Social media has become one of the best places to market a brand, service, or product, with potential customers double-tapping, reblogging, and surfing through endless waves of entertainment. Digital marketing and SEO companies have even started partnering with social media influencers to reach a wider market. These include IG personalities, Facebook travel pages, and YouTubers. But did you know comic artists are also influencers that could help grow your business? In this article, we get into comic book marketing and whether it is a worthy addition to your marketing strategies list.
Influencer Marketing, A Customer’s Kryptonite
First and foremost, let us start with what influencer marketing is. Simply put, it is a collaboration between brands and online influencers. In this symbiotic relationship, influencers profit by marketing a brand’s products or services, which boosts the brand’s reputation. It could be as simple as mentioning said product or service in a Tweet or dedicating an entire review video to it.
Influencer marketing has become a go-to for businesses today, as studies show it has become a more effective way of attracting clients and customers than ads. Since this generation tends to lean towards people versus businesses, they would rather purchase a product or service once they see it has been used by one of their favorite influencers. Influencer marketing has gained popular appeal, with brands earning impressive returns, from up to $18 in earned media value for every $1 they spend on influencer marketing.
Holy Marketing Batman, It’s an Influencer!
But you’re probably wondering, how are comic artists considered influencers? Just like YouTubers and Instagram personalities, comic artists have fans and followers that they interact with. Their fanbase is constantly influenced by their work. Following the success of numerous DC and Marvel movies, comic fandoms have grown tenfold this last decade. This makes them one of the biggest influencer markets, with more people that can bring in more profit.
Why You Should Use Comics for Your Marketing
With all that being said, it is safe to say that comics bring good profit, as more and more people become fans every year with each show and movie adaptation released. But how can businesses profit off that? Well, not only do comics bring in a large crowd, they do so steadily. Unlike YouTube beauty gurus and Instagram models whose views and interactions only really rise at the beginning of back-to-school season and summer, comic books rake in sales all year round.
Having your brand name or its tagline featured in comics that are seen by fans almost every day can give your business year-round visibility and opportunities. It doesn’t even have to be a big comic like the Avengers or the Justice League. There are many online artists that have gathered a considerable fanbase on their Facebook pages and Webtoon accounts. One example is how Travelers partnered up with comic creators to create The Legend of Z-Hawk, which was part of their on-going ad campaign. It was posted organically by one of the comic creators in their Twitter page, which garnered almost 2 million organic impressions.
Another great reason why you should use comics for your marketing is how clearly it can convey messages, in a fun way. The balance of text and images make it a fantastic medium for business communication, with readers captivated by the stories and visuals. You even have the choice between creating lengthier comic books and shorter comic strips, depending on your budget and the message you want to deliver.
Comic Artists, Assemble! (to Market Your Business)
Now that we have covered what comic book marketing is and why you should take advantage of it, let us move on to actually doing it.
The first thing you need to do is find a comic artist who produces content that can complement your branding. For example, you are an e-commerce clothing brand. You should collaborate with comic artists whose characters have a flair for fashion. That way, your product doesn’t seem like it’s there only for marketing. The audience can still connect to the story, with the added visual appeal of your products in the comic.
You should also make sure that the comic artist also has the same target audience as you. If your business is targeted towards more of a teenage audience, find a comic artist whose genre is teenager-friendly. This ensures that your marketing goes exactly to who you’re targeting, which by extension ensures more conversions.
Another thing you need to consider is if you just want your brand to be featured in an on-going comic, or if you want an entire strip or book to feature your business. This ties in with the purpose of your comic book marketing. QlikView has a full-length marketing comic book entitled A Business Discovery Odyssey, which helps IT buyers understand what the business does. They already had an existing customer base to distribute it to, and this comic book’s goal was just to improve their messaging. For new businesses, it might be better to partner with artists who have ongoing comics, so you can reach their fans without having to build an audience.
Finally, it’s time to contact the comic artist and discuss your terms. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll both assemble forces and make money together. However, this process will involve a lot of trial and error, but it can be worth it if you plan your strategies out well.
All things considered, the large demographic and pop culture relevancy of comics make it a sure-fire and fun way to market your business.
