Shoutcart Review For Ecommerce Influencer Marketing [2021]
Influencer marketing is all the buzz but isn’t it just for the big brands?
Can a smaller Shopify store successfully reach out to influencers or is it just too expensive to enlist the help of people who make a difference in your niche?
Like with most things Shopify, help is at hand from the myriad of tools available for store owners who want to achieve more in less time.
Shoutcart is an influencer marketing platform that takes much of the heavy lifting out of the process of getting shoutouts, i.e., mentions from influencers on the main social platforms you use, such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, etc.
It automates the outreach to influencers, connecting you with people who hold sway in your sector and who are prepared to promote your business for the right fee.
In this Shoutcart review, we take a look at the main features of the platform and weigh up the pros and cons so you can decide if it’s for you….
What is Shoutcart?
Think of Shoutcart as a virtual marketplace of influencers.
If you need a new sofa you go to a furniture marketplace, where you can choose from an array of manufacturers and retailers.
If you need an influencer to give you a shoutout, you can go to Shoutcart.
That’s basically how it works. You are connected with one of the listed influencers and pay them for posting a positive shoutout for your business.
The platform features influencers based in Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the USA – so it covers a large proportion of the population of the planet.
The process of reaching out to influencers, negotiating fees and agreeing to work with them (as is done on other platforms) can take a lot of time. Shoutcart was created to simplify this process and make it a more affordable, transparent, and efficient way to collaborate with influencers.
Just let Shoutcart know what you are looking for and pay them – then the Shoutcart process basically looks after the rest.
How does Shoutcart work?
The basic process on Shoutcart is this:
- Check out the influencer marketplace
- Browse influencers in your niche and note their shoutout fees
- Connect with the influencers you’re interested in
- Place an order and describe what you’d like the influencer to post
The influencers on Shoutcart are practically ready to go. They all list their services and quote a price for a two-hour shoutout (where they are live for a two-hour slot). Some influencers even allow you to share a link of your choice on their profiles for an additional fee.
No time is wasted on:
- Sending long explanatory emails
- Wondering if they’ve been read
- Wondering whether you can afford the influencer
- Negotiating a fee
- Worrying whether your request will be approved
You don’t have to opt for a celebrity. There are celebrities available (and they cost more, obviously) but influencers don’t need 100 million Instagram followers to post a shoutout for you.
Even if you have a limited budget (and I’m talking a few dollars), it is still possible to get someone of influence in your niche to promote your store for a couple of hours:
One of the beauties of Shoutcart is that it opens up influencer marketing for practically anyone with a store. No negotiation of rates is needed as they are fixed and transparent for each influencer.
How to run an influencer campaign with Shoutcart
So that you have a clear idea of how Shoutcart works, let’s look at how to set up an influencer campaign for your store using the platform.
The first thing you’ll need to do is register on the platform. It’s free. Once you’ve done that, you can start browsing freely through the influencer profiles, searching for good matches for what you’re looking for using the filters.
The filters can save you a load of time. If you’re looking for an influencer who works mainly on YouTube, for instance, you choose that filter.
Similarly, you can search using keywords or any of the following filters to narrow down your search and home in on the most appropriate influencer for what you need:
- Influencer category: Fashion, makeup, technology, etc. (over 10 different categories to choose from)
- Follower count: From 0-50 million followers
- Social channels: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, IG Story, etc.
- Language: As well as English, how about Dutch, German, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish or Hindi?
- Age: Influencers are available from age 13 to 65 and over
- Shoutcart Score: From 0-10
- Price: Based on two-hour shoutouts
Shoutcart is easy to use. It will take you no more than a minute to work out how to narrow down your search to find what (or who) you’re looking for.
You remain in control of what the influencer says and does regarding your brand – but you can also invite input from your chosen influencer.
The basic process to set up a campaign is as follows:
- Select your influencer preferences – e.g., you want a sports apparel influencer on Instagram who is based in the US
- Select an influencer from the list – based on the number of followers you want to reach out to and the rate you want to pay (remember, the fees quoted on these lists are two-hour shoutout rates)
- Check the detailed profile page of the influencer – the Shoutout Score is an indication of the success rate of the influencer (10 is most successful)
- Check demographics/statistics – on each influencer’s page are details of the type of audience they reach and results achieved over the last 30 days
- Check pricing – while the influencer lists only include two-hour shoutout pricing, the individual influencer pages often feature more options to consider (e.g., 12-hour or 24-hour shoutouts)
- Check similar influencers – at the bottom of the page are links to similar influencer profiles and it’s a good idea to compare a few of these
- Add an influencer to your campaign – once you click the Add to Campaign button, that influencer is added to your cart, just like in any ecommerce store
- Click on Campaign Summary and this will display the influencer(s) that you are buying for this campaign (check all the details carefully)
- Click on Campaign Details and add captions/hashtags and any multimedia you want the influencer(s) to include (one file up to 150MB)
- Schedule the date/time of your shoutout and allow the influencer to propose edits to the final post if you prefer – simply check the box in the Schedule and Notifications tab.
That’s the process. It’s simple.
Once you review the post, time and other details, submit the order, agree to the terms of service, and then you’re done. You do need to have enough in your Shoutcart balance to fund the transaction.
Once the order has been placed, influencers have 72 hours to accept your proposal and post the shoutout. Several reminders are sent by the platform to check the order. The platform makes it easy by handling all the follow-up.
If there is no response after 72 hours, you get an automatic refund to your Shoutcart account and the influencer’s success rating is reduced.
Post-campaign, you will be prompted to leave a review for the influencer – and the influencer can reciprocate for you.
Main pros and cons of Shoutcart
Shoutcart Pros
As you can see from the step-by-step process above, it’s very simple to start working with influencers through Shoutcart.
What used to be a laborious process that only the biggest brands could afford to spend the time and money on is simplified and made more affordable for any store owner looking to raise their profile.
The main pros of Shoutcart are:
- Ease of use
- Affordability
- Transparency
- Multi-platform reach
Remember, you can register for Shoutcart for free for but you will need to fund your account before you can start working with influencers.
Shoutcart Cons
Some store owners may balk at the practice of buying influence. The bad news is that your competitors are probably doing it and it’s more or less become accepted practice in ecommerce and social media.
Beware of influencers that appear too good to be true. It is not unknown for unscrupulous influencers to inflate follower numbers to increase their rates. The Shoutcart Score for each influencer helps to discredit an influencer’s fake followers but it is not totally foolproof.
It’s best to stick with influencers with a high Shoutcart Score as they do tend to achieve the best results. It’s also best to do a thorough background check on an influencer before engaging – for your own peace of mind.
Shoutcart Pricing
Registration with Shoutcart is free but there is a minimum spend of $100, which you need to fund your account with before you start engaging influencers.
You only pay when you place an order with an influencer – and the fee will depend on many factors such as the following and popularity of the influencer, their Shoutcart Score, the shoutout type/length, etc.
Shoutcart enables individual influencers to set their fees. These range from $10 to $1000 for a two-hour shoutout.
If you want to work with more than one influencer at a time on a particular campaign, Shoutcart provides “influencer packages”. These allow you to work with multiple influencers at reduced rates – but bear in mind that they are “all or nothing” deals where you commit to paying for and using all influencers in the particular package you choose.
Who should be using Shoutcart?
This Shoutcart review is mainly aimed at our Shopify storeowners.
We think it should mainly be used by storeowners who understand the benefits of influencer marketing but have never had the opportunity or budget to adopt it.
Whether you’re a sole trader, small storeowner or a larger established business, you can now trial a new way to promote your store. It could be an important tool in your social media marketing arsenal if you get it right.
Shoutcart review for 2021
Many store owners have held off with influencer marketing in the past. They know its potential but are wary of its costs.
Shoutcart is a way to get into this valuable form of store promotion at an affordable entry point – without having to worry about spending thousands of dollars or negotiating a fair price.
If you are prepared to spend thousands, you can still do that with Shoutcart – and you may be handsomely rewarded with extra sales – but if you want to enter at the “ground level” first, this platform is a way to do that with very little risk.
We think you should give it a go because it’s easy to use, affordable, and the potential for excellent returns is high.
