The influencer marketing space is like the Wild West of social media, with little rules and regulations for brands and creators - but there are 5 key points we want to share that can help guide your creator and content choices.

Be on-trend, but be selective.

• It’s vital to know what’s going on within the social media landscape, whether it’s within your industry or not - keep your finger on the pulse for both trends and current affairs
• Before deciding to get involved with trending topics and involving creators, ask yourself if it authentic for your brand to get involved.
• If the answer is yes - get moving with content creation! Social trends move fast.
• The key message here, is to not jump on topics if and when it suits you - audiences are wise to when brands are being disingenuous.
• It’s the same with who you choose to collaborate with - don’t just choose creators at random, make sure they align with your brand’s ethos.

Connect with & trust your creators - otherwise, it can get messy.

• Always treat creators with respect - for a lot of them, this is their main source of income, so be understanding when it comes to their worth. News of bad or unfair treatment of creators will travel fast across social media, so make sure you’re performing due diligence such as paying them on time.
• Nourish the relationships - these kind of parntsherips can be incredibly valuable for brands, so treat them that way! Having a good connection with your creators is really important, alongside giving them the support they need to make the best content they can for you.
• Don’t control the messaging and content fully - don’t forget, creators are social experts and the ones with the audience. Being too controlling of the look and feel of the partnership content can cause it to lose personality, which is why the audience is there in the first place. Certainly give them guidance, but don’t micromanage.
• Keep briefs & contracts watertight - this is beneficial for both your brand and the creator. Creators receive financial security and reaffirmed brand association, whilst brands can gain a guaranteed regular content stream, loyal brand ambassador, great brand exclusivity, cost-effectiveness.

Always advise correct regulations.

• Although the legal side of Influencer Marketing is a little muddy, paid ads and gifting always need to be disclosed - even for 12 months after contracts end!
• Always research and advise your creators to follow the correct procedure - getting caught out can lead to a hefty fine from the ASA/FTC.
• Ensure music can be used for commercial purposes - if you want to put some money behind an organic piece of content, make sure the music is available for commercial use. Music rights companies are hot on muting/taking down ads with songs with no commercial rights.

Sometimes bigger ≠ better.

• Utilising bigger influencers has it pros and cons. You get big reach, but audiences feel that they’re less authentic.
• Smaller creators mean that you can get even more content for the same amount of spend, and you also get those high engagement rates that you don’t see with larger creators.
• Everything circles back to authenticity - make sure you’re not working with creators for just for clout, have them align with the look and feel of your brand.

Be authentic! UGC is the best.

• Creators have friend privileges when it comes to influencing audiences but, according to research*, 79% of audiences find that User-Generated Content (UGC) is most impactful when it comes to what impacts their purchasing decisions.
• Your existing and happy customers are your best ambassadors, and acknowledging them goes a long way.

Drop us note, at hello@shiftactivemedia.com if you want to know more, thinking about working with influencers or just need some support on the ones you have.