Case Study: Corwin

Amplifying Author Visibility through Influencer Collaboration

Background

Corwin is recognized as a leader in professional learning, offering a comprehensive range of products and services that empower educators worldwide. Embarking on a new marketing initiative, Corwin aimed to enhance the visibility and sales of their latest K-12 book publications by partnering with education influencers across multiple social platforms. This endeavor represented a strategic shift towards leveraging social media and influencer marketing—a novel approach for Corwin's marketing department, designed to tap into the power of digital advocacy in the education sector.

The Challenge

The primary challenge for Corwin was the broad nature of their initial goals and expectations. They sought to harness the power of social media but needed industry-specific guidance to develop tangible KPIs and a coherent strategy. This required not just identifying suitable influencers but also crafting a systematic approach for their marketing team to follow, ensuring impactful and measurable outcomes.

Our Strategy

The essence of Corwin's strategy lay in empowering their internal marketing team with a structured approach to identify, vet, and engage with influencers who could authentically promote their K-12 book publications. This process began by pinpointing the ideal influencers based on several key factors: their social media activity, engagement rates, comment interactions, and the genuine alignment of their online persona with Corwin's brand ethos.

1

Influencer Outreach Database: At the heart of Corwin's strategy was the development of a comprehensive influencer database, initially comprising 251 educators across Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. This extensive list was meticulously refined to identify 20 of the most engaged and credible educators who resonated with and could accurately convey Corwin's mission.

2

Operational Tactics: The operational phase involved a dynamic interaction with influencers, encompassing negotiations on partnership terms, brainstorming promotional concepts, and the distribution of books for marketing purposes. Each influencer's promotional post was meticulously monitored to ensure engagement and alignment with Corwin's objectives. This detailed, hands-on approach was pivotal in building a small yet potent roster of influencers dedicated to championing Corwin's publications.

3

Sales Impact and Ongoing Partnerships: The collaboration with this select group of influencers not only amplified Corwin's brand visibility but also directly contributed to measurable sales outcomes. Notably, these partnerships facilitated three significant bulk purchases by classroom teachers, cumulatively generating over $1,300 in sales for the year 2022. This achievement underscores the tangible benefits of Corwin's influencer marketing strategy, demonstrating the direct correlation between targeted influencer engagement and sales performance.

Results

The culmination of this influencer marketing initiative was the assembly of a select group of 20 highly engaged influencers, marking a significant milestone for Corwin. This core group became an invaluable asset for Corwin, providing a reliable base for continuous promotional efforts. Leveraging this success, Corwin integrated a seamless internal process within their marketing framework, enabling influencers to select and request new titles through an automated email newsletter system. This innovation not only streamlined the collaboration process but also ensured a consistent and engaging promotion of upcoming books.

Conclusion

Corwin's influencer marketing initiative, marked by its strategic selection process and focused outreach, has proven to be a significant success. By building meaningful, ongoing partnerships with key influencers in the education sector, Corwin has not only expanded its reach but also achieved notable sales results. This case study highlights the effectiveness of leveraging influencer relationships to drive brand awareness and sales, setting a benchmark for future marketing strategies within the education publishing industry.