24 Nov 6 Things Brands Need to Know about Working with Influencers
Hello. It’s me. I was wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet. To go over… influencers and the best ways to incorporate them into your brand’s marketing strategy! At least I’m pretty sure that’s what she’s trying to say. I can read between the lines, Adele!
Not sure if Adele is your best resource on this matter? Yeah, neither am I. But before you undertake your next brand awareness campaign, try reading this handy little guide from the experts. Think of it as a gift from our team to yours, with the added bonus of now having that song stuck in your head all day. You’re welcome.
1. Stop Calling Them Influencers, Already!
Ok that may be a little harsh. We all know (and love) the term “influencer,” and lord knows I can’t go a single day without saying it, but at least step back for a second and consider what it means in relation to your brand. What are you really looking for here? Genuine voices? Creative content? Unique storytelling? Crazy social reach? Maybe these things aren’t all mutually exclusive.
Maybe (just maybe) you’ll need to work with a wide variety of partners in order to accomplish your marketing goals. One person may tell a great story and have two followers, while another may have two million followers and a completely booked content calendar. Solution? Take the content from person A and share it across the network of person B. We like to call this Content Everywhere™ and trust us, we’re pretty good at it.
2. Quit Crunching the Numbers.
*Gasp!* Don’t worry! We know that the success of any marketing campaign ultimately comes down to the numbers. However, this should not be your only starting point from which to launch a new initiative. Start with some broad goal-setting – what are you overall objectives for awareness, what’s your budget, when do you want this thing to happen – then get carried away with the story. If you’re excited about your campaign’s theme, don’t you think your influencers will be too?
3. Don’t Try to Do it All.
The real reason to stop crunching those numbers? We’re here to do it for you! Not only do we have an amazing group of individuals who are about to explode with creative ideas for your next campaign, but we can back it up with an agency fully-stocked with influencer management resources, strategic thinkers, analytical acumen and unrivaled experience in the world of social media marketing.
Did you know that the average campaign takes our team anywhere from 60 to 240+ hours to execute? Still think that you can handle all of your “influencer marketing” needs in-house?
Rather than adding that work to your already-overflowing plate, consider partnering with an outside agency (such as Carusele) which is set up specifically for the purpose of content marketing. Not only do we offer social media resources that would otherwise be unavailable to your brand, but we also have intangible qualities that make our team worth every penny.
Here’s something that any brand can appreciate – It’s all about the relationships. We work with influencers every single day. We know their personalities, their interests, their strengths and weaknesses, how many kids they have, and whether they prefer boxers or briefs (well, maybe we don’t get that personal…). We can take this knowledge and make it work to your brand’s advantage. Pass the reigns over to us and let us turn that creative vision into a fully-fleshed-out campaign that meets every last one of your marketing goals.
4. Don’t Become “That Brand.”
What was that one brand? The one that Tweeted the same three pictures every week and forgot that hashtags are a thing? Hmm… I can’t remember.
The first step in attracting the best influencers to your brand is to curate a brand voice that’s both fresh and entertaining. Like any professional, influencers want to produce work that they are proud of and which they can add to their portfolios. They want to work with the most cutting-edge brands who will make them look good.
If you’re asking them to engage with their trusted followers on behalf of your brand, please make sure that your brand has a happenin’ social presence. Not only will it entice influencers to partner with you, but it will increase your campaign’s impact by allowing influencers to engage with your audience and offer you the opportunity to share unique third-party content (featuring your brand) on your brand-owned channels.
5. Start Thinking Outside the Box.
The main reason that we have a mild phobia of the word “influencer,” is that it gives off a very specific connotation of how a campaign should operate. You’ll hire X number of bloggers to write about X topic, mentioning the brand X times and creating X number of social shares. Yes, this method works and could likely be the best way for your brand to become acquainted with influencer campaigns. However, “influencers” can provide so much more than that.
Perhaps your brand is better-suited to sponsoring a 24-hour livestream, launching a multi-city scavenger hunt, hosting a micro-influencer campaign geared toward young artists, or some other insane idea that we haven’t even thought of yet! The best time to step outside of your comfort zone is before someone else thinks of it first. So set up a brainstorm with our team and let’s see what we can do. This is social media. If you aren’t going to take some risks here, who will?
6. Keep in Touch.
Ahh, yes. You’ve reached the end of your campaign and now it’s time to hang up the cape and call it a day. Or is it? Don’t make the mistake of skipping out on the most valuable time that a brand can reach out to an influencer – When they least expect it.
Now that you’ve gone through all the work of establishing a relationship with some really awesome influencers, they’ve poured hours of work into your brand, and then posted about how much they adore you for all the world to see, take a minute and show them some love too! Share their content on your channels, Tweet them a shout out, mail them a postcard, or (better yet) send them a small “Thank You” gift.
Not only will the personal touch go a long way in this world of online exchange, but it could very likely result in some free publicity for your brand. Anytime a brand shows some love, influencers will want to show it back!
