5 Influencer Marketing Best Practices for Subscription Brands
There’s something universally exciting about receiving a package. The anticipation and the unboxing experience — it's a thrill that’s driven the explosive growth of the subscription box industry over the past decade.
Consumers aren’t just receiving products — they’re unwrapping a personalized experience, curated to their tastes and delivered right to their door. This unique blend of convenience and personalization makes subscription boxes a perfect match for influencer marketing. When done right, influencers can amplify a brand’s appeal, building trust and driving engagement in ways traditional marketing just can’t.
In this 2-part series, we’ll dive into strategies designed specifically for subscription box brands:
- Part 1: 5 Influencer Marketing Best Practices for Subscription Brands
- Part 2: 3 Subscription Brands Mastering Influencer Marketing [Coming soon!]
Ready to elevate your brand’s strategy? Let’s unpack the best practices that drive real results.
Build long-term partnerships with influencers.
Subscription boxes aren’t a one-time deal — they run on a recurring basis, whether that’s weekly, monthly, or quarterly. That’s why having influencers who can serve as long-term ambassadors is essential for your brand’s success. These partnerships allow influencers to showcase your product’s consistent quality and keep their followers engaged with the ever-changing assortment of items in each box.
Pro Tip: Give your long-term ambassadors early access to your upcoming subscription boxes and encourage them to share exclusive previews. This not only builds buzz but also creates anticipation, especially around key moments like the holidays or back-to-school season.
For example, check out this video from influencer The Pink Envelope. In her video, “FabFitFun Fall 2024 Spoilers & Customization Options,” she unboxes FabFitFun’s latest subscription box and walks her audience through how the service works, while giving a sneak peek at the Fall 2024 collection.
Lean into unboxing videos.
Unboxing videos have become one of the most popular genres on YouTube, with over 90,000 people searching “unboxing” on the platform every month. And according to Google, the amount of time people have spent watching unboxing videos just on their phones is the equivalent of watching the holiday classic "Love Actually" more than 20 million times.
Needless to say, unboxing videos are an effective way to engage your audience. These videos work particularly well for subscription box brands because it spans all categories, whether the box is filled with athleisure, health supplements, or delicious snacks. The video will give consumers a look into exactly what they can expect when they get your subscription box into their own hands.
However, subscription brands don’t just have to stick to unboxing videos. For example, if your box contains seasonal items, influencers can include it in a relevant “favorites” video. Or, if your subscription box is a weekly meal kit, influencers can make a heart-warming video of themselves cooking with their loved ones.
Give incentives to encourage people to engage with your brand.
Want to motivate people to try your subscription box? Offer influencers a way to share deals—like a free box or discounts—to attract new customers. Affiliate links in Instagram Stories or YouTube descriptions make it easy for influencers to promote your offer. You can also give influencers unique discount codes to share with their followers, driving direct conversions.
Or go a step further — run a contest and give away a month’s free subscription. Contests are one of the fastest ways to grow your follower count and introduce your brand to new audiences. Sometimes, all it takes is a giveaway to spark that perfect first-time connection.
Establish brand differentiation to stand out from the crowd.
The subscription box industry is a fairly competitive space. How do people decide which subscription box to try out when there are so many seemingly similar ones? Make sure to establish brand differentiation.
For example, if you offer a meal kit service, emphasize what sets you apart—whether you donate a meal for every box sold or cater exclusively to vegan, sugar-free, or gluten-free diets. Craft a distinct brand experience that resonates with your target audience and is worth talking about.
Factor, a fresh meal subscription service, does this brilliantly. Their influencers regularly highlight Factor’s chef-prepared, never-frozen meals and how they help meet specific dietary goals.
If your box appeals to a niche audience, partner with micro-influencers in that space. Their credibility and deep connection with their followers make them ideal for reaching targeted communities and driving real engagement.
Repurpose IGC in your paid ads.
Influencer-generated content (IGC) is a game-changer in marketing. It's fast, cost-effective, and scalable—perfect for creating scroll-stopping content on social media. But here’s the real kicker: when you repurpose IGC in your paid ads, you can see 4x higher CTRs and a 50% drop in CPC.
By integrating IGC into your ads, you not only stretch the value of content you already have, but also supercharge your return on ad spend while driving down customer acquisition costs. Brands like HelloFresh have done this to great success.
Plus, IGC is incredibly versatile. With a variety of influencer content at your disposal, you can tailor ads to speak directly to different audience segments, making your brand's message feel relevant and personalized to each one.
For more information on leveraging IGC for ads, check out our guide, The Secret to High-Performing Paid Ads.