Direct to Consumer is one of my mainstays as an entrepreneur because it is one of the fastest ways to impact the customer with an awesome product.

Influencer marketing is at the top off my list for 2018, and should be at the top of yours, too!

So what do I mean by influencer marketing?

Building a brand by yourself is pure drudgery. It’s tough! I sit in my apartment and work from 5am to 10pm – 6 or 7 days a week in order to build the companies that I have.

However, finding a way to expedite all of that work isn’t as hard as you think. And it can seriously help you to make a huge dent in the amount of work that you have to do!

Working with the right influencer, means that you are able to get your products in front of hundreds and thousands of people with a single tweet, post, or blog blurb.

Then, one of the best parts is that it consistently builds credibility.

How?

By being able to point to relevant examples, it builds trust because you are able to show your content, or your brand recommendation is coming from a very trustworthy source.

Think about it for yourself…when someone on IG that you follow, posts something that might get your interest you are more likely to learn more about that topic, research that product, or even whip out your credit card and buy it right away.

When you find something that is valuable, and that value is backed up and supported by someone you trust, or someone who hundreds of thousands of other people trust–it’s a no brainer that they will work with you.

I believe this is the first step to building a really great brand.

Content Marketing

This is another huge one for me and it’s only getting bigger in 2018.

Think about where people get their information from in today’s smartphone world? Google? YouTube? Social Media?

The answer is all of the above.

Content marketing is usually all about the love for the written language. AKA–blogging.

Blogging is so easy to share that it makes absorbing content super fast.

You can also link out to other credible sources, which helps you to add to your SEO reach, and make you appear like an authority if someone big shares your content.

YouTube Marketing

Youtube is rapidly becoming one of the best ways to reach your audience. It’s the second biggest search engine.

Think about how many times you have personally watched videos on YouTube? For a lot of us, it’s one of the first places we go when we want to know something.

The other thing that is really good about Youtube is that influencers who have humongous Youtube channels are always looking to partner with people.

It’s insane how much YT marketing has helped some brands to get visibility and traction online, which leads me to my next point.

Partnerships with Brands that are Aligned with your Community

Blue Apron dominates when it comes to home-cooked meal food delivery. Why are they so successful? Because they are able to partner with some amazing brands in order to make their subscription service a hit with customers.

If you want to be the best, you need to partner with the best so that everyone wins!

Brands are always looking for an easy way to get more customers, so partnering allows you to bridge the two worlds between your brands, and make it so that more people have access to the products you offer.

Increasing exposure to your product by partnering with reputable brands is one of the most solid strategies for growing your direct to consumer marketing in 2018. Hands down!

Sponsoring Podcasts

Find out where your users are listening to podcast and partner up with them to really provide value and insight around your products and brand.

The numbers of podcasts are increasing each and every single day, and more and more people are subscribing to new podcasts. With the number of podcasts being released, it’s fucking insane how much potential there is to grow your business by sponsoring your products. Offering coupon codes, discounts, and other incentives makes it very hard for listeners to say no–especially when their favorite podcasters are ranting and raving about your products on their show every day!

What are your favorite ways to grow your online direct to consumer marketing?

I’d love to find out in the comments below? Should something else have been listed on this post?