Influencers have changed the way we shop, quite literally influencing 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 drive $216 billion in US e-commerce sales this year, according to data from EMARKETER.
These links are a direct way to track the shopping that is actually inspired by influencers.
ShopMy, a social commerce platform, enables creators to build shoppable landing pages and earn commissions from sales driven by their links on social media.
More than 185,000 creators use the platform, and their recommendations drive more than $1 billion in sales annually, according to the company. In October, ShopMy raised $70 million in a Series B funding round, a testament to the belief that the model will continue to grow.
“Affiliate has become a core part of brand building,” Tiffany Lopinsky, cofounder and president of ShopMy, told Business Insider over email. “The top brands now treat creators as cultural partners.”
A total of 1,200 brands use ShopMy.
The platform gave Business Insider an inside look at the best-selling brands on the platform this year as part of ShopMy’s year-end report.
1. J. Crew
At the end of last year, retailer J. Crew named a new chief marketing officer, Julia Collier, who previously built out clothing brand Skims’ very successful influencer marketing arm. She has made creators a key part of J. Crew’s strategy; its holiday campaign featured popular influencers, like “Subway Takes” host Kareem Rahma and TikToker Delaney Rowe, who created shoppable wishlists on Shopmy.
2. CurrentBody
Redlight masks are all over social media, and CurrentBody has won customers through influencer partnerships.
In job descriptions, CurrentBody’s parent company, The Beauty Tech Group, has said influencer marketing is a “growth engine.” Its masks are featured on the ShopMy profiles of reality star Bethenny Frankel and fitness instructor Melissa Wood-Tepperberg.
3. Tory Burch
Fashion brand Tory Burch’s social media marketing has stood out this year. In addition to being a best-selling brand on ShopMy, it had the most engagement of any brand at New York Fashion Week earlier this year, according to social analytics firm ListenFirst. Its social posts featured influencers like TikToker Alex Consani and celebrities like Sydney Sweeney, Lana Condor, and Chloe Fineman.
4. Tuckernuck
A multibrand e-commerce retailer, Tuckernuck’s executives have discussed the importance of creators to its brand. Cofounder September Rinnier Votta told EMARKETER last year that the company looks for influencers who are already touring Tuckernuck, as well as microinfluencers with an authentic following.
5. Veronica Beard
Women’s contemporary label Veronica Beard is favored by big-name influencers like Tinx and Valeria Lipovetsky, who have posted in the brand’s clothing for years. Long-term relationships with creators are key to the company’s strategy, Veronica Beard execs have said in multiple interviews, and the brand brings them in to launch products and at other key moments.
6. Jenni Kayne
Direct-to-consumer home and apparel brand Jenni Kayne understands the power of influencers. Its first hit product, a pair of flats, went viral thanks to one. Now it has a large and eclectic influencer network; Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Richie Grainge, and Gucci Westman feature Jenni Kayne products on their ShopMy pages.
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