While influencers are, by definition, solo acts, working with a few influencers on a single campaign is a lot like a team sport. Different players have their roles and everyone adds something special to help the team win.
Creators with big audiences can deliver reach and status but charge more for their services; these are your all-stars. Emerging creators add targeted engagement, which brands can activate to support specific initiatives or provide lift in search rankings for evergreen content; these are your solid, everyday players. Micro-influencers usually cost the least, so they make a lot of content efficiently and can be groomed as emerging star players of the future; these are your up-and-coming rookies.
Here are some steps for brands to follow in building a successful influencer team, as excerpted from PR News' Influencer Marketing Guide Book.
Talent Selection
- Follower and subscriber counts are nice but can be bought or built on yesterday’s algorithm
- Track recent average video/post organic performance metrics as a better indicator of what to expect
- Each creative genre is different so be aware of what works best within the categories your audience cares about
Creative Development
- Agree with influencers on key message points and let them integrate your story authentically into their content
- Influencers know their audience best so listen if they push back because something feels too commercial
- Be open to their ideas but be clear on what your do’s and don’ts are for brand safety
Deal Terms
- Agree upfront on distribution, licensing and ownership terms for the content
- Require proper FTC disclosures
- Be aware that creative changes, promotional asks or anything that requires the influencer to do more than they agreed to in the contract could come with additional costs or be refused
Production Management
- Clearly define deadlines and the required approvals at each stage of the process
- Make sure the influencers have all brand assets they need at the start of production
- Understand that each influencer approaches their production process differently so be flexible to their needs
Measuring Success
- Define KPIs and ROI based on specific campaign objectives
- Request weekly reporting on publicly available metrics and a final recap with deeper insights
- Create unique trackable links whenever possible
Shawn Kallet is vice president of branded partnerships at Branded Entertainment Network.
Follow Shawn: @skallet1