Shopify has become one of the most popular e-commerce platforms, with over 1 million businesses using it to power their online stores. As Shopify grows, so does the number of influencers who use and promote it. Partnering with relevant Shopify influencers can be a great way to drive more traffic and sales to your own Shopify store.
But how do you find influencers who are a good fit? This guide will walk you through the top places to look for Shopify influencers and tips for reaching out to them.
Why Partner with Shopify Influencers
Before diving in, let’s solidify the “why” behind influencer marketing. Studies reveal its impressive potential:
- Increased brand awareness: A 2023 Influencer Marketing Hub report found that 94% of marketers leverage influencer marketing to increase brand awareness, with 86% reporting success.
- Targeted reach: Partnering with influencers who resonate with your ideal customer persona allows you to tap into a highly engaged and relevant audience.
- Boosted sales: Influencer marketing delivers a strong return on investment (ROI), with a 2022 Influencer Marketing Institute study showing an average ROI of $5.20 for every $1 spent.
- Improved trust & credibility: Consumers trust recommendations from authentic creators, fostering brand loyalty and purchase decisions.
However, the journey doesn’t come without its challenges. Finding the right influencer fit, accurately measuring campaign effectiveness, and managing collaborations efficiently require careful planning and execution.
Where to Look for Shopify Influencers
With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is a goldmine for influencer discovery. Start by searching relevant hashtags like #shopify, #shopifystore and #shopifyexpert. Look for accounts with high follower counts (10k+ is a good benchmark) and engagement on their posts. Check that the content is high-quality and focused on Shopify. Pro tip: Click through to their Shopify store from their Instagram bio to verify they actively use Shopify.
YouTube
Over 2 billion people visit YouTube every month, making it another great platform to find influencers. Search terms like “Shopify” and filter results by channels. Look for YouTubers in your niche who regularly share Shopify tutorials and store reviews. Double-check that they have decent view counts (100k+ per video) and subscriber numbers. The more niche the niche, the smaller the channel size can be.
TikTok
TikTok is the fastest-growing social media app with over 1 billion monthly active users. Search relevant Shopify-related hashtags and keywords on TikTok and filter by creators. Identify influencers with high follower counts who are actively posting Shopify content. Short-form videos on TikTok have a high potential to drive traffic.
While smaller than other social platforms, Twitter’s 500 million monthly active users make it worth checking. Search terms like “Shopify” and “Shopify store” directly on Twitter. Look for accounts that regularly tweet Shopify updates, tips, or promotions and have a good number of followers in your niche.
Facebook Groups
With over 2.9 billion monthly users, Facebook hosts many niche interest groups. Join Shopify-related groups like “Shopify Store Owners” and connect with fellow members who are also influencers. The small business focus makes Facebook Groups ideal for finding micro-influencers.
Google Search
Widen your influencer search by going directly to Google. Try searching “Shopify influencers [your industry]” or “top Shopify influencers 2022.” You can find compiled lists of influencers on blogs and sites like Shopify, Sellbrite, BigCommerce, and more. The key is making sure they’re actively involved with Shopify.
How to Evaluate Potential Shopify Influencers
When assessing potential influencer partners, here are the key factors to look for:
Relevant niche or industry: Do they operate in your niche and understand that specific audience? The closer the alignment to your store’s niche, the better.
Good engagement and audience feedback: Do their posts and content generate a high amount of likes, comments, and shares? Positive responses indicate an engaged audience.
Regularly posting quality Shopify content: Are they actively and frequently creating useful Shopify content? Consistent, high-quality content helps build authority and trust.
Genuine interest in Shopify and e-commerce: Does Shopify seem core to their work and interests? Authenticity will come through if Shopify is a true passion.
How to Reach Out to Shopify Influencers
Once you’ve identified prospective influencers, it’s time to reach out. Here are some tips for making contact:
- Personalized message: Introduce yourself and your Shopify store and explain why you think they’d be a great partner. Avoid mass templated messages.
- Offer potential partnership benefits: Highlight what the partnership could do for them, like expanding reach, cross-promoting content, or boosting sales.
- Be clear on what you’re looking for: Specify if you want sponsored posts, product reviews, giveaways, etc so they know what you expect.
- Follow up politely if no response: Don’t take lack of response personally and follow up in 3-5 days. If still no reply, move on.
Working With Shopify Influencers
If an influencer expresses interest, make sure you nail down the partnership details:
- Negotiate terms of partnership: Agree on partnership length, number of posts, assets to provide, links/tags to include, etc.
- Set clear expectations and metrics for success: Define goals like target views, conversions, and sales for the partnership, and how they’ll be tracked.
- Amplify their content via shares, reposts: Help expand their reach by re-sharing their Shopify-related content.
- Track impact on traffic and sales: Use analytics to monitor increases in site visits, follows, clicks, and sales from the influencer partnership.
- Compensate appropriately based on deal: Determine fair payment for the influencer’s work based on factors like followers, engagement, content quality, and partnership terms.
- Maintain open communication: Check in regularly to give feedback, resolve issues quickly, and keep the relationship positive.
End Notes
Partnering with the right Shopify influencers has fantastic potential to grow your e-commerce business and reach new audiences. With some research across social platforms, thoughtful evaluation, and genuine outreach, you can connect with influencers who will drive real value to your Shopify store’s success. The effort to find and collaborate with true Shopify advocates will pay dividends in increased brand awareness, website traffic, leads, and sales.
