Wild's Influencer Marketing That Doesn't Stink

In this blog, we'll uncover the influencer marketing strategy used by the DTC brand Wild. What's interesting about their influencer marketing approach is that it is not forced. Instead, it focuses on creating an authentic desire for their products.

And the proof is in the comments showering on influencer's post —

And it's not a one-off phenomenon…

Let's first look at how Wild attracts the right influencers who can convince their audience to try the products.

👋 Ambassador landing page for inbound interest

Wild has a dedicated landing page to invite content creators to work with the brand on an affiliate basis. Interested influencers can learn about the program and apply by filling a simple form.

There are many pros of having a page like this:

1. It reduces the pressure on the brand to do extensive cold outreach.

2. It builds a pool of content creators who are already attracted to the brand and its mission.

3. The page highlights the benefits of partnering with Wild that give influencers a reason to apply and shows Wild's commitment to creating mutually beneficial relationships with their influencers.

4. It attract the right kind of influencers. These are influencers who support Wild's mission. They are willing to get paid based on the sales they generate rather than upfront payments. They also don't require any advance fee.

5. It filters out influencers whose expectations or way of working doesn't align with Wild's approach. So, it brings in suitable influencer candidates while discouraging those who aren't a good match.

But how does the actual signup process work for these influencers? Let's look at the step-by-step process an influencer goes through on the application form.

💡 Takeaways for your brand:

✅ Create a dedicated landing page for influencer partnerships. Highlight the following:

• Brand story/mission

• Requirements (followers, niche, style, etc.)

• Program benefits, perks, and compensation structure

• 'How to apply' process

• Examples of past collaborations

• FAQs

• Contact info

✅ Use the landing page form to pre-qualify influencers. Add information that filters out anyone whose expectations don't match your influencer program's terms.

For example: Explicitly state if you only offer commission-based payouts or collaborate with influencers from specific regions.

You can create an ambassador landing page easily using SARAL. Customize it with your copy, images, and brand color palette. Publish and share it in a few minutes.

✍️ Wild's ambassador program signup process

Wild has a simple application form. They use it to get information about influencer's social media presence, content quality, and the type of posts they would create. The initial screening saves them time and resources that would otherwise be spent trying to find potential influencer partners → checking if they are a good fit → and then reaching out to them.

There are 4 key questions in the form that help in the vetting process —

🤳 Social media handle

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A standard and essential step is asking for a link to an influencer's UGC portfolio or social media profiles. It helps brands verify the creator's identity.

⛔ Follower threshold

Requiring accounts to have over 1,000 followers is a common practice. Brands use this to target influencers with a minimum level of reach. It ensures a baseline level of exposure for their products and is a smart filter for managing the volume of applications.

📃 Qualifying influencers

Requesting the UGC portfolio link enables Wild to evaluate the influencer's content quality, aesthetic, and engagement. It ensures the influencer meets their standards before partnering.

🤝 Motivation to collaborate

In the last question, you'll note that one of the options is 'US Capssion Referral.'

While marketplaces like Capssion can be a convenient way to find influencers, they don't serve long-term benefits. Collaborating directly empowers brands to:

• Build personal connections with influencers

• Communicate campaign expectations clearly

• Negotiate terms and compensation directly

• Cultivate long-term brand advocacy

Tools like SARAL and its Chrome extension can be invaluable in facilitating direct influencer discovery and vetting. SARAL helps brands:

• Identify relevant influencers in their niche

• Analyze influencer metrics and audience demographics

• Streamline outreach and communication

You can gather key insights about potential influencers as you browse their social media profiles by using
SARAL's free Chrome extension. It helps you curate a targeted list of influencers who genuinely fit your budget, & campaign goals.

💡Takeaways for you

✅ Clearly define your ideal influencer criteria and build your application around filtering for those specific qualifications from the beginning.

✅ Think long-term with your influencer partnerships - vet not just for short-term exposure but for creators who can become authentic brand advocates.

✅ Invest in tools/tech to efficiently scale your outreach, vetting, and managing influencer relationships as you grow.

🎁 Unboxing experience creators would want to film.

When it comes to influencer coverage, how you package your product matters a lot. If brands want influencers to organically post about their product, the unboxing has to be amazing and something they would want to show their followers. Plain cardboard and plastic wrap won't cut it.

Wild has cleverly engineered both the product and packaging to maximize the chances an influencer will excitedly post photos/videos featuring their brand.

The packaging has a premium, gift-like presentation when you open the box, with the deodorant revealed like a present. It creates an unboxing experience tailor-made for social media.

To top it up, they customize the case with the influencer's name to make it feel special and personalized. It makes influencers excited to show it off.

As you can see in the comments, the strategy pays off. When a product is presented in a way that resonates with the audience's lifestyle and aesthetic, it encourages followers to feel excited, engage, and check out the product themselves.  

💡 Takeaways for your brand:

✅ Design your product packaging to be fun, appealing, and "Instagram-worthy" - use good quality materials, vibrant colors, unique unboxing experiences, etc.

✅  Personalization makes unboxing content more exciting and share-worthy. Consider adding a personal touch to your products, especially when sending them to influencers.

This might include several things like:

• Using the influencer’s name on the product.

• Aligning the product with a cause they care about.

• Or even customizing the product to match their aesthetic.

Influencers are more likely to share the product with their audience, as it resonates more with their personal brand and gives them unique content to post.

🔖 Sharing the USPs & unique coupon codes with influencers

Take a look at the Instagram posts below from influencers who are prompting Wild deodorant. You'll notice that Wild ensures their influencer partners consistently highlight the same key value propositions about the product in their posts.

Having each influencer repeatedly mention that Wild deodorant is vegan, cruelty-free, sustainable, refillable, natural, and skin-friendly helps drive home those core brand messages.

Wild ensures influencers continually reiterate the same compelling value props about its product. By doing this, Wild is leveraging the power of repetition and consistency. It helps to persuade consumers and builds trust in Wild's brand claims. It also establishes a clear, ownable brand identity in people's minds.

The brand also provides each influencer with a unique discount code that they can share with their audience.

Providing influencer-specific discount codes is a smart strategy because it:

• Motivates the influencer's audience to try the product at a reduced price

• Allows Wild to track which influencers are driving the most sales

• Attributes purchases to the influencer so they can be compensated accordingly

You can easily use tools like SARAL to create unique coupon codes for your influencers.

💡 Two takeaways for you:

✅ When onboarding new influencers, provide a creative guidelines document that outlines your key product USPs and brand messaging, but leaves room for them to incorporate it naturally into their unique content style. This allows consistent messaging without stifling creativity.

✅ When providing unique discount codes for influencers to share, make sure they are memorable and personally relevant, such as incorporating their name, handle, or something related to their niche.
For instance, @fitmomabby could have a code "ABBYROCKS", and @veganglow could receive "VEGANGLOW20". Avoid using generic, forgettable code names like "XYZSALE320". Codes tied to the influencer's name/handle stick better in people's minds.

Do you want to scale your influencer marketing efforts like Wild?

As we wrap up, the final suggestion is —

Stop juggling between Google Sheets and manual methods to run your influencer marketing efforts.

Sure, those seem cost-effective in the short term. But the real cost is in the revenue and opportunities you leave on the table by trying to do everything yourself.

It's time to invest in real tools designed to maximize your influencer impact. Platforms like SARAL can simplify the process of discovering, vetting, and collaborating with a steady stream of influential creators. Why waste countless hours juggling spreadsheets when you could automate and streamline your entire workflow?

Try SARAL for free for 7 days. See how efficiency it brings to your workflow, freeing up your time and energy to focus on other aspects of your business.

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