Why influencers are more important than ever to your social sales strategy

Unboxing videos may have been around for a while, but they’re still incredibly popular, especially when it comes to limited editions and custom gear.

Take our recent campaign for Surgeon Simulator 2 as an example. Developed and published by Bossa Studios, the first game amassed a huge cult following thanks to some of the web’s top streamers and influencers – including Blitz and AngryPug – wreaking havoc in the operating theatre.

With the sequel coming seven years after the original (announced at Gamescom in August by Back to the Future’s Christopher Lloyd), we worked with Bossa Studios to create an engaging, influencer-led strategy to reach out to today’s new crop of social media stars, and the people that follow them with an incredible surgeon-themed press kit.

That’s not all; many chose to unbox their kits live to their followers, too, to show off the other amazing goodies we’d sent them. Knightenator was one such influencer who was wowed by the 3D resin heart (found in-game) included in the fridge, the first-aid-kit lunch box, the theatre-ready rubber duck, and the Bossa bobbleheads, badges and pens.

DON’T BE SCARED! COME AND SEE THE PRESS KIT FOR YOURSELF.             

LtZonda @ Flowdriver, GAMINGbible, RTGame and other well-known influencers were just some of the lucky influencers to get their hands on one of the 25 Surgeon Simulator 2 kits, and it was great to see them sharing the love on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and all of the other social media channels they’re active on. 

Influencers are still the best way to reach key audiences

YouTube isn’t the only place to find unboxing videos of limited editions. They can be done on any social media platform that has video or live streaming capabilities such as Twitter, Instagram, Twitch and others.

And we believe it’s a strategy worth investing in, especially with a social commerce revolution on the horizon.

We’ve written before about how there can be a ripple effect of returns when it comes to creating limited editions and custom gear.

Unboxing videos fall under that category; they’re great at making more people aware of the IP and sparking social conversations amongst your target audience.

More than anything though, they’re a love letter to loyal fans who have followed your brand for years and championed every creative endeavour your studio has undertaken.

It’s critical to underline how much work needs to go into your outreach and social strategies, though, to target the right influencers who have real connections with their social audiences.

Some are worried that influencers’ powers may be on the wane, especially with current events surrounding the influencer industry such as the Facebook Boycott.

It’s not true; 92% of marketers think influencer marketing is effective, with 82% saying they attract a higher quality of customer through influencer marketing.

And there’s set to be a whole new influencer-led experience coming to the west from China in the form of social commerce.

Social commerce mixes a blend of live social media interactions with influencers (KOLs in China) and gives viewers the ability to make an instant purchase with the click of a button.

COME AND SEE THE LIMITED EDITIONS WE’VE CREATED FOR AAA CLIENTS

Social commerce will spark a game marketing revolution

Retail social commerce sales in China will hit $242 billion this year, accounting for 11.6% of total retail eCommerce sales.

China’s influencers are the cornerstone of that sales success; take the case of Becky Li, a KOL who managed to sell 100 Mini Coopers in five minutes on a live stream.

Social commerce isn’t as prevalent in the west yet because the technology simply isn’t there. China’s tech giants have invested serious amounts to make their social platforms sales success stories.

But the west is catching up, with Facebook and Instagram recently launching similar features.

A social commerce explosion is on its way. Savvy developers and publishers will therefore have greater scope to reach out to influencers with live audiences willing to buy their products at the click of a button during an unboxing stream.

And we’re ready to help you work with influencers and amaze their audiences with the coolest limited editions and custom gear. Get in touch with the TAKEOFF team today to find out more!