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Influencer Partnerships for PR Clients

By Kyle Niederpruem posted 05-30-2019 03:16 PM

  
If you’re in the social media world, you’ve likely stumbled on a wide variety of “influencers” out there – or perhaps some have already approached you for work with a well-known brand. Some of us work with the influencer crowd to help spread the word about events or to establish long-term relationships as brand ambassadors. Others recruit influencers to help out with a community cause or to establish a pool of growing grassroots advocates.

No matter what road you travel with influencers, it’s a road worth traveling.

We asked a few influencers to tell us how they operate in their micro and macro worlds.

Shay Hazen, a Cleveland-based micro influencer and owner of Live Full Throttle, works with several brands in sports, film and tech. We asked – What’s the key to a successful relationship with a PR practitioner, agency, marketer, entrepreneur or company?

“Communication. No question. Having those open lines, and the comfort to ask questions, make inquiries about the partnership without feeling like you’re crossing a line or asking for too much, is KEY. You should feel like you’re working WITH them, not FOR them. I think that’s the huge difference between a partner and an employer. I’ve been lucky enough to have that with all the groups I’ve partnered with or worked in conjunction with, and if I feel like that dynamic has changed or my willingness to participate has been taken advantage of, I’ve walked. I think there is a mutual respect that’s needed in a professional partnership, and as long as that remains consistent or preferably grows stronger over time, than it’s a partnership that can stand the test of time.”

Like Shay, I prefer relationships that are relevant and ongoing as I do with traditional media. But influencers often have full-time jobs and do their influencer work on the side. So you have to be reasonable with your requests and invites and expect to communicate after business hours – or with a delay.

One of the reasons I enjoy working with Shay is because of her original voice and her passion for the topics she covers. It’s apparent – and not cliché or coined into a corporate and canned vernacular. Using a device we loaned her, she once landed more than 80,000 Instagram views at a Pink concert in some exceptional video she shot at a concert. Good for her brand, good for the client brand.

Another lifestyle influencer I like to work with is Breanne Barger, who is based in the Indianapolis metro area and owner of The BreeLeigh House blog. We asked her the tricky question: Does it matter to you if the gig is paid or unpaid – or does that depend?

“Being paid or not being paid really depends on the opportunity. Exposure doesn't pay the bills but fortunately for me, I have a full time job and don't mind doing unpaid work. I'm fairly new around the influencer world so I am still building my portfolio or ‘social media kit.’ I have to look at each individual partnership and opportunity to see what my ROI is and how it fits my avatar. Sometimes it's about being a Brand Ambassador for a company I love and support on my own. Knowing that when I post about their product or service and tag them that in return, they are going to share my post with their thousands of followers. Other times it's about forming a partnership, receiving free product and giving my honest opinion.”

She’s also turned down partnerships that aren’t a good fit, explaining: “I turn down partnerships that are mostly brand ambassador types where everyone who has an Instagram page can be an ‘ambassador.’ Also, if you want to legit partner, I am not going to buy your item first. Send me your product so I can test it out, try it on, and see if it's legit. I am always going to be honest with my audience and need to make sure the item or partnership is legit. If my brand doesn't fit their audience and there is no ROI for the agency, I'm probably not going to partner either.”

Can influencers be abused in the process? Yes, and I’ve heard the stories. Micro influencers may want the opportunity to work with a brand for a bit, but only until their followers reach a certain pinnacle in both numbers and engagement. Once they reach a certain point in their journey, they know what they want to do and are quick to decline offers that don’t meet their own brand expectations. No one should be offended when they do. Just move on.

Both Shay and Bree are quality writers who know their platforms and can also make suggestions on what they may be able to do with you – and for you.

Influencers may be picky about what they want to get involved with due to limited time, additional work loads, and brand deals that don’t match their own growth goals, etc.

If you’re unsure of how to find influencers, here are a couple of suggestions:

1) Look for hashtags related to you and your competitors. You’ll find influencers in those posts. Do read their profiles, “about” sections online and media kits, if provided. Most who are serious about what they do make it easy to communicate online or by email.
2) Ask an influencer for referrals if they’re too busy to engage. Their networks are full of busy people and do a lot of activities you may be unaware of in your community in all sorts of channels – from government to non-profit causes.
3) Once the door is open by intro, be specific about what you’re asking the influencer to do – attend an event, invite their influencer friends to a product launch party, head to a retail store for an exclusive preview – and don’t forget to ask for their input. They may have a better idea!
4) If an influencer asks for money up front, and you don’t have it, just be honest and disclose that you don’t have the budget for a paid #BrandAmbassador. If they want to experience what your brand has to offer – they’ll stay in touch.

Both Bree and Shay continue to build their brands. Bree is always looking for new partners. “For me, especially being a micro influencer at just over 600 followers, I am always looking to grow my audience. I want to get my avatar/brand out there so others know and see me. Sometimes it's truly about forming relationships and supporting a company you love and value. I wouldn't promote an item or company if I didn't fully love and support it with my own money first.”

Shay agrees, and also likes the experience value she lands with her followers.

“I enjoy engaging followers because I learn something new from each one of them. I have never been asked to post anything in particular by any of the groups I’ve worked/partnered with. My posts are my own personal thoughts and my first-hand experiences. Anyone who knows me well, knows that it’s nearly impossible to make me do anything that I don’t want to do, and I certainly would never say or write something that didn’t come from me, that I didn’t believe 100 percent.”
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