The growth of influencer marketing in the last few years has been impressive. As much as brands look for the best social celebrities to endorse their products, influencers also want to collaborate with the best brands. Strong collaborations benefit them both- brands get to boost their visibility and revenues while influencers are able to make money and fortify relationships with their audience. However, both need to find relevant fits in each other and also build trust that keeps the partnership going. While the expectations of brands from these celebrity partners get more attention, there is also a need to understand what influencers expect from the brand collaborations and the businesses they team-up with.
Relevance
When it comes to creating successful collaborations, relevance is as important for influencers as it is for brands. It is all about finding a brand that matches their image, tone of voice and values so that the collaboration appears genuine to the audience. Having an authentic narrative enables influencers to sell more convincingly. At the same time, it fosters follower trust because they are can better connect with the story. Not even the most loyal followers would want to see sponsored content because it is as bad as a blatant advertisement.
Professionalism
This one is a no-brainer- anyone partnering with a business would prioritize professionalism because it breeds trust and credibility. With influencer collaborations, everything boils down to good communication. As a brand, you need to know how to contact instagram influencers (or those across the other channels) because they are celebrities in their own right. They can help you get high volumes of traffic, engagement and sales, so they deserve respect and attention.
Fair compensation
Another obvious thing that any influencer would expect from a brand is fair compensation from the collaboration. Working with them is an investment for any business, just like running a Facebook ad or a PPC campaign. This collaboration is a purely financial arrangement, so the influencer would expect to be paid for the endorsement. After all, creating content and pitching products to their followers is a job for these social celebrities. It is best to decide the nature and amount of remuneration right from the start so that there aren’t issues down the line. Apart from money, brands can reward them with free products or vouchers.
Growth potential
Perhaps, the most important expectation that influencers have from these partnerships is growth. Rather than just monetary growth, they look for the opportunities to attract, acquire, and retain wider audiences. It hardly matters whether they get them directly through organic reach or indirectly through brand collaborations. They also want to create a positive and long-term relationship with the brand’s followers. Even if the partnership ends in the future, these followers would probably stay. So this serves as a long-term growth strategy for the influencers.
The relationship between brands and influencers is a symbiotic one because both can get extensive benefits from the collaboration. Both need to make honest efforts to fulfill mutual expectations and foster trust and transparency. With this transparency it is possible to know what influencers expect from brand collaborations and vice versa. So, with the right approach, success can follow.
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