The Workflow for Building a Great Brand/ Influencer Relationship

Working with influencers is more than an exchange of product or a paycheck for a few posts on Instagram. In order to have a successful influencer marketing campaign, it’s important to create a lasting relationship that benefits them as much as your brand.

Find Influencers That Will Enhance Your Brand

The first step to a successful relationship is choosing to work with content creators that light your brand’s fire. Do your research on the influencer and make sure their content is interesting and aligns with your brand’s values and voice.

Reaching out to any and all content creators just because they have a large following is not the way to go. Nine times out of ten if they aren’t in the same industry (or supporting industries) as your brand, you won’t get a response. Or worse, you won’t get the engagement you had hoped for after investing in this relationship.

This is particularly true for influencers with large followings, because they will have higher rates.

Be Real, & Be Conversational

Everyone loves to be complimented, but there’s no reason to over do it. When you reach out to the content creator just be nice and personable. Instead of focusing on them or their rates, strike up conversation about the latest topic they posted about.

They’ll appreciate you taking the time to really get to know what they’re about, and the details of the collaboration will naturally come up. Just remember, if you’re awkward in your approach — they’ll feel awkward to respond.

Learn About Influencers’ Lives

Most of the time, content creators teach workshops, attend networking events, or host podcasts. Meeting in-person will make your relationship stronger because it shows that you are committed to working with them, and it gives you both a chance to put a face to a name.

Most of the connections you make with influencers will be online, but if you have the chance to attend a networking event, or sit in on a class it’ll make your relationship 10x stronger.

Plus, you’ll have the chance to connect with other like-minded influencers who are attending.

Don’t Obsess Over the “Perfect” Influencer

Yes, you may find the ‘perfect’ content creator to work with, but don’t use your entire budget on one influencer. It’s important to remember that there are many other influencers to work with.

Some may have a larger following, some may be less active, but all (that align with your brand) are equally important to put time and effort into. Remember, an influencer with 5,000 followers this month could have 500,000 next year.

These micro influencers also often have a more dedicated following than larger influencers.

Just like a romantic relationship or a friendship, building a great connection with an influencer will take time and effort. (And maybe a small portion of your budget, too.) Be genuinely interested in their work, get to know them, and put in the effort to keep the relationship going.