It’s important to note that today’s most successful social media influencers speak to their audiences with authenticity not with branded talking points. Developing influencer relationships requires a leap of faith from the brand, so that the rich influencer voice may resonate, creating deeper conversation and trust with their audience.

 

Recently, our team had the opportunity to experience the extraordinary success of taking that leap of faith with an influencer.  We provided the elements for inclusive content, then stepped back and let the influencer do the rest.

Public relations practitioners often see our role as managing the message, but the best outcome occurs after rethinking the opportunity’s approach in the lens of the right product, the right influencer and the right framing!

 

The right product

Not all products fit social media influencer engagement. Ask yourself, is this product conversational, fresh, vintage, does it provide an opportunity to be a piece of a bigger campaign? Are there visual opportunities to taste, see and experience that will translate virtually? Then, does the conversation resonate better with a certain market or region? Is there a cultural value?

 

The right influencer

Identifying the right advocate for the conversation requires research and building relationships. The brands of the influencer and your client need to be aligned with your client’s goals! And most of all, is the influencer willing to be a bit vulnerable in their content and share the message of inclusivity?

 

The right framing

Framing the social influencer plan requires research to know the influencer you are approaching and having a few guard rails in place to unleash the influencer’s creativity, while feeling comfortable with their unique approach. This is a new space to share our stories and our products, but the influencer is technically putting their own spin on how they see it to help their audience.

 

Understanding the influencer allows creative content to be made and shared in a framework for authentic conversation. These relationships take work from both ends, but the memorable end result is impactful for the parties involved and the community they touch.

Brianna Brennan
Account Executive