If these last couple years have taught us anything, it’s that influencer marketing is here to stay. It is no longer just a fad that a few brave brands dabble in during the holiday season. Marketers everywhere are taking influencer marketing seriously and learning how to build relationships that will help them create long term success in it. A critical part of this success comes from creating a good relationship between the brand and the influencers that represent them.
Because of the “middlemen” in campaigns, often times brands and influencers go the entire campaign without direct communication. So we decided to chat with one of our favorite influencers to give brands and agencies a look at what influencer marketing is like from their point of view.
Jennifer Worman, a Chicago based influencer, is the face behind the Instagram account RedSolesAndRedWine,where she has garnered over 174k followers, and is the CEO of TandJDesigns. One of the many reasons for her success is because of the variety of content she shares with her audience. She is a fashion and beauty influencer, but also posts engaging content about lifestyle, travel, home decor, and motherhood. Her diverse post topics makes her a great influencer for a variety of different brands.
At Mattr, we have been lucky enough to work with Jennifer on multiple campaigns. Here are some questions we asked to get a better idea of what these partnerships are like from her point of view:
See them as a business; not just a social profile.
What’s the most important thing is to consider when deciding to work with a new brand? Jennifer told us she loves to work with brands and products that she truly loves and that fit in with her life and her brand. “To me that is #1 as I truly showcase what I love and what may be useful to my friends on my blog and social media. The next thing would be if it is I can achieve what the client wants. I definitely see my sharing as a business as well so I always want to make sure my work is the best.”
Communicate Promptly and Often.
When asked about the most frustrating thing a brand can do during a campaign, Jennifer told us “demanding things without much notice and lack of response when I have questions.” Constant communication with influencers is huge. Often times, the details and demands of a campaign can change daily. It is important to be transparent and keep the influencers in the loop to what is going on.
Appreciate the Time and Cost They Put Into the Campaign.
“I love working with brands that understand the time and cost I put in and are detailed with the goals of the project. That way I fulfill their goals and we both walk away happy.” Jennifer said she loves to fulfill their goals and for her and the brand to always walk away happy. When a brand can show appreciation for what the influencer does for them, it makes for a better experience and more reasons for an influencer to seek a longer partnership.
They Love Long Term Relationships.
Influencers have shown to get more engagement when they post about a product more than once. Why? Because their audience knows this is a product they must truly love and believe in. This is a win-win for the brand and the influencer. Jennifer told us working with products she loves continuously is her favorite thing. “I love to pitch more long term plans as well as I find sharing things a few times gets the best reach, brands that want to create that partnership are the best.”
Be Patient – It’s a Longer Process Than You Think.
There are always common misconceptions about bloggers and influencers. But brands would be surprised to know how much work goes into the content they create for you. “In general, each photo setup depending on product or service takes longer than they think, and for every one photo we share there are 100 others that weren’t acceptable.”
No Need for Bonuses.
There is always talk about influencers and getting free stuff. Should they be given extra incentives? Will this make them want do better on a campaign? But Jennifer assured that the right influencer should do their best on any campaign they sign up for. “I don’t believe in signing up for work if you can’t do it 110%.”
Try and Let Them Have Some Creative Control.
This is always a tug-of-war during a campaign. Should the brand take control, write the captions, dictate the image? Or should they let go and let the influencer handle it? It is a risk, but it will get better engagement if it feels real. “I would prefer to have creative control as I know my friends on social (not a big fan of saying followers 😉 and what works on my blog and Instagram is what made me successful….one of my favorite parts about campaigns is coming up with the image and styling of it.”
As Jennifer points out, it is important for the brands and agencies to understand the work influencers put into creating content and the careful consideration they take when deciding to work with a new brand. Of course, as Jennifer mentioned, every influencer is different. For instance, working with a macro-level influencer who depends on this as their way of living will most likely be a different experience than working with a micro-level college student who creates content as a hobby. But they all have something you are looking for, an engaged audience. Happy influencers who know what is expected and feel appreciated by their brand partners are a recipe for great content, which in turn produces a happy brand. When that happens you’re guaranteed the start of a lasting relationship!
About MATTR
MATTR is the only full-service influencer marketing provider with detailed audience insights from PersonaMesh™. We go beyond demographics into psychographics such as values and interests so that your influencer campaigns align with your campaign targets.