I’ve been working with influencers and creators for almost a year in my current job stint, and I’ve come to realise a few key things about doing proper influencer marketing that I wouldn’t have imagined if I hadn’t started on this journey. It’s truly an eye opening moment for me as I started to delve deeper into it, and trust me, this is the future of marketing and exactly why I love working with them.
Here are my top 5 round ups:
Research on who they actually are as a person of influence: Know who they are and what they stand for. For a brand, its critical to be able to identify and connect with the right creators who stand for the same purpose as you. Also, you need to understand their audience well enough - where are they from? Will they actually resonate with your product and will the influencer be able to bring the message across in the right manner to their audience?
Authenticity really matters here: Be genuine in your approach towards working with creators. Fake interest in them gets you nowhere, literally. Whenever I accept or approach a creator, I truly believe in their expertise and their feed to be able to influence in a way or another. It doesn’t matter how big or small their following is, what matters most is their connection and resonance.
Respect: Value their time and opinions. Mutual respect is key to success in these partnerships because they are only human as well doing their jobs, and as brands, we ought to ensure their craft and expertise is being leveraged and respected. I’ve done several partnerships where I’ve told the creator to literally ‘do what they think is right for my brand’. This is a way of showing that we respect them and we trust them to do whats best.
Appreciation: Show gratitude whenever the creators did a great job. Trust me, a simple thank you goes a long way. I’ve worked with many creators that I really appreciate for their time and efforts in putting together the content in a way that resonates and makes sense for both our audiences. In return, while most collaborations are paid, I do try to go the extra mile for them in case they needed support. Being personal really helps in this case.
Long-term: You need to think long-term. Sustainable relationships matter especially if you are newer in the space, like Jetpac. I’ve worked with some really key creators across multiple months to ensure that we have not just consistency, but trust and credibility built up. When you are able to strike a chord with the influencer, you will know it and they will also come to you for partnerships. This is the ideal outcome for any brand, when you have genuine creators coming back to you because they like your product and the partnership that came with it.
In our modern technological world, this is going to be integral for any brand.
Influencer relationships are indeed very vital in today’s marketing.
Especially with Gen Zs and Gen Alphas.
So, let’s build them together, and together we’ll grow.