts are seeing and thinking, and how they perceive the latest trends. Are they recommending you at the track already? Why or why not? Experts can provide valuable input on product features, materials and uses long before you re even ready for market. Your consumers trust experts. You should, too. Insights Even after just one online session with a brand on Experticity, influential experts like Chandler are: 4x more likely to recommend a brand 87 Proven to sell % more than their peers

5 3. Help them talk the talk Mark Rosenberg Identify your brand s most influential experts, then offer them regular insider access to engaging content and products that keep them coming back for more. Whether it s a discount on a new line of sprockets or an exclusive sneak peek at the newest technology that makes your knee braces lighter, nothing inspires a passionate power sports expert more than being the first to know about it. It all adds up to a loyal, lasting connection and experts who can t stop talking about your products. Quick Tip: Keep them on the cutting edge. Chandler is constantly asked for recommendations on everything from motorcycle wheels to which boots offer the most protection. Want a place in that conversation? Connect with experts like Chandler authentically and give them first-hand access to your products and people. Educate them on what sets your brand and products apart, and let them dive deep into your technologies, product lines and even brand culture through interactive and video content.

6 4. Don t forget walking the walk The most trusted recommendations come from people who ve had firsthand experiences with a product even better if those people happen to be influential experts. Experticity can help you get more of your products into the hands of the very experts who are most trusted for their advice on what to buy. In the process, you ll be giving them much more to say about what you sell. Seeding products to top experts either free or at a deep discount and then getting their authentic feedback is a great way to build both word-of-mouth credibility and excitement around new products. Insights 83 % of WOM recommendations are tied to personal experience with a product/brand 2/3 rds of social buying conversations happen offline An offline buying recommendation is 5xmore likely to drive a purchase

7 5. Gather and share inspiring content Chandler Higgins 5 D 346 Slowing down and connecting with Mother E. SHOW MORE Stand back and let your influential experts do what they do best: inspire others to love your brand. Whether it s word-of-mouth recommendations for your new goggles or authentic UGC posted to social that features your brand while they triple that jump, these passionate storytellers can drive engagement. Our experts can also craft honest, credible reviews for your online sales channel to provide recommendations on why they trust your brand to keep them safe and help them be the fastest rider on the track. For example: Skullcandy invited experts in the Experticity network to field-test new products and provide honest reviews. Sure enough, 82% of the experts who participated in a product pre-launch shared reviews on the Skullcandy website. Taylor Jenni Raymond

8 6. Case studies The North Face surveyed industry experts on the styles and features they d like to see in future product lines. Their product team has now received 275 valuable expert insights. Quiksilver partnered with Experticity to give influential Experts at retail a behind-the- scenes experience with its brand. After less than a year, the results were clear: sales at stores with Experticity members on staff sold 104% more than non-engaged locations. Traditionally, Carhartt focused its brand education on detailed product specs and benefits. This was informative, but the story behind the brand was lost in the details. By shifting to a more authentic voice, Carhartt was able to create a meaningful connection with its most influential experts. The result? 77% more experts took the time to engage with Carhartt and explore its products.

9 Mark Rosenberg Find out what experts can do for you Experticity is the world s largest network of trusted experts whose passion, experience and knowledge makes them powerful brand advocates. Join the 500+ brands who already use Experticity solutions and connect with experts who authentically build brand awareness and help you sell more. business.experticity.com/learn-more/