Introduction
Influencer marketing is a powerful way to reach your target audience and build brand awareness. It also comes with some risks, however. If you’re not careful, you can end up paying for posts that never get made or engaging with influencers whose posts aren’t relevant to your brand.
In this post we’ll cover how to work with influencers while avoiding the most common pitfalls:
Create a Document that explains your brand
● Create a Document that explains your brand
● Explain what your brand stands for. What are you trying to accomplish? How will this campaign help achieve those goals?
● Explain what your brand is looking for. Are there any specific needs or preferences that the influencer should meet in order to participate in this campaign (e.g., age, gender)? If so, write it down! This should be clear from their bio page on Instagram or Twitter but also includes things like location of residence/business ownership type (if applicable).
● Describe the campaign itself: Who is running it? When does it begin and end? What will happen during this time period together as an organization or team (if applicable)? Is there an ongoing relationship after completion of this particular project
Engage with Influencers’ Posts and Stories
● Engage with influencers’ posts and stories. When you’re working with an influencer, it’s important to keep them in the loop about your company and brand. This can be done through:
● Commenting on their posts – The more you comment on posts, the more likely they are to share your content back.
● Liking their post – A simple “like” can go a long way towards strengthening the relationship between the two of you!
● Tagging them in your own posts – If someone tags an influencer in one of their own posts (or vice versa), this will help boost engagement around both pages/posts/content.
Never Force an Influencer to Post something
It’s important to remember that influencers are not your employees. They have their own schedules and needs, as well as other clients and commitments. If you force them to post something, it will likely come off as if you’re demanding that they do something for you when they really don’t have time for it. This can lead to resentment from both parties involved—and potentially even create an uncomfortable working environment for both parties in the long run!
If an influencer asks why they aren’t being asked back or wants more creative freedom (i.e., “I’m not sure what I should wear today” vs “let’s do this”), then there may be a problem with how things were handled up until now; however, if there are no problems but simply questions about what direction things should go next…then perhaps it’s time for some introspection on behalf of both parties involved (you) so that everyone understands where each party stands within this relationship/business relationship before moving forward together again another day.”
Make sure the influencer is appropriate for your brand
Influencer marketing is a great way to reach new consumers and increase your brand’s reach. But it’s important to make sure the influencer you choose is appropriate for your brand, especially if you’re targeting a specific audience or niche.
When choosing an influencer, look at their content first: does it align with your values? If not, consider finding another one who does align more closely with what you’re trying to accomplish. Also pay attention to how well-known they are in general, as this can affect whether or not they’ll be able to deliver on their promise of delivering high quality posts that resonate well with your target audience—and ultimately help grow sales numbers!
Be Clear about What you Want from the Campaign and What you will Pay for it
Before you start a campaign, it’s important to be clear about what you want from the campaign and what you will pay for it.
● It is important that your goals are realistic and achievable. If your goal is to reach more people than ever before, then it may not make sense for you to spend $500 on a video campaign when there’s another way that can be done better (and cheaper) by using influencer marketing instead.
● Make sure that whatever method of reaching out to potential customers or clients involves something tangible—like an email newsletter or blog post—that leads directly back into their website/social media presence so they know exactly what kind of content they should expect once they click through from social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter where many people currently go directly when searching for answers on any given subject matter type categories such as travel related questions like “Where should I travel next?”
Ask for Fewer Posts
● Don’t ask for too many posts.
● No need to ask for a full year’s worth of posts.
● Ask for a few posts, but give them some flexibility.
● Give them a deadline for each post, but don’t make it rigid or inflexible—they should feel free to go longer than you asked if they want (and vice versa). Make sure that they are comfortable with your brand before doing this, as well: if you’re new in the industry and haven’t sent out any other campaigns yet, then maybe wait until after the first few have been completed before asking this kind of thing!
Agree on a Deadline
The first step in planning a campaign is to agree on a deadline. This can be as simple as saying, “Let’s do this by next week!” or it can be more complex and specific, like “We need you to post these images by Wednesday at 12:00 PM Eastern Time. We’ll send you the link to do so once we’ve confirmed that they’re ready for release.”
The key here is specificity—it’s important that both parties know exactly what they’re agreeing to and when those things will happen. If there isn’t enough time for everything that needs doing during an influencer campaign (and sometimes even if there is), then don’t wait until last minute; instead let them know up front so they have time to plan accordingly.
Don’t Fight With The Influencer About Your Contract
There’s a lot of talk about influencer contracts, but don’t be afraid to do your own research. A good contract will help you keep things on track and make sure both parties are happy with what they’re signing. Here are some best practices:
● Make sure the contract is clear and fair. This will help ensure that both parties know exactly what they’re getting into, which can help avoid any misunderstandings down the road (and save money in admin fees).
● Make sure the influencer understands what it means for them to work with you or anyone else in your team as an influencer partner—it’s important that everyone involved is aware of their roles within this relationship so no one feels like they’ve been excluded from something else entirely! It also helps if there’s a clear understanding about payment schedules or deadlines for projects due back at various times throughout the year; otherwise these could easily become confusing issues later on down road when things start growing more complicated than originally anticipated.”
Act Like You Respect Them as a Professional
When you’re managing an influencer’s campaign, it’s important that you act like you respect them as a professional. This will help them feel more comfortable with your relationship and give them the confidence to speak up when something isn’t right or needs changing.
You should also be open-minded about any feedback they give you—even if it doesn’t seem relevant at first glance (or if they make mistakes). For example, if someone complains about their followers not following through on promotions, don’t brush off their concerns because “all my followers do this” or “no one else has ever complained.” Instead, listen carefully and figure out what kind of solution might work best for both parties involved in order to avoid future issues down the line.
How to work with influencers while avoiding the most common pitfalls.
It’s important to be clear about what you want from an influencer campaign, and then be clear about what you will pay for. This can seem like a tall order, but the more specific you are with your expectations—and the more specific your offer is—the easier it will be for everyone involved to know what they’re working toward.
If possible, ask for fewer posts than usual in order to save money and time. Once something has been agreed upon (whether this means paying a flat fee or splitting revenue), make sure that deadlines are realistic and not too tight; otherwise, things might get messy! If possible, agree on an open-ended contract instead of a fixed one; this way both parties feel comfortable with their agreement while still giving them flexibility if necessary (eBay is another example). Don’t fight over payment until after everything has been finalized; doing so could cause delays or even breakups between all parties involved which could cost both sides dearly down the road in terms of lost opportunities as well as negative publicity due largely due lack trust between them at least initially–this would mean losing out on valuable exposure which could lead directly back into negative reviews from potential customers who may never return again unless someone else takes over responsibility(s).
Conclusion
There are a number of challenges and pitfalls that you may encounter
when working with influencers. By following the steps laid out in this article, you’ll know exactly what to expect in your new relationship with an influencer and how best to manage it.
