After so many years, there are still no hard-and-fast rules about working with influencers. But it would be best if you considered integrating them into your marketing strategy.
Influencer marketing has made fraudsters out of some people, who promise to help you for a fee — but all they want are your money and your brown bags.
Understanding the anatomy of a perfect influencer partnership will help you identify the key areas to focus on if you want to succeed.
They are doing it wrong.
They think the key to a perfect influencer partnership is all about numbers.
How many followers, how many times they have posted, and even how much money they can make.
But here is the real secret: there is no such thing as a perfect influencer partnership. There are relationships. And if you want to build them well, you need to understand what makes those relationships work.
Not every influencer partnership is equal. There are many types of influencers. They all have different audiences and offer various services, which leads to different results.
In this article, we will take you through the anatomy of an influencer partnership so that you can learn how to make sure yours is successful.
Well-Vetted Influencers
If you are going to get into business with an influencer, you must do your due diligence.
Choosing a partner who can deliver on their end of the bargain and is comfortable having as promised is essential.
When working with an influencer, you need to know what kind of relationship you are building before you start.
When we are vetting influencers, we look at a few things:
-Their engagement rate on social media (we want them to be engaging with their followers)
-Their follower count (we want them to have enough followers that they can reach an audience)
-The content they post (does it resonate with our brand? Does it feel like a good fit?)
Communication
Communication is the key to a good partnership.
Influencers and brands must work together regularly to ensure they are all on the same page. Both parties feel comfortable with their roles in the partnership.
If a brand is not communicating with its Influencers, it can lead to problems down the line.
It is also essential that you communicate with your audience. If the audience feels like they are being kept in the dark about what is going on with their favorite Influencer, they may lose trust in you as a brand.
An influencer should ensure that their followers know their relationship with the brand and that it benefits them and the brand.
They should also be honest about changes or updates to their relationship with the brand. This will help followers understand why things have changed or what’s happening behind the scenes.
Clear Expectations
One of the most important things to do when setting up a partnership is to make sure you and your Influencer are on the same page.
You do not want to get into a situation where you are working with an influencer who does not understand what you expect from them. Someone who thinks they are expected to do more than they are supposed to be doing!
This is why creating clear expectations for both parties is important. It will help everyone avoid confusion, and it will make sure that everyone is on the same page about what’s going on and why.
It can feel a little awkward at first—but we promise, it’s worth it!
Mutually Beneficial
When choosing an influencer to work with, it is essential to remember that the relationship should be mutually beneficial.
In other words, you do not want to work with someone who will take advantage of you or your brand. After all, they are supposed to be helping you, not taking advantage of you!
It is essential to consider both sides of the partnership and ensure that the benefits are equal for both parties involved.
Here are some things that make up a mutually beneficial partnership:
– The Influencer can add value to your business by sharing their knowledge or expertise.
– You can provide the Influencer with an opportunity they would not otherwise have, like access to your products or services.
– You will both receive benefits from working together—it is exposure for your brand; it is a chance for you to collaborate on something fun!
Consistency
There is no point in working with an influencer if you cannot count on them to post consistently and regularly. If they are not around when you need them, they are not an asset to your brand—they are a liability.
You would not want your product or service to flop because someone didn’t keep up with their end of a deal.
You need an influencer who will be there when you need them and who is not leave you high and dry when it comes time for them to deliver results.
Authenticity
When you think about partnerships, you want to make sure that the Influencer you choose will be authentic. You do not want someone who will tell people that your product is fantastic without actually believing in it.
To tell if an influencer is authentic, you can look at their social media and see how they interact with other brands, companies, and people.
If they have a history of posting about products or companies they do not care about, they’re unsuitable for your partnership.
If they post a lot about other things but have posted about your brand in the past, they might be open to working with you on this project.
Mutual Respect
The best influencer partnerships are built on a foundation of mutual respect.
Both parties must understand the value of their respective audiences.
It takes a certain amount of humility to be willing to share that value with your partner.
It would be best if you respected their audience, content strategy, and unique abilities as an influencer—and they need to respect you in turn.
You cannot have a successful partnership unless both parties respect each other’s time and efforts. If you are not treating your influencer partner like a true partner, they won’t treat you as one.
Ensure that both parties clearly understand what is expected of each party’s communication and deadlines.
If anything changes or goes wrong, address it immediately, so there are no hard feelings later on down the line!
Willing to Accept Creative Feedback
Being willing to accept creative feedback is one of the essential traits of a perfect influencer partnership.
A good influencer partner is willing to accept creative feedback and be open to the idea that they might not always be correct.
If your Influencer has been hired to create content for you, ensure you are open to their input about how best to reach your target audience. They will likely have great ideas about how their unique voice or personality can be used most.
We all know that the best relationships are when both parties feel like they are being heard.
There is nothing more frustrating than working with someone who will not listen to what you have to say.
If an influencer partner isn’t willing to accept feedback from their client, it can lead to tension and frustration.
But, if you are able to find an influencer who is open-minded, flexible, and willing to collaborate with you on your project, then you have hit the jackpot!
Conclusion
Influencer partnerships need mutual trust, good communication, clear expectations, and the right fit.
The key to success is aligning your brand values and product or service with influencers that share your vision.
Identifying what you are looking for in a partnership is essential before finding someone to sponsor.
The critical question is: what do you want your campaign to achieve? Successful partnerships are rarely built on a single campaign’s goals or budget; they are often much bigger than that.
They are designed by creating overarching goals and then breaking them into smaller, more achievable tasks over time.
If you and your partner can merge your strengths and resources while remaining true to your ideals, your partnership will be a success.
Referwo
Referwo connects you to influencers who fit your brand, keeping tabs on your earnings and monitoring performance. It also improves social interaction with your followers by making it easier for them to share their opinions of your product or service.
We also help influencers gather all the referral codes for the brands they promote on a single page so that followers can access them easily. In turn, it will improve the conversion rate for those brands’ referral codes or links.