An Experticity How-To Guide

Growing your brand with influential experts

Action Sports

no. 34The Experticity Resource Library

Getting Action Sports Experts Talking About Your Brand

We know your experts. Do you?Whether it’s the thrill of landing an ollie on their longboard or zooming over the water on a wakeboard, action sports enthusiasts love to get their adrenaline pumping. Chasing danger means they’re constantly researching the best brands and products that will keep them safe in the water, in the air and on land — and you can bet they’re recommending their favorites to others. They’re action sports experts, and if you build a relationship of trust with them they can be a powerful voice for improving your brand awareness and growth.

What’s Inside

1. Meet your match Your brand already has advocates and experts. Let’s talk to them.

2. Hear what they have to say Find out what this important community has to say about your products and brand.

3. Help them talk the talk Connect with your experts so they can make informed recommendations.

4. Don’t forget walking the walk The more experience they have with your products, the more they can say about them.

5. Gather and share inspiring content Lucky for you, experts have big, inspiring lives — and the social posts to match.

6. Case studies See experts in action.

Getting Action Sports Experts Talking About Your Brand

1. Meet your matchFor Jeff Ortiz, no day is complete without a full list of adrenaline-charged activities ahead. “As long as it involves a little bit of adrenaline, a little bit of danger, I find it enjoyable,” he says. Though he humbly says he’s not yet an expert and just an advanced rider, Jeff’s been wakeboarding and surfing for 11 years and has even competed in a few tournaments.

For those new to wakeboarding, Jeff recommends being mentally prepared and realizing not everyone

progresses at the same rate. “Don’t rush it,” he advises. “Enjoy your first ride — safety first. Don’t give up right away as this sport takes time to learn.” He also recommends a full gear setup for first-time riders: “A good pair of board shorts, flotation vest and a good helmet for wakeboarding.” He’s quick to call out the brands he loves by name, and also suggests equipping a GoPro Hero for those gripping action shots.

His expertise and recommendations aren’t just useful on the water. Jeff’s also a footwear sales expert at Sport Chek and an outfitter for Cabelas, meaning his advice is given straight to consumers looking for the best, highest-quality products.

Foster trust

The world is full of influencers, but instead of tallying followers our experts are leading passion-filled lives. They’re not social media stars, they’re the everyday people you know and trust: your child’s teacher, your colleague, your neighbor with the surfboards permanently affixed to the roof of her car. When these experts give their opinion on a brand or product, you know it’s authentic and not just another paid promotion. Experticity lets you discover these authentic experts and connect with them. This is the first step toward building a trustworthy relationship that benefits you both.

Insights

Experts like Jeff have

15xmore buying

conversations a week than the average consumer

of people who receive a recommendation from a passionate expert or someone who works in the industry are highly likely to follow it

82%

Getting Action Sports Experts Talking About Your Brand

2. Hear what they have to sayExperts love sharing insights on products and technologies. So before your brand crafts an engagement strategy, make time to survey these potential advocates. Ask thoughtful questions and truly listen to what they have to say. Not only will you build brand affinity with a loyal crowd, you’ll gain valuable insights you can use to improve both your product and marketing strategies, too.

Find out what these experts are seeing and thinking, and how they perceive the latest trends. Are they already recommending you to their friends? Why or why not? Experts can provide valuable input on product features, materials and uses long before you’re even ready for market. Your consumers trust experts. You should, too.

Insights

Even after just one online session with a brand on Experticity, influential experts are:

4xmore likely to recommend a brand

87%more than their peers

Proven to sell

Getting Action Sports Experts Talking About Your Brand

3. Help them talk the talkIdentify your brand’s most influential experts, then offer them regular insider access to engaging content and products that keep them coming back for more. Whether it’s a discount on a new line of board shorts or an exclusive sneak peek at the newest technology that makes your helmets safer, nothing inspires passionate action sports experts more than being the first to know about it. It all adds up to a loyal, lasting connection — and experts who can’t stop talking about your products.

Quick Tip:

Keep them on the cutting edge.Jeff is constantly asked for recommendations on everything from which brand of surfboard is best to which board shorts actually dry quickly. Want a place in that conversation? Connect with experts like Jeff authentically and give them first-hand access to your products and people. Educate them on what sets your brand and products apart, and let them dive deep into your technologies, product lines and even brand culture through interactive and video content.

Getting Action Sports Experts Talking About Your Brand

4. Don’t forget walking the walkThe most trusted recommendations come from people who’ve had first-hand experiences with a product — even better if those people happen to be influential experts. Experticity can help you get more of your products into the hands of the very experts who are most trusted for their advice on what to buy. In the process, you’ll be giving them much more to say about what you sell.

Seeding products to top experts — either free or at a deep discount — and then getting their authentic feedback is a great way to build both word-of-mouth credibility and excitement around new products.

Insights

2/3rds of social buying conversations happen offline83%

of WOM recommendations are tied to personal experience

with a product/brand 5xAn offline buying recommendation is

more likely to drive a purchase

Getting Action Sports Experts Talking About Your Brand

5. Gather and share inspiring content

Stand back and let influential experts do what they do best: inspire others to love your brand. Whether it’s word-of-mouth recommendations for your new board shorts or authentic UGC posted to social that features your brand while they catch a wave, these passionate storytellers can drive engagement. Our experts can also craft honest, credible reviews for your online sales channel to provide recommendations on why they trust your brand to keep them safe and help them be the fastest rider on the track.

For example:Skullcandy invited experts in the Experticity network to field-test new products and provide honest reviews. Sure enough, 82% of the experts who participated in a product pre-launch shared reviews on the Skullcandy website.

5 Djeffortiz

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I think I’m having a good time! I love this monster.

SHOW MORE

Taylor Jenni Raymond

Getting Action Sports Experts Talking About Your Brand

6. Case studies

The North Face® surveyed industry experts on the styles and features they’d like to see in future product lines. Their product team has now received 275 valuable expert insights.

Quiksilver partnered with Experticity to give influential Experts at retail a behind-the- scenes experience with its brand. After less than a year, the results were clear: sales at stores with Experticity members on staff sold 104% more than non-engaged locations.

Reebok partnered with Experticity to launch back into the running category with the Floatride, propelled by the credibility of running experts. Prior to the shoe launching, our experts had countless conversations, generated 1.57 million social impressions, and wrote more than 500 product reviews to drive conversion. At launch, the Floatride won Best Debut from Runner’s Magazine and is now the No. 4 best-selling shoe on Reebok.com.

Find out what experts can do for youExperticity is the world’s largest network of trusted experts whose passion, experience and knowledge makes them powerful brand advocates. Join the 500+ brands who already use Experticity solutions and connect with experts who authentically build brand awareness and help you sell more.

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