Sephora has leaned into paying micro influencers and workers to develop content material for social media.
The model runs a year-long influencer program that features mentorship lessons and free merchandise.
Insider spoke with a Sephora exec about the model’s “Sephora Squad” influencer-marketing technique.
Sephora’s influencer-marketing technique depends on a “squad” of dozens of influencers and workers — starting from these with just a few thousand followers to these with hundreds of thousands — who’re chosen every year to advertise the model.Every summer time, the magnificence retailer hires a set of nano, micro, and mega influencers who specialise in make-up and haircare to assist introduce new merchandise to their followers on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Sephora launched this “Sephora Squad” program in 2019.Sephora has different influencer endeavors, like its partnership with TikTok star Hyram Yarbro whose skincare line, Selfless by Hyram, is offered in shops completely at Sephora.But the annual Sephora Squad program has turn out to be the centerpiece of the firm’s influencer-marketing efforts, which appear to be efficient in driving buzz. In 2020, Sephora was the No. 2 most talked about model on YouTube, in response to a report by the influencer-marketing platform HypeAuditor.”Previously, we had been influencers in a marketing campaign and initiative based mostly means,” stated Abigail Jacobs, senior vice chairman of built-in model advertising and marketing at Sephora. “Then with the launch of the Squad, we established a bunch of influencers that we work with on extra of an annual foundation to actually construct partnerships with.” The “Sephora Squad” displays a pattern in the influencer business at massive, which has moved towards longer-term offers because it has matured.For this yr’s program, Jacobs stated Sephora was centered on hiring extra influencers who spoke Spanish and made Spanish-language content material, in addition to creators with various hair sorts.Sephora Squad’s 2021 group contains 73 members and 79% are BIPOC, the firm stated. 48 of the members are influencers and 25 are Sephora workers. Current members embody Ndeye Peinda (32,000 Instagram followers), Edward Zo (1.3 million TikTok followers), and Jameelat Bakare (7,300 Instagram followers). Sephora makes use of instruments from the ambassador advertising and marketing platform Fohr to trace engagement and insights for the influencers’ posts.Besides engaged on a stream of sponsored Sephora content material, the program affords influencers some profession improvement perks.Sephora is working with Hollaback, a nonprofit group elevating consciousness to fight harassment, to fulfill with members to debate on-line harassment and the way they’ll create secure areas on their platforms. Sephora Squad members can also attend occasions on tips on how to movie and produce content material.”This is stuff that we’ve got entry to as a giant firm, however the influencer could not,” Jacobs stated.
Sephora Squad’s 2021 group contains 73 members, and 79% are BIPOC.
Sephora
How to get accepted into the program There’s no minimal follower depend to use to Sephora Squad. Applicants should be lively on both Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, or YouTube. The partnership lasts for 12 months, and new members are chosen every year.Prospective members first apply on Sephora Squad’s utility web page, then the subsequent step is asking their followers to submit a testimonial about them.”Those testimonials are actually a giant a part of the choice course of for us,” Jacobs stated. “This is sort of our option to see the affect an influencer has on their viewers. It’s not a lot about the variety of followers or followers. It’s actually about the engagement degree that they’ve with that group.”Once accepted, Sephora pays the members to advertise the model and develop content material for its personal social channels. The firm appears for influencers who communicate to a selected viewers’s wants, share an sincere view into their lives, and discuss the challenges they’ve, Jacobs stated, pointing to Sephora Squad member Stefanie Fritz (168,000 TikTok followers), a make-up artist with a audience of people over 40 years outdated.”She’s all the time speaking about the challenges she’s having as a mature influencer, and the challenges that she is perhaps having together with her pores and skin,” Jacobs stated. “She does not have a large following, however she’s truly chatting with my particular wants.”
https://www.businessinsider.com/sephora-squad-influencer-marketing-strategy-paid-creator-influencer-program-2021-7
