Influencers are all the hype right now – and many businesses are making use of influencers or considering getting on the train.
The benefits are plenty. For this article we won’t focus too much on “why influencers?” but rather on “how to: influencers”.
Due to the newness of Digital Influencer Marketing, there is limited standardization in the industry and thus leave influencer relationships very open to interpretation as far as “expectations” go.
Here are our key tips to managing your influencer relationships like a pro. It takes only 3 steps:
STEP 1: Reaching out
Find your influencers on the channel you wish to use them on (usually Instagram, but could be TikTok, LinkedIn or Facebook too). Your best bet is to contact the influencer there, engage with their content and reach out about possible collaboration. Even if you don’t have a brand account on the channel, reaching out as the Social Media Manager or Business owner is good enough.
A BIG no-no is asking for an influencer to promote your brand without even having established a relationship with them.
STEP 2: Communicating Expectations
Be very clear about what it is you expect from your influencer in terms of content creation. Also, be sure to indicate what’s in it for them? Often the work that influencers do take skill and resources, so to expect them to work for you, simply because you’re a business or brand is not fair. Let them know how they’ll benefit too and make this is a mutually rewarding relationship.
STEP 3: Turning influencers into ambassadors
Last but certainly not least, maintain the relationship. Don’t only communicate with your influencers when you want something from them. Make sure they feel involved and like they are part of the business. Many of the influencers you identify will probably already support your brand, so bring them a little bit closer and they’ll go above and beyond the brief for you and your brand.
Want to learn more about influencer marketing? Book one of our Influencer Workshops here.
