How to Work with Social Media Influencers
When successfully engaged, social media influencers can help build and maintain a brand.
By Michelle Scheuermann
Before the advent of the social media age, we were influenced by Hollywood movies, glossy magazine print ads, radio jingles, and TV commercials. And friends and family were always a trusted source. But in the 1980s these forms of influence began to be supplemented by orchestrated product placement in movies (think Reese’s Pieces in E.T). When marketers and movie financers saw how much money rolled in by having a flash of a product in a hit movie, they never looked back.
Perhaps what made those product placements work so well was the authenticity of it. When Marty McFly drank a Pepsi in “Back to the Future,” you really believed it was his drink of choice. On the other hand, when a product placement seemed forced or contrived, you instinctively knew it and turned away.
Now, nearly 40 years later, here we are dealing with the same attributes with social media and the rise of influencers. The outdoor industry has always had influencers; we just didn’t call them that 20 years ago when Michael Waddell showed you all his cool Realtree gear or Melissa Bachman gave proof of what worked on her last hunting trip. They were just sharing naturally.
The New Age
As Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have evolved into media behemoths, business entities have had to adapt to keep up, and public relations professionals have had to learn how to navigate this strange new world. It’s not always smooth sailing. Along the way, companies have had to learn to deal with negative comments that require a steady hand to steer the ship into safe harbors, and customer service staffers have had to figure out how to respond to the onslaught of inquiries and orders. And we have seen, firsthand, the power given to individuals on social media. With the right mix of followers and the right product placement with a photo or video, a company could get noticed far beyond its original reach.
All you had to do was find the right individual (or social media account) and exchange goods (money) for services (postings). Done, right? Not so fast. A simple exchange can go south quickly without proper communication, proper respect and treatment, and a proper contract. Which leads us to the essential question:
Should you work with an influencer?
Herding Cats
Maybe. Maybe not. The first question you should ask of your brand, your company, or yourself is: is working with influencers important to you? This could be a resounding “yes!” But if you are unsure, let’s go over a few items.
Do you have staff to help manage the business-influencer relationship? It takes time and energy to find the right influencer, interview them, negotiate, draw up a contract, and then watch their execution to provide feedback. It is very similar to herding cats. If you don’t have the time to nurture the relationship, failure is likely.
Do you have a budget? Influencers need to be paid for their time and work. It is very simple: they are providing you a service, and they need to be paid for it. I am firm in this: no gift cards are given, no “in-kind products” are provided, and both parties will report these transactions on the proper IRS forms. Influencers have a business, just like you, so treat it as such.
Do you know what you want? What exactly do you want them to accomplish during your time working together? Do you expect them to move sales? Do you just want to raise awareness? Tell them how many videos, posts, and stories you want monthly. Be specific. The more specific you are, the better the results.
“Social media influencers are key to injecting your brand and products to highly engaged and active audiences,” says Brian Anderson, director of marketing for Federal, CCI, and Speer Ammunition. “They bring a different level of brand excitement that is needed when telling your product story to their audience and, in turn, a different perspective from the brand voice when the content is pushed across its digital properties. When it comes to partnering with an influencer, we don’t necessarily think that number of followers or subscribers is the driving factor to form a relationship. Personality, reputation, communication skills, and attention to detail when executing projects or delivering content are some of the key attributes I evaluate. And, before you jump into that committed relationship, take a test drive with a project or two to see if that influencer is not only a fit for the brand but for the person managing the influencer.”
That said, not all influencer programs work. Kyle Cary, marketing analyst for ALPS Brands, shared that ALPS was working with influencers up to 2019, but hasn’t since then. What happened? According to Cary, who wasn’t there at the time of the decision to end the program, it was time to move on. “What I can say is that we found it to be a larger time investment than expected to institute and maintain an influencer program properly. Influencer programs can be beneficial, but based on our experience, a business owner needs to analyze the time invested versus the outcome. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure is to try.”
Dynamic Relationship
The influencer-brand relationship is dynamic. Much like a marriage, this relationship needs to be built on mutual respect. If the influencer is just taking your money, but doesn’t really care about your product—well, that should raise flags. When researching potential influencers, one of my clients insists the influencer should be following their account. It shows they already shop there and/or are aware of them. Bonus points are given for tagging the company in posts and/or messaging them from time to time.
Another factor to weigh: how was this “deal” structured? Was this a paid gig or did you just give them product and ask for in-kind return? I’m here to tell you that the latter route may work in the beginning, but not paying cash for the service you desire may turn around and bite you. I know many companies that gladly hand out their goods to whomever will share a photo of them using it in a tree stand or at the range. Here’s the deal: what you value that product as—and what the influencer values that product as—are two separate issues. If you give someone a $1,500 rifle, how do you know you are going to get $1,500 worth of posts in return? Your product has an actual manufacturer’s suggested retail price whereas an influencer has no such thing for their posts.
In the past, I’ve recommended Social Bluebook (socialbluebook.com) to influencers trying to figure out what exactly their posts are worth; the site provides a grading scale and gives real dollar amounts for posts, videos, etc. However, the software does not take into consideration the knowledge behind that influencer. Keep in mind that how many followers or likes a person has doesn’t equate to the extent of their knowledge base.
Chad Carmen, digital media manager for Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, says, “Utilize individuals who would support your brand regardless of a paid program. Authenticity is more important than followers. In today’s world, consumers see right through who is promoting for a paycheck.” When asked what pitfalls to avoid when it comes to establishing an influencer program, Carmen says, “Don’t work with someone just because they are popular.”
There is no “perfect” influencer. They simply don’t exist. We are all human, and this is a very human interaction. You need to keep in mind that they are posting in a public space that is often less-than-friendly to our industry. There will be some hits and misses. When you do land that influencer that jives with you and your brand you need to find a way to keep them. Experience has taught me that once an influencer gets a taste of “fame and fortune” on social media they tend to spread their wings. This is when they may want to take on brands that just don’t fit with yours. You need to be open and honest with them about such conflicts of interest. Be prepared to let them go if they don’t respect your wishes.
When developing relationships with influencers, my clients will begin with a short-term agreement of three months. During that time, we’ll monitor their posts and engagement. We’ll also evaluate how easy (or hard) they were to work with as well as their overall professional (or non-professional) attitude. Then we’ll consider longer-term agreements for the future. Beginning small and going up from there is a great tool to use to evaluate success.
The Spreadsheet Error
Mistakes can be made on both sides of the fence when it comes to developing and maintaining an influencer program for your brand or business. Everyone goes through it because, frankly, there is no perfect roadmap for this program. Carmen, who has worked with influencers for several years, shared what to watch when developing a program: “The biggest mistake would be trying to simplify any marketing relationship to transactional dollars or ‘did I receive X number of sales directly from this relationship?’ When I came into the industry, I tried to put a specific dollar into every cell of every influencer spreadsheet. There are plenty of intangibles that come with working with the right influencers and marketing must include gut instincts as well.”
I agree with this assessment. An influencer program is difficult to tag a dollar amount to or fit into an Excel spreadsheet, though we all try. With my clients, we use the following intangibles to determine success:
If the client shared an influencer’s post to their account, how well did it perform?
How are people responding to that influencer’s posts on their own account? Are they engaging at all? Are they just “posting and ghosting?”
How creative are they? Are they willing to take chances?
When asked to provide specific content, is there pushback? Or is there a willingness to complete to task?
If there is a promo code, how often did the influencer push it? How well did it perform?
Did the influencer go above and beyond the terms of their contract?
At the end of the day working with an influencer is a business decision. And though applying the typical corporate spreadsheet P/L approach doesn’t really work here, if the arrangement isn’t benefitting your business in some tangible way (however you choose to define it), it’s a poor investment. But when it works, you can engage your customers at a level that far surpasses that of the ordinary buyer-seller relationship. And that, they say, is money in the bank.
Social Media Categories
The social media world separates influencers into multiple categories: Mega/Celebrity, 100,000 (or more) followers; Macro, 25,000 to 100,000; Micro, 5,000 to 25,000; and Nano, under 5,000. The best engagements are usually in the Micro and Nano category, but the best reach is in the Mega and Macro category. I’ve found it desirable to have a mix of influencers in each category. Here’s a deeper dive into each category.
Nano: Everyday people with a small, generally more friend-based following. They can be used to create buzz within a very targeted audience. Think of Nano as synonymous with the original word-of-mouth approach for spreading information.
Micro: These people are influencers with a smaller but dedicated following covering a niche market. Their content is generally more authentic because they have a closer relationship with their audience. They can be more easily paired with a performance-based payment model to drive true accountability and measurable results at scale.
Macro: A hybrid between the traits of Micro and Mega influencers. A general trend is that these influencers are more likely to work for a flat fee, be that a monthly payment, or a lump sum for a project. The quality of content takes a big leap forward compared to Micro with better photography and video. This group has grown with their followers and learned what needs to be done to engage. They could have potentially more involved posts by utilizing Instagram Reels, Lives, Stories, etc. However, the engagement rate also decreases compared to Micro.
Mega/Celebrity: Megas specialize in driving high-impact awareness with a very broad reach, which is not as helpful for reaching niche markets. Mega influencers cost more, but the quality of their content is close to that of a creative agency. You can also be more prescriptive with the types of content they produce. These influencers almost always work on a flat-fee model and generally work through talent agencies/managers.