As digital marketing continues to evolve and consumer behavior is increasingly swayed by social media personalities, influencer marketing has become a critical strategy for brands aiming to expand their reach. Recent research by IZEA Worldwide sheds light on the powerful impact that influencers have on purchasing decisions at discount clubs and major retailers, driving sales in brick-and-mortar stores such as Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s.
Based on a survey of over 1,100 U.S.-based consumers, the report reveals that 68% of respondents have an active membership at a discount club store. The percentage of influencers with an active membership is a notable 81%, of whom 93% have recommended a product they purchased inside a store to someone else. This shows that influencers not only promote these clubs to drive consumer interest but also participate in these clubs themselves.
Influencer-Driven Purchasing Decisions
IZEA’s report underscores how effective influencers can be in getting people to buy products. Among the respondents, 58% said they had purchased a product after seeing it being used by an influencer. Broken down by the discount club, 74% of BJ’s members have made an influencer-driven purchase, compared to 68% of Sam’s Club shoppers and 66% of Costco shoppers.
Interestingly, influencer posts were shown to have the greatest impact on product consideration compared to other forms of marketing. This is the case across all age groups, but especially so for the 18-29 age group, with 39% of this demographic saying influencer posts are the most likely to persuade them to try a product.
In terms of content preferences, short video content emerged as the most influential medium, with 41% of respondents in the 18-29 age group saying it is the type of content most likely to drive them to a store to make a purchase.
Another revelation was that discount club members are also likely to search on social media before making a purchase, with 41% of BJ’s club members indicating that they do this. YouTube was the top platform used for this kind of product research.
“Our latest report provides fascinating insights into the intersection of influencer marketing and discount club memberships,” said Ted Murphy, IZEA CEO and founder. “When it comes to shopping at brick-and-mortar locations, Influencers are significantly more likely to drive purchases at discount clubs among club members. This is especially true for Costco members, who are 2.3 times more likely to make their influencer-inspired purchases at the store vs. Target or Walmart.”
Strategic Opportunities For Brands With IZEA
The findings from this report highlight the significant opportunities available for companies to partner with influencers to boost sales through discount clubs. As a trailblazer in the influencer marketing space, IZEA offers a suite of tools and services designed to facilitate these partnerships and help make the most out of them.
The company’s award-winning, next-gen influencer marketing platform, IZEA Flex, connects creators with brands to facilitate collaborations. Brands can also use it to track and measure campaign performance with detailed analytics. IZEA furthermore offers a suite of AI tools called FormAI, which brands and creators can use to create high-quality content.
IZEA’s recent research underscores the growth potential of influencer marketing. As a leader in the space, IZEA seems well-positioned to continue helping brands leverage this increasingly relevant form of digital marketing.
