California is often at the forefront when it comes to cool marketing trends and modern approaches to business improvement. A state known for being the home of the world’s leading Tech, Entertainment, and Social Media industries and companies, it is no surprise that marketing approaches are refined here a lot.

But good marketing isn’t just for the giants. New businesses and companies are also hoping to make it big someday. In order to reach their goals, they need to find ways to compete with the heavyweights.

Influencer marketing is not the newest trend out there, but it is an approach that’s constantly evolving and straightforward enough for most businesses to consider. However, does it make sense for more traditional brick-and-mortar stores in the state? Let’s find out.

Understanding the Brick and Mortar Dimension

Running conventional retail or brick-and-mortar stores in a state like California is not easy. The operating costs are already high and can deeply cut into profits. This is why very few stores operate solely as brick-and-mortar outlets but also have an e-commerce store to pull in revenue from online shoppers.

Owners also have to deal with competition from online stores that don’t have to worry about the overhead costs as much.

There are other concerns as well. Space is a major issue as real estate comes at a premium here, and if you can’t afford a large shopping space, you have to limit customers to a boutique-esque experience that is starting to get a bit old now.

Due to these factors and more, entrepreneurs find themselves needing a marketing strategy that can help customers rediscover the joy of shopping in a physical store. Influencers are often able to meet this marketing need with the human touch that they bring.

But influencers are just one of the many options that digital marketing agencies in California offer. Influencers are people who have managed to build up a fan base on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. They achieve this by being content creators in a particular niche and then providing sponsored advertisements for niche-related products.

A good example would be the YouTube channel LinusTechTips, which focuses on computer hardware and parts and managed to rack up a following of 15.3 million subscribers on YouTube and 1.4 million followers on Instagram.

As a result, major hardware brands find a lot of success in having Linus or the other members on the channel talk about a sponsored product or service.

Okay, so we know that influencer marketing can work pretty well, but does that mean that other forms of marketing don’t? No, they absolutely do work, and Avita Group proves this.

They offer a number of services like Organic SEO, online reputation management, Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, content creation, and more, which have helped numerous businesses in the state.

Thus, it can be a good idea to hire both an influencer as well as engage some of the services of more conventional digital marketing firms to ensure that you are optimizing your engagement as much as possible.

The Type of Niche Matters

It would be a mistake to blindly assume that influencer marketing will work in every single niche and industry. For example, fashion and beauty is one industry where influencers shine when showcasing a product and allowing viewers to witness the quality and experience it offers.

Health and Wellness is another industry where influencers experience a lot of success. Brands often have them try out fitness products, supplements, and clothing, as well as healthy food options or snacks.

Likewise, Travel, Food, and Technology are all industries where influencer marketing can play a huge role.

On the other hand, there are some industries that may be better suited to more conventional marketing strategies like PPC advertising and other digital marketing strategies.

Highly regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals or legal services tend to have strict regulations and rules when it comes to advertising. With restrictions in California often being a bit stricter than in other states, it makes sense to give it a bit of thought before hiring an influencer to market your products or services.

Similarly, B2B products and services are not helped by influencer marketing as much as B2C products and services. Catering to B2B clients requires a great deal of objectivity, data, and fact-based talking points which, unfortunately, goes against the “engaging” style with which most influencers find success.

A Closer Look on Why Try the Influencer Route in the First Place

It is normal to have some doubts still when it comes to this type of marketing. After all, influencers are often young and seem inexperienced based on the way they present themselves. Perhaps you aren’t a fan of the jump cuts and fast transitions that many of them rely on, but the fact of the matter is they work, and the results speak for themselves.

Influencers use a set of tactics in content creation that typically results in greater views, a lower bounce rate, and more engagement. With that said, let’s look at some of the other ways that influencers can be particularly useful to you.

Targeted Marketing

This is one of the main reasons why people like to hire influencers today. The level of customization you can achieve in terms of optimizing how you want your products or services to be marketed is infinite.

For example, if you run a fitness store in Los Angeles, CA, you might want to hire an influencer local to the area (which is possible due to how many influencers operate in California) and have an audience of health-conscious people.

You can provide a specialized list of talking points that you want the influencer to highlight and even instructions on the tone and style of their presentation. Alternatively, you can simply leave it to their discretion and rely on their expertise in dealing with their fan base.

Influencers are especially helpful in providing call-to-action-themed content and can directly tell their audience to visit your store and check out your business without sounding overly promotional, thus increasing foot traffic and sales.

Cost-effective marketing

Conventional advertising in California is not cheap by any means. Billboard advertising, which is usually a good option for brick-and-mortar stores, can be expensive, with prices reaching as high as $90,000 per month in the most expensive areas in Los Angeles.

As a result, influencers are the next best thing in driving business toward a walk-in store and can be much more affordable or, at least, offer more options when it comes to pricing.  The price may vary depending on the popularity of the influencer, the size of their fan base, the niche, etc.

You can expect to pay anywhere between $10 – $100 for 1,000 views depending on any of the factors mentioned above. Of course, hiring mega influencers will be much more expensive, but once again, you have a lot more options when it comes to working with influencers.

Conclusion

Running a business in California is no simple feat. The high cost of living and prices of conventional advertising makes it difficult for many new entrepreneurs to carve out a place for themselves in the market.

Thus, influencer marketing has risen up as an efficient and relatively cost-effective way to help your brick-and-mortar store find new customers.

Sure, it may not be the cheapest option out there, but influencer marketing is a great option for most people compared to the sort of advertisement techniques that typically work with brick-and-mortar stores.