Social media collaborations with influential people, better known as influencers, don't seem too complicated at first glance. A few test products here, a few nice words there, and you've got free advertising for your own company... right? No, not quite! Social media collaborations require a lot of tact and people skills. That's why we've put together the 8 most important things you should know before collaborating!
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1. Your own offering must be influencer-friendly.
It goes without saying that influencer marketing is not a miracle cure that works for every company across the board. No matter what your trusted influencer is supposed to showcase, it has to be authentic. And that's only possible if the offer is suitable for social media and your target audience can actually be found on these social networks.
We've all seen those posts that are obviously staged, even from 10 meters away. That's not successful social media collaboration, it's just boring advertising. So before you start looking for collaboration partners, ask yourself these questions:
- Can my product/service be presented authentically?
- Will this help me reach my target audience?
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2. It all comes down to finding the right influencers.
There is no such thing as a single influencer strategy, nor is there a single person you should hire as an influencer. On the contrary, many companies prefer to start small and work with people who are not yet superstars in the industry. This means that the audience is smaller overall, but it is one that has a genuine interest in the product or service.
But that's just the beginning. Here are a few more key criteria that characterize the "right influencer":
- Authenticity – According to a Statista survey , the majority of respondents cited both brand fit and audience fit as the most important characteristics of an influencer. Credibility is everything!
- Long-term potential – Lasting cooperation means: "You can really trust this brand."
- No 'dark past' – You certainly don't want a backlash just because you overlooked the fact that your new influencer has made an embarrassing faux pas in the past...
- Exclusivity – How credible is it when the chosen person already has what feels like a hundred other advertising partners?
It's not easy to find someone like this in the first place, but pre-selecting candidates will save you a lot of hassle in the long run. A selection of potential candidates for your influencer collaboration can be found using special tools and platforms such as BuzzSumo. Once you have your list of favorites, it's time for the third golden rule...
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3. Going from zero to a hundred doesn't work.
Contacting an influencer out of the blue will lead to... nothing. After all, how are they supposed to know whether you are trustworthy, what they stand to gain from responding to you, etc.? No, the smarter approach is to test the waters before making your actual request and make contact in a noncommittal way:
- Comment on a post. A comment doesn't disappear as quickly as a simple like – and the influencer will be happy, because interactions are known to be the currency for the algorithms of Facebook, Instagram, etc.
- Repost a post, e.g., in your Instagram Story.
- Invite the person to an event together with others.
The infographic shows at a glance that communication with influencers follows its own set of rules (more on this in point 6!):
When establishing contact, many things can go well—or turn into a colossal mistake. (Infographic by mediabynature)
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4. Concrete ideas are the necessary basis.
As soon as you make contact that goes beyond commenting or sharing, you need concrete arguments. The goal of a company should not be: "We want a partnership." Rather, it must be clear what this partnership will look like and where it should lead.
That doesn't mean that every little detail has already been decided – quite the contrary. Influencers should always have the opportunity to have their say. After all, they are the public face of the cause. At the same time, very few of them have the time or inclination to come up with a complete concept on their own.
Imagine you're going on a vacation road trip with friends. Do you just get in the car and wait for it to start moving on its own? No, you know which country you're going to. Probably which region, too. Where your first stop will be? You can always decide that along the way...
The same applies to social media cooperation: at least go into the project with your own ideas. You will see early enough whether and to what extent they can be implemented—but you need to have a rough idea.
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5. Influencer relationships are a business matter.
Every social media collaboration is, among other things, a business relationship. Such projects often give the impression that they are solely about goodwill, but that would be simply unrealistic. The fact is: you and your collaboration partner both want to gain something from this collaboration.
And rightly so, because both sides will be investing time in the project.
To keep this time investment to a minimum and avoid getting in each other's way, you should be able to provide as much information as possible from the outset. Your influencer needs to know:
- Who is submitting a request and why?
- How do they actually know me?
- What would I gain from a commitment?
- Does that fit into my schedule?
- Is this a one-time thing or could it become a permanent assignment?
- Who can I contact if I want to know more?
Ultimately, social media collaboration is about one side making an offer and the other side accepting or rejecting it. All of this may be packaged in a casual tone, a friendly vibe, and colorful colors, but at the end of the day, it remains a business matter.
This basic attitude shows respect for the influencer, and treating others with respect has never done anyone any harm. Speaking of which, the next point is also a sign of appreciation.
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6. Mass processing is taboo.
One of the biggest mistakes in blogger outreach is the assumption that bloggers or influencers "don't really work." This prejudice stifles any cooperation and couldn't be more wrong. Conceptualization, planning, implementation, content editing, networking, content promotion – all of this takes hours and hours and can be very demanding.
So when requesting a collaboration, be sure to show that you know (or want to get to know) the person behind the influencer persona and that you appreciate their work. Note:
- Mass messages with a salutation such as "Hello there!" or "Dear blogger" are absolutely taboo.
- A personal greeting with your name is the least you can do.
- Explain why you are contacting them and what you like about their content.
Those are the basics. Apart from that, your official cooperation request should include the things that have already been mentioned: contact person, benefits, the rough idea, time frame, etc.
Basically, influencers must always feel that they can consult with you and that they are not alone when in doubt. This applies at the beginning as well as during the ongoing cooperation. Never forget that both parties are equal and each has a right to clear communication.
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7. A network needs to be expanded and consolidated.
The collaboration went really well? Great! Now it's time to keep it up—and take it to the next level: Think about new joint projects and network with each other.
Who knows, maybe you can recommend your influencer to others and help him or her gain new business. And who knows, maybe you'll meet other people through your influencer with whom you could collaborate in the future. In any case, a network doesn't build itself – just think of relationship management as an investment in the future.
All in all, influencer campaigns often fail precisely because they are treated as a one-off event and come to nothing. Save yourself this classic marketing mistake right from the start!
The infographic summarizes the most important stages once again:
Influencer collaborations are a multi-step process. (Graphic by mediabynature)
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8. Interpersonal relationships are crucial.
One of the most important reminders to conclude: interpersonal relationships must not be neglected in social media collaborations. Yes, it is a business relationship—but ultimately, it is still between people. Therefore:
- If the chemistry just isn't right, it may be better to end the partnership. There's a better match waiting out there somewhere.
- Problems are best resolved by addressing them openly and...
- ...you look for a solution together.
If you take all these factors into account and don't neglect personal relationships alongside your goals, your social media collaborations will have a solid foundation. And with that, all that remains to be said is: good luck!
