As more and more companies are investing in their influencer marketing network, it’s important to ensure that your brand isn’t lost in the sea of campaigns that these social media stars are now juggling. To help your business stand out from their other partners and achieve the highest quality results possible, we recommend treating influencer collaborations differently than other paid media campaigns.
For starters, make sure that the influencers you are working with feel appreciated. Just like welcoming a new employee, creating a team dynamic will enhance the working relationship and lead to better results. Invite your influencer partners to the office to meet the team, give them a tour of your factory, or take them out to a fun dinner. Some brands are even going as far as taking their influencer marketing network on lavish vacations! While an influencer retreat to Bora Bora may not be in every brand’s budget, simply getting to know these creators on a personal level will improve the working relationship and help to generate more authentic content.
Digital influencers know their audience better than anyone. Oftentimes companies approach these tastemakers with very strict campaign deliverables and do not provide any wiggle room for influencers to make suggestions. This is a huge mistake though! While it is understandable that brands need to provide campaign guidelines, always check in with influencers to see if they have recommendations for how to best promote your product to their audience. They too want to see the campaign succeed, so it is always best to hear what types of content they think will perform well with their fans. Don’t be afraid to inquire- we guarantee that your influencer marketing network will be flattered that you asked!
Our final piece of advice here is to make sure you do not set your influencers up for failure! Just like any business partner, they need to be provided with everything necessary to complete the project. Make sure you have a proper contract in place for any influencer collaborations so that there is no confusion on either side about timing and deliverables. If any influencer is photographing a product for you, make sure you send it out to them quickly to avoid delays. Any time you can provide a choice of products to fit with his or her style/ feed will be helpful. Keeping an open line of communication is also key to ensuring that your network of influencers have what they need to execute a successful campaign.
Need help managing your influencer relationships? That’s one of our areas of expertise and we would love to help! Please send us an email at info@socialflyny.com.