Building a personal relationship with influencers is essential for brands to churn out successful influencer marketing campaigns repeatedly. It is a slow process and requires effort from both sides. A good relationship ensures that influencers will go the extra mile to create winning content every time for the brand, which can be seen in the final outcome. A great campaign results from how much the influencer is invested in the brand. And how much effort the brand has taken to make the influencer comfortable and part of the whole process. This blog will discuss vital tips to help brands improve their relationships with influencers.
Trust your influencer
Brands should understand that whether they are onboarding an influencer for a short or long-term partnership, trusting them and treating them with mutual respect is paramount. Creators are people, and looking at them as mere transactions that can help you achieve your goals and objectives will be wrong. Since you have hired a creator for their expertise and knowledge of a specific domain, it will be beneficial for both if you consider their ideas and incorporate them if it looks promising, rather than just shunting them down.
Detailed campaign brief
The complete campaign details need to be shared with the content creators, so everyone is on the same page. Brands should explicitly explain the goals and objectives of the campaign, the kind of content they are looking for, timelines for the delivery, the do’s and don’ts of brand guidelines, and content production instructions. This will give the influencers a clear idea of what they are expected to deliver and make it easier for them to execute the campaign within the pre-decided framework. In addition, brands can brief the influencer if there are specific topics or words they do not want their campaigns to be associated with. Clearly stating all the campaign prerequisites will ensure no bad blood between the creator and the brand as the work on the campaign progresses.
Also Read: How to negotiate successfully with influencers
Make them part of the creative process
Brands collaborate with social media influencers because of their expertise in the subject and their followers’ understanding. Nobody understands the audience of the influencer better than they did. They know what kind of content will resonate well with their followers and can help brands achieve their influencer marketing goals and objectives. So, it will be wise for brands to involve the creators in their creative processes, like the content theme, format, duration, and topic. Having said that, brands should not give a free hand to the creators and let them design the campaign according to what they feel is right because that will put brand safety at risk. So to maintain a satisfying relationship and get the best outcome, brands should tread a fine line where they involve the influencers in the creative process and together come to an understanding that works well for the organization.
Appreciate your influencer
One of the easiest ways to improve your relationship with your influencer is to appreciate their efforts and contributions. A simple “thank you” goes a long way to building a long-lasting relationship. In addition, brands should show the influencers that they genuinely care about them and value their opinion. For example, brands can send personalized e-mails to the influencers they have worked with or are working with, sending regular updates about the new campaigns they plan to execute. A small token of appreciation, like a free product or a personalized greeting, is also a great way in this direction. These efforts go a long way in strengthening the relationship between the brand and the influencers, and the results are encouraging.
Reasonable time for content creation
Various research has found that influencers like to work with brands that provide them sufficient time to create content that can have a meaningful impact on their audience. However, putting influencers under unreasonable time pressure can create unnecessary friction between both parties, negatively impacting the outcome. Instead, brands and influencers can sit together and agree to a reasonable time frame to develop impactful content rather than rushing on the timeline. After careful discussion, aligning on the content deadline will allow brands to have a flourishing relationship with influencers.
Keep communicating effectively
To get the best out of your influencer marketing campaign, brands must effectively communicate with the creators. Communicating what you want from the influencers and encouraging them to do the same will benefit the campaign’s outcome and reduce friction down the line. Being available for influencers whenever they need you and providing proper guidance will improve brand sentiment among your creators, ultimately resulting in better relations.
