Reading Time: 5 minutes
Imagine sending a love letter and instead of getting one back, you get ghosted. That’s what a bad influencer brief can feel like – communication so bad it kills your brand’s relationship with the influencer before it’s even born.
The influencer brief is the blueprint for influencer marketing. It paves the way to a successful collaboration between a brand and an influencer. Without it, you’re navigating the murky waters of digital marketing without a compass, and no one wants to do that.
The benefits of a good influencer brief are many. It can boost success rates by improving communication and setting clear goals and expectations. With it, influencers can quickly gauge if a project aligns with their style and audience. So, how do we craft such an important document?
1. Set Clear Campaign Goals
Your campaign goals are the destination point in your journey. Unless you know where you’re headed, you’ll never know when you’ve arrived. Your goals exist to give both you and your influencer focus and direction.
When you consider your goals, keep in mind the acronym SMART:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
You might be looking to increase brand awareness. Or maybe you need to drive website traffic or boost sales. Lay out these goals clearly in your brief. This way your influencer knows exactly what they’re working towards.
2. Define Your Expectations
So now your goals are set. That’s excellent, but now you need to define your expectations for the influencer. This isn’t just about post frequency or platform choice; it goes deeper than that. What’s the story that you want the influencer to tell about your brand? You need content that will not only resonate with their audience but meet your campaign goals too. This means you have to be hyper-specific when you’re outlining your expectations. This is not the time to be shy about your needs – the more specific you are, the easier it will be for the influencer to deliver the right content.
3. Include Contract Details
Your influencer brief has to include contract details as well. This should cover everything from:
- Contract length
- Expected deliverables
- Post frequency
- The approval process
- Penalties for non-compliance
Without it, expect frequent mistakes throughout the process. Don’t be afraid to hunt down contract templates to help with this. You can look for contract templates that offer customization and industry-specific relevance.
4. Share Your Brand’s Story
Every brand has a story because every company has a unique set of values that sets it apart from the rest. You want your brand to be relatable and human because that’s how you’ll attract the influencers you want. If your brand’s narrative and core values are in your influencer brief, your influencer will feel more connected to your brand. With that connection comes more authentic and compelling content.
5. Outline the Timeline
Your timeline should include your campaign’s start and end dates and any important dates in between (including milestones). Influencers often juggle multiple projects simultaneously so providing them with a timeline is imperative. Any way you can help them manage their workload effectively and deliver on time can only benefit you.
6. Highlight Key Features
Your brief should highlight the key features of your product or service that you want to focus on. Some of these features could be:
- Your product’s design
- Its price point
- How it solves a particular problem
- Its competitive advantages
Once an influencer has these, they can weave these features into their narrative much more naturally in order to increase engagement.
7. Build and Nurture A Solid Relationship
When it comes down to it, influencers are strategic partners. They can contribute significantly to your brand’s growth and reach. Here are some fundamentals:
- Treat them with the same respect and openness you would your internal team members
- Acknowledge the influencer’s creativity and influence in the brief
- Express your enthusiasm about their partnership
If you can create a feeling of mutual respect and enthusiasm, you can ensure a long and fruitful relationship with any influencer.
8. Be Open to their Creativity
Your brief should be very specific, but not at the expense of the influencer’s creativity. After all, their creativity is how they became an influencer in the first place. They’ve earned their followers by consistently producing engaging and original content. Respect their creative process and allow them the freedom to interpret your brand story in the way that resonates with their audience.
9. Provide a Style Guide
Always include a style guide in your brief. This should contain guidelines concerning:
- Language
- Tone
- Aesthetics
- Any elements that are off-limits.
Share examples of past campaigns or branded content that worked out well since the goal here is to give a concrete idea for the influencer of what you’re looking for.
10. Give them Resources
Your influencer is there to create high-quality content, so make it easier for them by giving them all the resources they need. This could be but isn’t limited to:
- Product samples
- Images
- Branded graphics
- Access to exclusive events
Make them readily available and make them easily accessible.
Conclusion
Crafting the perfect influencer brief may seem like a daunting task, but its impact is massive. It’s a document that calls for thought, precision, and a deep understanding of your brand, your campaign goals, and your influencer’s creative process.
When done right, it’s much more than a document; it’s a bridge between your brand and the influencer. It can be a foundation for a lasting relationship built on clarity and shared goals. It’s the first step towards a successful influencer campaign and perhaps the most important one.
Remember, the goal of an influencer brief is not to restrict, but to empower. It’s about laying all the cards on the table so that everyone involved in the campaign is on the same page. Go and set the stage between your brand and your influencer so both can emerge as winners together!
By Nahla Davies
