3 Solutions for Your Influencer Marketing Strategy

Influencer marketing is widely misunderstood. Like many aspects of social media marketing, it:

1. requires a thoughtful strategy

2. is always evolving

3. is often reduced to very little (bandwidth and budget) by those who don’t understand the complexities and value of it

In summary, it’s very easy to mess up. And if you’ve found yourself making some mistakes with influencer marketing, know you’re not alone.

..And, keep reading because I have 3 solutions for you to try:

1. Relationship Building

Like many things, influencer marketing is all about relationships. As a business venturing into this marketing strategy, it is also easy to develop a reputation (good and bad) when working with content creators - who see it ALL.

• Start with folks who already have an authentic affinity for your brand and / or your industry. Beginning here will establish some common ground, as well as increase the likelihood for an authentic and lasting partnership.

• Connect and be transparent about your intentions - no product for post exchanges, please! Inform them about your plans for upcoming campaigns and what your budget is.

  • Pro tip #1: Many content creators include a public email in their Instagram account or their website and find that preferable to a DM.

  • Pro tip #2: it cannot be underestimated how valuable some research ahead of time is in this stage of the process.

• Brevity is important when reaching out. Do not assume this person’s inbox is empty - it is likely full of requests like yours.

• Last but not least, plan ahead to allow for time! Do not give someone a 1-day or 1-week turnaround time to respond. Ideally this is the start of a friendly and leisurely stroll, not a sprint. 

2. Equity

We know that conversations surrounding diversity and representation have been on the up and up since the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer of 2020. All of that is important, but less impactful if we don’t consider how EQUITABLY we’re executing this strategy. Things like reduced budget and turnaround time, and including ONE person of color will not cut it. Here’s why:

• If a content creator provides a rate that is within the ballpark of fair for their quality of content, AVG engagement, following and sentiment then do not (I repeat DO NOT) negotiate for a lower fee. If your budget allows (and it should if you’ve reached out to them) then there is no reason for you to pay them less than what they are asking. 

  • Better yet! Make an offer and don’t ask for them to provide a rate. Make the offer based on what you estimate their content will be worth (do your research) and add tax! 

• Turnaround time and deliverables are more areas where equity can be introduced. The same note made above in “relationship building” applies here. Do not begin outreach a week before your campaign is set to go live. Creators, and especially creators of color, see this constantly from brands ahead of commemorative months like Black History Month and Pride Month. This should be a priority for your brand year round, not just one month out of the twelve you have to plan ahead and allow ample time for discussion and content to be created.

• Diversity does not only apply to the color of someone’s skin. Here are a few other ways to think through an influencer list when you ask yourself not only “Who is represented here?” but also “who is NOT represented here?”

  • Age, appearance, body type, cultural identity, education, ethnicity, familial status, gender, life experiences, lifestyle, location, mental ability, national origin, physical ability, race, relationship status, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status are other aspects to consider.

3. Briefing and Agreements

Similar to the topic of equity and aiding in the area of relationship building, is the very important process of briefing and finalizing agreements when working with influencers and content creators - specifically in the area of usage rights and terms.

The goal here should never be to get the “biggest bang for your buck”, but rather, what is fair for the rate and what makes the most sense for that specific creator. So, no copy + paste templates and agreements. 

This requires thoughtful asks and strategy to position your brand with this creator in the most authentic and effective way - not just so you can get 12 months of usage.

I hope these 3 solutions are informative and helpful. You can hear more about my approach to influencer marketing on the PR 360 podcast here.

For further inquiries or discussion, please reach out here.