Influencers have changed the way we shop and have literally influenced the trends that hit, the brands we buy, and the items we covet.
Affiliate marketing — a way to drive sales through links posted by creators or publishers — is expected to generate $216 billion in U.S. e-commerce sales this year, according to data from EMARKETER.
These links are a direct way to track shopping actually inspired by influencers.
ShopMy, a social commerce platform, allows creators to build shoppable landing pages and earn commissions from sales generated by their social media links.
More than 185,000 creators use the platform and their recommendations generate more than $1 billion in revenue annually, according to the company. In October, ShopMy raised $70 million in a Series B funding round, demonstrating its belief that the model will continue to grow.
“Affiliate has become an important part of building brands,” Tiffany Lopinsky, co-founder and president of ShopMy, told Business Insider via email. “The top brands are now treating creators as cultural partners.”
A total of 1,200 brands use ShopMy.
As part of this year’s event, the platform gave Business Insider a look at the best-selling brands on the platform ShopMy’s end-of-year report.
1. J. Crew
At the end of last year, retailer J. Crew appointed a new Chief Marketing Officer, Julia Collier, who previously built the highly successful influencer marketing arm of clothing brand Skims. She has made creators a key part of J. Crew’s strategy; The holiday campaign featured popular influencers like “Subway Takes” host Kareem Rahma and TikToker Delaney Rowe creating shoppable wish lists on Shopmy.
2. Current body
Redlight masks are all over social media, and CurrentBody has gained customers through influencer partnerships.
In job descriptions, CurrentBody’s parent company, The Beauty Tech Group, says influencer marketing is a “growth engine.” The masks are featured on the ShopMy profiles of reality star Bethenny Frankel and fitness instructor Melissa Wood-Tepperberg.
3. Tory Burch
TikTok star and model Alex Consani walked in Tory Burch’s fashion show during New York Fashion Week. Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Tory Burch
Fashion brand Tory Burch’s social media marketing stood out this year. According to social analytics company ListenFirst, it was not only a top-selling brand on ShopMy, but also had the most engagement of any brand at New York Fashion Week earlier this year. The social posts featured influencers like TikToker Alex Consani and celebrities like Sydney Sweeney, Lana Condor and Chloe Fineman.
4. Tuckernuck
Executives at Tuckernuck, a multi-brand e-commerce retailer, have discussed the importance of creators to the brand. Co-founder September Rinnier Votta told EMARKETER Last year, the company looked for influencers who are already touring Tuckernuck, as well as micro-influencers with an authentic following.
5. Veronica Beard
Veronica Beard has multi-year relationships with several influencers, including Tinx. Steve Eichner/WWD via Getty Images
The contemporary women’s label Veronica Beard is a favorite of major influencers such as Tinx and Valeria Lipovetsky, who have been posting in the brand’s clothing for years. Long-term relationships with creators are key to the company’s strategy, Veronica Beard executives have said in multiple interviews, and the brand involves them at product launches and other key moments.
6. Jenny Kayne
Direct-to-consumer home and apparel brand Jenni Kayne understands the power of influencers. The first successful product, a pair of flat shoes, went viral thanks to one of them. Now it has a large and eclectic influencer network; Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Richie Grainge and Gucci Westman showcase Jenni Kayne products on their ShopMy pages.
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