5 Inspiring Examples of Successful Influencer Marketing Barter Deals

If you’re a medium or small business owner you’re probably wondering how to get your brand noticed by the right people without investing the budget of a large corporation. Well, even if you don’t have a big-fat budget the bright side is that you don’t need to pay any money on influencer marketing, unlike other online marketing channels. Your products or services are just what the local influencers are waiting for– they want to meet you, try out your products and enjoy your hospitality.

5 Examples of Influencer Marketing barter deals done right:

1. Șosetăria

Specializing in online retail of stockings, tights and socks for everyone, no matter the age or gender, Șosetăria has been running influencer marketing deals for almost two years. What they’re doing is rather simple, depending on what they want to promote – a single product, a new collection, or, why not, their entire e-shop.

Șosetăria chose to collaborate with local influencers from all over the country by giving away free products which the influencers promoted in their Instagram posts and stories. The main objective of these barter deals was to raise online awareness which ultimately resulted in an increase in sales.

2. Salon Transilvania

The talented hair stylists and nail artists from Cluj-Napoca offered their services for free and asked the local influencers to give them a Google review and to create an Instagram post/story describing their experience at the salon. All were welcome, no matter the age or number of followers.

More than 50 content creators had a great time at Salon Transilvania and, to show their gratitude, they generated more than 100 pieces of unique branded content that turned out to be pure gold for the brand; they used this authentic content in their online communication, without having to spend any money on photo shooting sessions and traditional advertising.

3. Cafeneaua Piața Unirii

The last couple of years have been challenging to all HORECA businesses because of the lockdown restrictions. After the partial lift of the restrictions, the main goal of CPU was to promote the venue and attract as many new clients in a safe environment, while keeping a positive atmosphere where people feel comfortable.

The approach was to offer free cocktails, coffees or chef-created dishes to local influencers that promoted the atmosphere of the venue and the variety of the menu. They gave over 500 free offers to more than 200 local influencers from Iasi. This way, they gained more exposure on Social Media and became one of the most visited restaurants in the city, with NO OTHER ADDITIONAL COSTS, but the costs of the products offered. The result was amazing – 25% increase in sales!

4. Body Line

Having multiple gyms in Iasi, Body Line faced the same challenges caused by the global pandemic and the lockdown restrictions. To revitalize the business and bring people back in their physical locations, the brand offered free gym sessions and access for 1 month to local influencers who were more than happy to grab these great barter deals and spread the good news about getting back to a healthy lifestyle with Body Line.

5. Dopo Poco

The pizza delivery brand has had multiple barter collaborations with local influencers who promoted their products, app, and delivery service in the most tasteful way. By reaching out to local influencers and offering free products, Dopo Poco managed to raise awareness, promote their new app, and position themselves as #1 pizza delivery brand. All the influencers had to do in return for the free goodies was to create an Instagram post and story showcasing the delicious pizza made by DopoPoco with love and top ingredients.

Key takeaway:

Savvy influencers will continue to look for new ways to monetize their following, so savvy brands should go for unique opportunities to work toward a common goal. Influencer marketing can be a great way for medium and small brands to gain a competitive advantage. Keep in mind that while you should provide influencers with key messaging and precise instructions enclosed in the brief, the content creators became influential by publishing the sort of content that resonates with their followers. Embrace and encourage their creativity & authenticity and the results will surely exceed your expectations.

Promote your business using the power of influencers without breaking a sweat! Let a FameUp do all the heavy lifting for you. Choose from thousands of potential social media stars and contact them with just one click. 

Later edit: Barter deals have been temporarily discontinued starting August 1, 2022, and will be reintroduced after a series of considerable improvements.