According to Business Insider, influencer marketing ad spend is expected to reach $5-10 billion by 2020. The influencer craze shows no signs of slowing down, so it’s no wonder why more and more industries are turning to social media channels and influencer marketing as a part of their sales strategy.
From a PR perspective, this means that the days of social media mentions based on samples are few and far between, and it’s important for all of up to up our comfort level when it comes to securing client budget for paid influencer collaborations, as well as the unique aspects of paid media versus owned or earned media.
In order to navigate a paid influencer collaboration like a seasoned veteran, make sure to be on top of the following 3 aspects of these types of engagements.
There is no shortage of influencers, and it’s worth it to take the time to really research potential partners by auditing their content and evaluating their engagement rates, rather than simply going after the same names as a competitor, or the names you see pop up all the time. Get a feel for voice, niche and type of content produced, paying attention to previous sponsored content and any preferences they have around brands reaching out.
If their tone of voice and personality aligns with your brand strategy, then you should move forward with expectations for content. This includes the type of content and how many posts you expect them to produce.
Before you reach out for the first time, have a clear picture in mind of what project success is going to look like, as well as the specifics regarding timeline, creative requirements and payment. Use the brief as a reference guide for both the brand and influencer to ensure clear expectations.
Pro tip: While a paid engagement does give the brand more control over any content produced as well as copy, giving influencers flexibility in terms of creative direction often result in content that is better received, as it appears more candid and honest.
In your contract, be sure to outline expectations around approvals (and factor in approvals into your overall timeline). For example, brands that have sensitive FDA regulations may require influencers to send over their captions before publishing for legal approval to ensure that all verbiage aligns with the law. When outlining key dates for the project, keep in mind that there are often delays with package delivery, so keep updated tracking info on all shipments and stay in close contact with your influencer partners during the project.
Pro tip: Most products return more effective results when the influencer is given a longer time to test them out.
Part of your approval process should include a single point person for the influencer to work with.
Lastly, one-off posts and collaborations may seem forced in an influencer’s feed or rhythm. It may be beneficial, if within budget, to consider working with the same influencer over the course of a few weeks or months. This way, they can slowly and naturally integrate a certain product and boost overall reach and various aligned key messages.
Influencer marketing is a dynamic and creative field that has incredible potential to boost brand awareness, loyalty and conversions. For more support developing influencer outreach emails, briefs and contracts, check out the PR Couture Influencer Bundle.
