May 2024
In today’s digital landscape, influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for brands to connect authentically with their target audiences. But what is the premise behind influencer marketing? Essentially, it involves leveraging the influence of key leaders to amplify your brand message to a larger market. As the social media sphere continues to evolve, so do the strategies employed by both brands and influencers alike. Recently, Jackson Spalding hosted a panel of three trusted influencer partners from the Atlanta area: Tia Freeman, Melissa Tovar and Jamilla Svansson-Brown to share their experiences as creators working with top brands. From what they shared, our Influencer Relations Team compiled five tactics to elevate your influencer partnerships and guide your business to success:
How much of a heads up do influencers want or need to create their best content? They told us to initiate the outreach process as early as possible, ideally 4-6 weeks before a campaign. Creators often plan their content and brand collaborations well in advance, particularly during busy seasons like the holidays. As such, sharing general timing and gauging their interest early on ensures you can secure a spot in their busy schedule. Considering that content creation is a full-time job for many influencers, it’s essential to treat it as such. No one likes a last-minute ask, so respecting a creator’s time and schedule demonstrates professionalism and fosters a stronger partnership. That said, the creators told us they are happy to participate in a quick-turn campaign if the brand is willing to add a rush fee.
Greeting creators by their social handles instead of their names can be a turnoff. Take the time to research the person’s given name and address them as such in your communications. “I think my biggest pet peeve is when things come across as overly automated. I love when brands take the time to get to know me and who I am as a creator,” remarked Tia Freeman (@itstiatamara). Freeman’s hot tip: customize the creative brief with links to the influencers’ past posts that match the type of content you’re wanting for this campaign.
Also consider initiating kick-off meetings at the start of campaigns to talk through the requirements with creators, brainstorm together and ensure any ideas or concerns are heard upfront. Jamilla Svansson-Brown shared, “I love taking meetings with agencies and brands, because I can ask them, ‘What is it that you really want to get out of this partnership?’” For ongoing partnerships, also schedule check-ins after each content round to assess performance and discuss any necessary adjustments.
Creators know best when it comes to what content will resonate with their followers. Melissa Tovar (@xomelissatovar) emphasized, “Compensation obviously matters, but at the end of the day, for me, it’s about creativity and the concept. I get completely turned off when a brand just offers a script or says, ‘This is what you have to do.’” Tovar shared that once she posted two videos about a brand — one following their brief and one reflecting her own concept. The latter wildly outperformed the former, prompting the brand to give her much more creative freedom the next time around. This sentiment underscores the importance of fostering an environment where creators feel valued and respected for their unique voices and perspectives.
All panelists shared that they favor long-term partnerships over one-time campaigns, citing their ability to work more collaboratively once they build a relationship. “Long-term partnerships are always the most valuable to me just because we know each other to a certain level,” said Freeman. She also noted the importance of consistent exposure of the product or service in the audience’s feed as a successful tactic for driving conversions. “Your followers need to see certain things more than once or twice, maybe even three times before they actually buy,” she added.
Many influencers exhibit a willingness to collaborate with brands beyond their typical niches. In fact, all three panelists shared experiences of successful collaborations with brands that initially seemed unrelated to their areas of focus but ultimately performed well on their platforms. For example, although a creator may be seen as a beauty influencer, she’s also a person who enjoys traveling and going out to eat — as do her followers — so it’s fun and natural for her to partner occasionally with hotels and restaurants as well. When aiming to cut through the noise, consider teaming up with unexpected creators on whose grids your content will stand out for being unique yet resonate because it’s still a fit for the person behind it.
Ready to Amplify Your Brand? Partner with Our Influencer Marketing Team
If you want guidance on selecting the right influencers, crafting compelling campaigns or refining your approach, we’re here to assist. Let us help you harness the power of influencer relations to elevate your brand and connect with your audience in meaningful ways. Contact us today to start transforming your approach to digital marketing and see tangible results in your brand engagement and growth.
