My name is Ginger Harris and I’ve been an influencer since I started my blog, Electric Blogarella, seven years ago. There’s rarely a day that goes by when I don’t get at least one email that says something along the lines of: “We love your blog.” “We found your profile on Instagram.” “Let’s work together.” “Get paid for posts.”
In a sea of brands reaching out to bloggers, vloggers and Instagrammers, how do you get their attention?
How to Get an Influencer’s Attention + What Goes into an Brand Collaboration (from an Influencer):
Connect With the Influencer
Don’t send a boilerplate email. Instead, make it personal. You picked this person to represent your brand. Tell them why. Share what it is about a recent post they did that you liked and how that fits with your brand.
Provide Adequate Compensation
Influencers do so much more than aim iPhones at themselves or products. Many hire professional photographers, retouchers, makeup artists, hair stylists, even sets. Many times they have to spend their own money to help promote your brand. That’s something that each brand needs to take into consideration. Just offering a free product is not enough, if you’re hoping to get video or photography you can repurpose. Budget accordingly for your influencer’s needs. If a cash payout is not possible, try to offer one or more of these services an influencer needs to make a great picture happen. Remember, this is a partnership. Not a giveaway. You’re making an investment on something that will help you advertise and sell your business or product. Budget accordingly.
Set a Timeline
Set a realistic timeline. Give the influencer time to coordinate a shoot, receive edited photos and post. A meaningful shoot takes time to produce. Likewise, a blogger should respect your deadline.
Cross all your Ts and Dot all your Is
Be sure to share your social platform handles, as well as hashtags with your influencer. Send a mood board. Be specific about what you are looking for. Be specific about what you aren’t looking for. Give visuals so you can all be on the same page.
Circle Back Around
Successful advertising requires repetition. You can’t expect through-the-roof results from a one-time post. Many times it takes as many as three posts to see results. Sometimes even more. Once an influencer’s audience understands the influencer’s relationship with your business or product, it will feel like an authentic partnership rather than just a sponsored post. People want something they can believe in. When an influencer becomes a brand ambassador, rather than just a one-time sponsored post outlet, their base will be more likely to engage. Keep the door open to work together again and again.
Have Fun With it
Building lasting relationships with bloggers is a great way to build and expand your business. Don’t just create the same idea for each influencer. Let the influencer tailor the campaign to fit their voice, their outlet. Find all the different ways you can work together. Get creative. Have fun. Share. That’s what social media is all about.