Online influencers can play a useful role in a PR strategy, but finding and developing the right relationships takes work. It requires research, an understanding of the audience and contact that goes beyond a one-off request.
Our original 2015 article looked at creators across blogs and social platforms. The platforms have evolved, but these five principles still provide a useful starting point for thinking about a partnership.
1. Find a genuine match
Do not judge a potential partner only by visitor or follower numbers. Look for someone whose interests and approach fit your company or brand.
Consider their enthusiasm, the quality of the content, their photography, their tone of voice and the relationship they have with their audience. The most recognisable face is not automatically the most relevant choice.
A collaboration may involve a fee, regardless of the size of a following. Discuss expectations clearly. Working with several well-matched creators can also provide different perspectives and routes to an audience, rather than concentrating everything on one large account.
2. Understand what is relevant to the audience
This sounds obvious, yet it is easy to get wrong. Your product announcement may be important to your business without being interesting to a creator’s followers.
A technology blogger will not necessarily want to review a laptop bag simply because it is used with a computer. A lifestyle creator may not care about the engine specifications of a hybrid car, but could be interested in its design or personalisation options.
The task is to find a truthful angle that connects the subject with the audience’s interests. Relevant information gives a brand a better reason to be part of the conversation.
3. Make the contact personal
I believe in building a relationship rather than sending messages indiscriminately. Keep in touch when you have a useful update or an idea that genuinely fits the person’s work.
A giveaway or another collaborative format may be appropriate in some circumstances, but it should have a clear purpose for both parties. It is not a substitute for understanding the audience or agreeing how the partnership will work.
Trust grows through consistent, relevant contact. It does not come from the number of emails you send.
4. Bring the story to life
Useful visual material can make a story easier to understand and more appealing to explore. Think beyond a standard product photograph when the subject offers a more interesting way to show how something works or fits into everyday life.
The writing matters too. Communicate like a person who understands the creator’s work. A clear, helpful message is more inviting than a block of corporate language.
5. Share relevant work appropriately
When creators publish useful content about your brand, consider how you can help people discover it through your own channels. Agree how material may be reused and give appropriate credit.
Links can help readers move between relevant sources, but a partnership should be built around useful communication rather than a promise of automatic SEO gains.
Include influencers in a wider plan
PR works best when the choice of channels follows the objective. Traditional media, creator partnerships and your own content can each play a role in reaching the people you want to engage.
Look for the right fit, invest in the relationship and keep providing relevant ideas. Read more about our influencer campaigns or talk to our team about your communications goals.
Sara
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