Social media influencers are the primary driver of online sales for Built Bar’s direct-to-consumer website, says Jeff Newman, executive vice president of protein bars and snacks brand.

Influencers drive results, he says.

The brand devotes 60% of its digital marketing budget to influencer marketing. The other 40% is for email, text and traditional media such as podcast ads, he says.

Built spends 60% of its influencer budget on Instagram and Facebook influencers. 25% goes to TikTok influencers, and the rest to YouTube and other bloggers, he says.

Instagram brings 80% of Built’s influencer-led online sales, Newman says.

When Built launches a social media campaign, the brand expects an increase in conversion, says Newman. Built’s average website conversion rate is around 10%, says Newman. “If it drops below, I start to panic,” he says.

Social media is a powerful marketing tool

But influencer-driven conversions can skyrocket sales when launching a new product. On June 15, Built launched its strawberry cheesecake flavored protein bar. The conversion rate on Built.com has reached 20%, with the majority of sales coming from influencer links, says Newman.

“I expected to run the campaign for a week, and it sold out at 6 p.m. the same day,” he says.

Social media is a powerful digital marketing tool, and influencers offer retailers a chance to have an untapped audience with consumers. Most of Built Bar’s sales come from influencers. Luxury clothing marketplace Orchard Mile Inc. dedicates web pages to its influencers to host live sales events. Online marketplace Jane spent four times as much on influencer campaigns in 2023 compared to 2022 to boost sales.

With the growing popularity of the marketing tactic, retailers need to have a clear vision of their influencer strategy. It takes time to select the right content creators that fit the brand. The goal is for the influencer’s message to resonate with their followers and entice them to buy. But this is not without risk, as brands give control to the influencer. A very polished and produced video ad can look dishonest and put off even the most loyal subscribers. But paying a flat fee or incentivizing influencers with affiliate link commissions doesn’t guarantee a positive review.