One of the most effective ways to launch a product or event–to not only increase brand awareness in a short amount of time but generate an increase in sales is–using Influencer Marketing Campaigns. Influencer Marketing Campaigns are not just for the success of the brand it’s also for the alignment and the Influencer to achieve overall success. In 2022, the influencer market in the U.S. was valued at a record 16.4 billion dollars.
There are multiple factors for a successful influencer campaign.
-The Brand
-The Influencer
-The Product
-The Goal
As a brand, you need an objective with your service or product. As always, it’s sales goals, but you can hit plenty of other objectives when working with influencers. Working with influencers can lead to:
-An increase in brand awareness and appeal
-High-quality content featuring your product or service to be used in other marketing forms
-Building brand credibility
-Building a strong social media following
-Increasing your engagement and traffic to your various online platforms
It’s essential to establish what key metrics and goals of your influencer campaign that you are looking for in order to tailor your deliverable requests and understand what strategy will generate the results you’re looking for.
Campaign Brief
Once you have established your campaign objectives, you can then create a campaign brief. A campaign brief is an objective for the Influencer and the content requests to highlight your product and vision while generating the content.
When generating briefs do not just use a wide range of words, as always the most successful campaigns are when an Influencer is authentic, however, you want to lead them in a direction to make sure the touch points of the goal of your campaign are touched on. The goal of brief generation is to provide the parameters behind the campaign without being so in-depth that the Influencer isn’t able to create organic content that they know will convert with their audience. As you’re working with an influencer, you want them to do what they do best–creating content that converts!
Below we have shared a Basic Brief example used by the Brand to deliver to the influencer to execute the goals of the collaboration. The brief highlights the details of the campaign so that they are available for all parties as a communication tool to execute your contracted campaign. As a brand, it’s very important to put full details of your wants in the brief so there are no assumptions or confusion, and you get the most out of your investment. As an Influencer, you MUST review the Brief so that you are not doing work that cannot be used and to ensure the content you create aligns. As much as the brand wants the authentic approach there are possible legal obligations a brand has to withhold so it’s pertinent you read the brief.
Campaign Contract
A key component of the campaign is creating a contract. A contract establishes the relationship, deliverables, and dynamics of the relationship. I like to view a contract as a clear document that ensures all parties are on the same page for the campaign–down to all the minute details.
My personal opinion is do not do anything without a contract, this helps you confidently work without any surprises. Even if you LOVE the Influencer or the love the Brand. It makes communication better and there are no questions. When there is an investment involved, whether it’s time, content, or money you must protect yourself. I also feel it shows that you take your business and what you bring to the table seriously.
For a more detailed breakdown of options for Influencer Campaigns as a brand, How To Create An Influencer Campaign For Your Business and So You Want to Work with An Influencer are blogs I previously generated for you as additional resources.
As an Influencer, getting a brand collaboration with a brand you love is a dream come true. Working with brands as an Influencer has the opportunity to open many doors for you. Collaborations can lead to many other opportunities other than monetary gain such as:
-An increase in followers and engagement
-Exposure to new following
-Brand expansion and recognition
-Making connections within the industry
-Gifting
-Growing your brand portfolio to work with other brands in the future
Influencer campaigns and collaborations look different depending on the brand and the influencer. If you’re starting off as an influencer it will be most likely that brands will want to offer gifting as compensation for your content. Even if you’re a well-established influencer, you may come across brands that will offer gifting. Do you accept or decline the offer? Keep reading to educate yourself on gifting collaborations and conclude if they’re a right fit for you.
They had a large online presence ranging anywhere from 100,000 to 1 million followers. They have a broader audience than micro and nano influencers. These types of influencers are harder to collaborate with due to their rates and their high demand.
According to Hubspot.com, more than half of marketers who invest in influencer marketing work with micro-influencers. These types of influencers have between 1,000 to 100,000 followers. Their content tends to fall into a specific niche compared to macro influencers, making them a reliable resource to their followers.
Nano influencers have the smallest audience but tend to have the most engagement. These influencers have less than 1,000 followers and have a super niche following. They’ve built a relationship with their followers, making them susceptible to recommendations.
Influencer Stats:
I know, I know, gifting collaborations can seem like it’s not a forward move for you–but it can be. There are several items to consider when deciding whether you should or should not accept gifting collaborations.
These are often the questions I advise my clients to answer honestly on whether they should push forward with a gifting campaign. As gifting is an excellent opportunity to lay the foundation of a relationship with the brand, but it’s not always the right choice for your business. Consider the following when deciding if you should accept or pass on gifting collaborations:
-Do you like the brand?
-Have you worked with the brand before?
-Does the brand align with your personal brand, values, and audience?
Based on your answers to these questions will help you determine whether you should push forward with the gifting opportunity. Also don’t be afraid to ask the brand questions as well.
– If taking this gifting what are the metrics you are specifically looking for or goal with the collaboration you are wanting to achieve?
– If taking this gifting I’d love to know the conversion you are looking for so I can work towards future paid opportunities?
Now that you have determined whether you are/aren’t going to move forward, now it’s time to inform the brand of your decision!
YAY! You’re moving forward with this opportunity. Here’s how you succeed in this so you can land a paid collaboration in the future:
-Invest in HIGH-QUALITY CONTENT so the brand will invest in you.
-Promote your influence on platforms that BEST CONVERT & EDUCATE your audience on the new brand.
-Build a relationship with the brand, from beginning to end, by handling the opportunity with professionalism.
As always, a no now isn’t a no later, and want to be sure that communication with the brand is professional to where the bridge isn’t burned for a future opportunity. I always suggest the following to my clients when declining a gifting collaboration from a brand:
-Respond with understanding, thank them for their consideration, and mention the hope for future collaborations if their budget increases.
-Respond by thanking them for the opportunity, and offer to send the company your media & rate kit. This will open up the conversation to talk about the collaboration budget.
-Respond with professionalism, thank them, and let them know you’re unavailable at the moment. Let them know you would be open to collaborating in the future if time in your schedule allows.
Collaborations are an incredible opportunity to grow your business, your audience, and yourself within the industry. As it takes a village to make anything successful–collaborations are no different. Establishing these relationships with brands is integral for your longevity and reputation within the space. Whether you choose to accept the collaboration or not, the value of understanding all the moving parts behind the scenes is HUGE for the next opportunity.
I believe that finding clothing pieces that give you confidence is very important–especially for a campaign, big presentation, or client meetings. One of my favorite quotes that I live by is “Don’t dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want”. I’ve linked my outfit and photo props below. Visit my Amazon Storefront for more looks that will help you look and feel amazing!
Blazer Dress | Black Pumps | Gold Hoops | Gold Necklace
Camera | Tulips | Vase | Vogue Book | Tom Ford Book | Chanel Book
I hope these suggestions help you decide if gifting collaborations align with your business and how influencer marketing can positively impact it. For more business insights and entrepreneur helpful tips, be sure to SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter for these updates straight to your inbox and see some of my favorite blog posts below.
How To Create an Influencer Campaign for Your Business
So You Want To Work With an Influencer
CAPTURE. BRAND. ENGAGE.
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I'm a professional Influencer + Brand Photographer and Marketing Strategist that curates content to elevate your online and social media presence that results in an increase in sales.
Audrie built a reputable career as a photographer and marketing strategist. My favorite conversations are filled with truth bombs that focus on the grit of Entrepreneurship and the realities of marketing in today’s demand.