How to work with influencers.
As a business, being an influencer in your industry is the dream. Thousands of social media followers are fans of your products and everything you offer. However, breaking into the influencer game is difficult for many, and sometimes the market isn’t there. Instead, you can work with influencers and reap the rewards from their hard work.
But before you work with influencers, you should consider a few things. So, with that in mind, let’s get into it.
Deciding the influencers who are right for your business.
When looking for the ideal influencers, you need to consider their audience and the type of content they create. You want to collaborate with someone who shares the right messages with the right people. This will make integrating your marketing messages within the content easier for both parties.
For example, clothing and makeup brands fit well with beauty influencers. Whereas online gamers often promote, well… games.
You also need to consider their reach and where they share content. Some influencers are famous for Tik Tok or YouTube. At the same time, some creators are known for their podcasts on Spotify. And don’t forget the social media influencer who post all about the products they use on Instagram.
So, choose your influencer’s platform wisely depending on the form of content you want to create, i.e., Images, videos, or just audio.
In addition, the ideal influencer will have thousands, if not millions, of followers who can potentially engage with your content. So, before choosing a potential collaborator, check the number of followers they have and the amount of interaction they get.
If they post on YouTube, check how many views their videos are getting. Read their comments. See how many likes they get on videos and check their subscriber count.
Deciding how to get in contact.
Once you have decided who you want to work with, you need to let them know. One way to get in contact is through social media. Send them a direct message or tag them in a request.
However, this method does come with its issues. If they have thousands of followers, you may get lost in the sea of other messages they receive. In addition, they will be less likely to trust you through some social media accounts. We advise that if you are going to use social media to contact an influencer, LinkedIn would be the ideal platform as there is less noise and it is more professional.
Luckily for you, most influencers, have a press email. This would be the best way for you to contact any influencers directly.
Alternatively, if you have an influencer in mind but aren’t sure how to approach them, you can use a 3rd party. By outsourcing this to a marketing agency, they can manage your relationships for you. They will remove the added stress and time it would take to collaborate. Marketing agencies also have a strong list of contacts within the industry to reach out to.
To find out why else you should consider outsourcing your other social activities, check out our blog post “Why Should You Outsource Your Social Media Marketing?”
Knowing how to compromise
Working with influencers isn’t free. You may be paying a sponsorship fee, supplying complimentary products to review or promoting their content through your activities. So, deciding what you are willing to spend and what they are willing to do for you at that price is necessary.
You need to be able to compromise with their demands and vice versa. After all, this is a partnership, and they also need to be happy with the terms you set.
Ideally, both parties will have a set of rules and brand guidelines to follow to avoid any significant issues.
Having the time to manage the relationship.
Whether this is a one-off project or a long-term contract, you need to spend time together throughout most of the production stage. Like any partnership, you also need to spend time nurturing the relationship. Ideally, having one point of contact in your business is ideal for creating this.
Most influencers will run content by you and allow any changes before publishing, so it always helps if you are on friendly terms and are available for feedback on their schedule.
However, if you decide to outsource the task of managing this relationship with a marketing agency, they will manage this for you. This is also one of the services we offer at Marketing Managed (Bacon Marketing). We can work with other third parties on your behalf.
For example, for Axon Rides, an e-bike retailer based in London, we manage the relationships with their video production agency, graphic designer, print and display manufacturer. We support and engage with their retail network. In addition, we supply them with a photographer and models for photoshoots.
You can read more about the work we have done for Axon here.
Knowing when to step away.
You have heard the phrase ‘If you love someone, let them go’, well, just like your relationship with an influencer or other partner, you need to know when to step back. Take time to review the success of any marketing activities and weigh up the value of your content vs the cost. Then decide on whether you want to continue or not.
Another reason you may step back is the negative backlash or views associated with the influencers. The celebrity world is filled with gossip and drama, but you don’t want to be associated with a scandal. This situation is rare but not impossible. A recent example was most British airline companies no longer selling tickets to Sea Worlds after the allegations of animal cruelty.
What now?
Why not outsource your relationship management to us?!
We are here to optimise and add sizzle to your marketing. We are an extension to your marketing team, or your entire marketing team if you don’t have one in house.
Head over to our services page to find out how Marketing Managed (Bacon Marketing) can support your marketing and see our full range of marketing services.
We are Beyond
Marketing Managed (Bacon Marketing) provides a full review, streamlining and optimisation service that will take your marketing and advertising to the next level.
Please see our range of services or complete the form to discuss your needs with us.
Straightforward Approach
We always start by finding out about your business, its unique, then we get to work on planning, building your strategy and adding sizzle to your marketing.
Our combined backgrounds are a combination of both generalist and digital marketers, largely focused on digital marketing and also how it can be blended with offline marketing. It has meant that we have had to be hands-on and strategic.
