7 min read
| August 31, 2023
Product seeding, also known as influencer seeding or gifting, can be a highly effective marketing strategy for brands looking to generate awareness, build loyalty, and drive sales and conversions, provided you have the right strategy in place.
But what is it exactly, and how can it help you boost your eCommerce sales?
In today’s article, we will explore the concept of product seeding within the context of influencer marketing for eCommerce businesses. We will explain what product seeding is, what its purpose is, and how you can effectively use this approach to generate buzz and drive sales.
What Is Product Seeding?
Product seeding, or influencer seeding, is an influencer marketing strategy where a company provides its products or services to individuals or influential figures for free or at a reduced cost. The aim of doing so is to generate buzz, create awareness, and encourage positive word-of-mouth for the product.
During a product seeding campaign, companies strategically select individuals who have a strong influence over their target audience, such as social media influencers, industry experts, or key opinion leaders. These individuals are given the product in the hopes that they will use it, talk about it, and potentially recommend it to their followers, fans, or peers, amplifying the reach and impact of the brand's messaging.
What Is the Purpose of Product Seeding?
The main goals of product seeding include:
- Creating brand awareness: By putting their products in the hands of influential individuals, companies can increase their brand visibility and reach a wider audience.
- Generating positive word-of-mouth: When influential people endorse or recommend a product, it can create a positive buzz around it. This can influence others to try the product and potentially become customers themselves.
- Leveraging social proof: When people see their favorite celebrities or influencers using a particular product, they may perceive it as desirable or high-quality. This can enhance the product's perceived value and credibility.
- Driving sales and customer acquisition: Product seeding can lead to increased sales and customer acquisition as a result of the exposure and positive recommendations generated by influencers.
How Can Product Seeding Help You Drive Sales?
So, how exactly can product seeding help you generate buzz and drive sales? Which product seeding strategies work well for incorporating influencers in your eCommerce marketing strategy?
Let’s explore some of the specific ways that product seeding can enhance your influencer marketing efforts.
Influencer Endorsements
When influencers or celebrities receive and use a product, they have the potential to create a buzz around it by sharing their positive experiences with their followers. Their endorsement can attract attention, generate excitement, and pique the curiosity of their audience, leading to increased awareness and interest in the product.
Social Media Exposure
Many product seedings involve influencers or key opinion leaders who have a significant following on social media platforms. When they showcase the product on their social media channels, it reaches a large audience and can potentially go viral. This exposure can result in increased engagement, shares, and comments, which contribute to creating buzz and driving sales.
It’s not just influencers with large audiences who can leverage the power of product seeding, either. In fact, micro-influencers can also have a big impact on your eCommerce sales as their smaller following allows for increased engagement and authenticity. As a result, a well-designed product seeding campaign can help you tap into their loyal and engaged followers and expose your brand to a more targeted audience.
Reviews and Testimonials
Product seeding often involves influencers or early adopters sharing reviews and testimonials about a product. Positive reviews and testimonials can be influential in persuading potential customers to try the product themselves. This is because people often trust the opinions of others, especially those they perceive as credible or authoritative.
User-Generated Content
When individuals receive a product through seeding, they often create visual content around it, such as unboxing videos, tutorials, or product reviews. This user-generated content can be shared on social media platforms, further amplifying the reach and exposure of the product. This approach not only generates buzz but also provides potential customers with authentic and relatable experiences, which can positively impact sales.
Increased Brand Visibility
Finally, product seeding can introduce a brand to new audiences who may not have been aware of it previously. The exposure generated through a product seeding campaign can increase brand visibility, helping to establish brand recognition and recall. This heightened visibility can contribute to increased sales as more people become familiar with the brand and its products.
Ultimately, product seeding harnesses the power of influencers and their ability to sway opinions and behaviors. By strategically leveraging their reach and influence, product seeding can create buzz, generate positive word-of-mouth, and ultimately drive sales for a product or brand.
