‘We went from 1,000 to 4,000 users’

Engaging influencers was always a big part of the marketing strategy for the team at Clear, an app that allows people to track and share their skincare routines and favorite products, as well as get discounts from selected brands. Co-founder Ahana Banerjee explains why.

Q.

How did you start off doing your influencer marketing?

A. ‘The first partnership we did was with an Instagram content creator who had 25,000 followers. We decided that Instagram Reels were doing well, but the engagement on the two Reels that we made was very low. In actual numbers, we got fewer than 10 downloads as a result. We then tested working with a much bigger influencer, who had 1 million followers on Instagram and 1.5 million on TikTok. We thought that this would be a huge win for us but, again, this one yielded fewer than 50 app downloads.’

Q.

How did you switch up your strategy for influencer marketing as a result?

A. ‘The people posting content weren't directly telling their users to download the app. So, while they were adding their support, it wasn't leading to conversion. That's how our “skinfluencer” program came up. It provides more of an incentive for micro influencers who are trying to grow their own platforms. We said that if influencers could bring 100 followers to the platform, we'd give them a verified blue-tick badge on our platform. We could also help them monetize, since we directly control relationships with brands and retailers.’

Q.

And what was the outcome of changing your influencer marketing strategy?

A. ‘We went from 1,000 to 4,000 users on the app – more and more people wanted the blue ticks. People also now know when an influencer's been paid by a brand, but [the way that] Clear is set up gives content creators a chance to establish more credibility by using and reviewing a product for a longer period of time. That started to encourage the quieter users to engage and post on the app, too.’

For our ‘25 big lessons from small business’ series, we scoured the world to find inspiring people to share the lessons they've learned from running their own companies. Click here to read the other stories.

This special feature was first published in Courier issue 45, February/March 2022. To purchase the issue or become a subscriber, head to our webshop.