Influenster
{{Short description|Product discovery and reviews platform}}
{{Infobox website
|name = Influenster
|logo = Influenster-new-logo.png
|screenshot =
|caption =
|founder = Aydin Acar
Elizabeth Scherle
|revenue =
|owner =
|alexa =
|advertising =
|registration = Optional
|language = English
|company_type = Private
|foundation =
|area_served = US, Canada
|location_city = New York City
|location_country = United States
|key_people = Aydin Acar (CEO)
Elizabeth Scherle (President)
|homepage = {{url|influenster.com}}
|num_employees = 70
|launch_date = 2010
|current_status = Active
|num_users =
|website_type = Product reviews
}}
Influenster is a product discovery and reviews platform for consumers. Influenster uses social media analytics to measure its users’ influence on social media. Influenster launched in 2010. An iOS app for Influenster launched in 2014{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/15/idUSnMKWYLZKXa+1fe+MKW20141015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023075820/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/15/idUSnMKWYLZKXa+1fe+MKW20141015|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 23, 2014|title=Influenster Launches New Social Media-Powered Product Discovery App|date=October 15, 2014|publisher=Reuters|access-date=20 October 2014}} while an Android app launched in 2015. As of January 2018, Influenster's community consisted of more than 4 million users.{{Cite web|title = Infographic: How Millennial Moms Shop to Fill Their Kids' Lunch Boxes| date=24 August 2015 |url = http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/infographic-how-millennial-moms-shop-fill-their-kids-lunch-boxes-166383|access-date = 2015-08-24}} Influenster was acquired by Bazaarvoice in 2019,{{Cite press release |title=Bazaarvoice Acquires Influenster to Enhance Product Reviews and User-Generated Content Solutions |date=2019-08-28 |url=http://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/08/28/1907704/0/en/Bazaarvoice-Acquires-Influenster-to-Enhance-Product-Reviews-and-User-Generated-Content-Solutions.html |access-date=2021-02-25 |website=GlobeNewswire News Room}} and the app was relaunched in October 2022.{{Cite web |last=WW |first=FashionNetwork com |title=Bazaarvoice launches new Influenster app for UGC and authentic reviews |url=https://ww.fashionnetwork.com/news/Bazaarvoice-launches-new-influenster-app-for-ugc-and-authentic-reviews,1423701.html |access-date=2022-10-26 |website=FashionNetwork.com |language=en-WW}}
Features
Influenster has a platform consisting of over 11 million reviews, with 880,000 new reviews generated each month.{{Cite web|url=http://www.happi.com/contents/view_online-exclusives/2016-12-19/positive-influence?123|title = Positive Influence}} These products represent over 100K consumer brands with over 1.7 million product pages for users to review, ask/answer questions, and upload photos/videos of.{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/blog/techflash/2014/08/influenster-couldnt-keep-the-leash-on-its-testers.html|title=Influenster couldn't keep the leash on its testers, which turned out to be a pretty good plan|author=Ben Fischer|date=August 27, 2014|publisher=New York Business Journal|access-date=20 October 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/influenster-relaunches-product-discovery-social-130000933.html/|title=Influenster Relaunches With New Product Discovery & Social Influence Platform|author=Scott Meaney|date=September 3, 2014|publisher=Yahoo! Finance|access-date=9 October 2014}}
Based on a user's Impact score and supplied demographic information, they can be invited to Influenster campaigns. Influenster runs a variety of different types of campaigns, but they generally involve sending invited users a complimentary product or service to sample and discuss on social media.{{cite web|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/newell-rubbermaid-enlists-influenster-146329|title=Newell Rubbermaid Enlists Influenster CPG giant boosts social cred with campaign|author=Christopher Heine|date=January 7, 2013|publisher=AdWeek|access-date=20 October 2014}} After sampling, the user is asked to complete a final market-research survey.{{cite web|url=http://www.luckymag.com/beauty/2013/08/how-to-score-beauty-freebies-products-samples_slideshow_Influenster_4|author=Sarah Ferguson|publisher=Lucky Magazine|date=2013|access-date=20 October 2014|title=Five Ways to Score Free Beauty Products Online|pages=4 of 5|archive-date=20 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020201817/http://www.luckymag.com/beauty/2013/08/how-to-score-beauty-freebies-products-samples_slideshow_Influenster_4|url-status=dead}}
Influenster offers coupons and offers from partner retailers and brands that users can access through their product discovery experience on the platform.{{cite web |url=http://corp.influenster.com/ |title=Landing Page |website=corp.influenster.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703190225/http://corp.influenster.com/ |archive-date=2016-07-03}} It uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare, Google+, a multi-platform blog widget, and friend referrals to determine Impact score. Impact points are largely calculated based on the number of followers or friends a user has on any given social network.{{cite web|url=https://influenster.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/202726626-How-can-I-improve-my-Impact-/|title=Influenster: How can I improve my Impact?|access-date=2014-10-09|archive-date=2014-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015001829/https://influenster.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/202726626-How-can-I-improve-my-Impact-/|url-status=dead}}
Influenster allows users to unlock "Expert" and "Lifestyle" badges through completing survey questions about their interests and behaviors, writing reviews on products, answering other users' questions, and sharing Influenster product pages across social media channels. These badges are a part of a gamification system to reward specific types of users with invites to specific Influenster campaigns matching their demographic.{{cite web|url=https://www.influenster.com/about-us/|title=About Influenster}}
Business model
The primary business model for Influenster involves brands working with Influenster through VoxBox or VirtualVox campaigns. In VoxBox or VirtualVox campaigns, brands will offer complimentary products or digital rewards to Influenster users who meet brand and product-specific criteria.{{cite web|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/shell-shows-more-gas-brands-could-fuel-social-media-159679|title=Shell Shows More Gas Brands Could Fuel Up on Social Media: Viral effort led to 385 percent jump in chatter|author=Christopher Heine|date=August 22, 2014|publisher=AdWeek|access-date=20 October 2014}}
Series funding
In 2016, Influenster raised $8 million in financing from Ebates, a leading online cashback shopping service.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/04/04/product-discovery-platform-influenster-secures-8m-in-series-a-funding-from-ebates/|title=Product discovery platform Influenster secures $8M in Series A funding from Ebates|last=Etienne|first=Stefan|website=TechCrunch|date=4 April 2016 |access-date=2016-04-04}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}