How to Build a Long-Term Relationship with Your Influencers

We’ve all seen how when a boy is madly in love with a girl, he does everything just to catch her attention. He will go above and beyond just for her to say hello. But it isn’t always that easy, now is it? Sometimes, getting this attention can be difficult. Luckily, the problem is typically all in your head.

Influencer relationships work in a similar way. They’re not as complicated as you think they are. If you’re not quite sure on where or how to start, that’s why we’re here! We want to try to give you some relationship advice for your influencer relationships.

Influencers are a great asset to have, especially if you find the right influencer to build your brand up. This is why building a long-term relationship with your influencers is important for your image.

Here are some steps to follow to build and maintain a strong relationship with your influencers:

1. Initiate meaningful conversations:

Once you have decided on an influencer, the key is to show your purpose in the beginning. But, you also want to make them feel like they’re valued by you. This shouldn’t be too difficult since you’ve already seen the potential for this partnership if you’re trying to make contact. So, make them feel priceless, because that is what they are.

Reach out to them in a personalized way that shows you’ve taken the time to familiarize yourself with their content. Make your initial message clear and specific, highlighting why you believe they would be a great fit for your brand.

Reaching out to them is a great way to start conversations. Here are a few tips to help you do so:

Start with a compliment: Begin by acknowledging something positive about their work. This will help to establish a positive tone and show that you genuinely appreciate their work.

Be specific in your message: When reaching out, be specific about why you’re interested in their work, and highlight something that resonated with you. Go as far as telling them why their content was meaningful to you.

Ask questions: To keep the conversation going, ask thoughtful and open-ended questions, try and make them feel comfortable. Make the questions relate to their expertise or areas of interest. When you do this, you’ll encourage them to share their experiences, and this will lead to a better conversation.

Be respectful of their time: Remember that influencers are often busy, so be mindful of their time. Keep your initial message short and offer to schedule a call or meeting at their convenience. This will show them that you are considerate and respectful of their time.

Follow-up: If they respond to your message, make sure to follow up and continue the conversation, and share your thoughts on their responses.

Remember, meaningful conversations are built on mutual respect, genuine interest, and thoughtful engagement. By reaching out to your influencers in a respectful way, you can start conversations that have the potential to lead to long-lasting relationships.

2. Offer mutual benefits:

Show influencers how working with you can benefit them. Provide them with unique content or experiences that align with their interests and audience. Essentially, you need to both be on the same page. This will make collaboration more valuable to both of you.

By offering mutual benefits, you can persuade them to collaborate with you. But what exactly can you offer or give them that is nice enough to win them over? Well, here are some strategies to consider:

Exclusive Discounts: Influencers love not having to pay the full price of what they are trying to advertise. So, the problem can be solved by offering them special discount codes or offers for their followers. This will benefit their audience, help drive sales and build brand loyalty.

Early Access: This goes without saying, but if you want an influencer to advertise for you, give them this benefit. This can make them feel valued and creates excitement for their audience. Also, it will boost their credibility as industry insiders.

VIP Experiences: Offer them the opportunity to attend industry events or product launches as a brand guest. This exclusive access helps them build their personal brand and network. With that said, they do this while associating themselves with you, which elevates their reputation and yours.

Unique Content: Collaboration = exclusive content. This is because you and the influencer now work together to make amazing, original content. Imagine sponsored blog posts, videos, or social media content that interestingly highlights your brand.

Giveaways and Contests: Organize giveaways or contests in collaboration with them. This will create buzz around your brand and also offer them a chance to reward their followers.

Affiliate Programs: Create an affiliate program where your influencers can earn a commission for each sale they generate. This can be done through their unique referral link. Commission incentivizes them to actively promote your brand to their audience, as they have a direct financial benefit.

Co-creation Opportunities: Involve them in the development and design process of your products. Their input can provide insight and ensure that the final offering resonates with their audience.

Building a mutually beneficial relationship with influencers means genuine collaboration and respect for them. Tailor your offers to align with their interests, values, and audience. This will help you to create meaningful partnerships that will benefit both parties in the long run.

3. Maintain regular communication:

Keep in touch with your influencers, even between collaborations. Show genuine interest in their work and provide support when they need it. Regularly check in with them to see how they’re doing, and offer assistance if necessary. Regular communication with your influencers is essential for maintaining a strong and long-lasting relationship.

So, how do you actually continue communicating with them? It’s simple really – Show up for them, and they will show up for you.

Here are a few ways that you can show up and allow them to see that you’re still around.

Follow them on social media: Stay updated with their latest posts, stories, and activities. Like, comment, and share their content to show your support. This will help keep you on their radar even when you’re not directly collaborating.

Engage with their content: Show genuine interest in their work by engaging with their posts. Leave thoughtful comments, ask questions, and share your thoughts. This will not only help you build a connection, but also encourage them to engage with your content in return.

Send them personalized messages: Reach out to them through direct messages or emails to check-in. Again, offer compliments, or share industry-related updates. Keep the conversation focused on building a relationship, and avoid sounding like you’re only interested in more collaborations. You don’t want them to feel used.

Attend events they’re involved in: If they are attending industry events, conferences, or workshops, make an effort to attend. Yes, it can be costly at times, but the benefits are big. This will allow you to meet them in person, strengthen your bond, and discuss potential collaboration ideas.

Share their content with your audience: When you come across valuable content from your influencers, share it with your own audience. This not only helps support their work, but also shows that you appreciate and value their expertise.

Send small tokens of appreciation: Every now and again, surprise your influencers with small gestures. This will show them how much you appreciate them. Send them a personalized thank-you note or a small gift to show your appreciation.

It’s important to maintain a genuine and authentic relationship with your influencers. Avoid bombarding them with constant requests or messages solely focused on collaboration opportunities. Instead, focus on building a strong connection by showing genuine interest and support in their work.

4. Provide creative freedom:

Give your influencers creative freedom to showcase your product or service in their own way. Give them a project, but give them guidelines as well. Let them be themselves as much as possible. Avoid micromanaging or overly restricting their content creation process. Trust their expertise and allow them to promote your image to their audience.

To provide creative freedom to influencers, you will need to follow these steps:

Understand their expertise: Take the time to understand their niche, content style, and audience. Research their previous work, read their blog posts, or watch their videos to get a sense of their creative style.

Clearly communicate your objectives: Communicate your brand’s objectives, values, and story. Share any specific guidelines, restrictions, or non-negotiables to align their creativity with your vision.

Trust their expertise: Influencers have built their audience through their unique creation abilities. Trust their judgment and value their ideas. Give them the space to come up with creative concepts that align with your objectives.

Offer flexibility: Avoid being overly restrictive or controlling. Allow influencers flexibility in content format, posting schedule, and creative approach. This flexibility will allow them to adapt the content to resonate with their audience. This way, they will be able to produce more authentic and relatable content.

Provide necessary resources: Ensure that influencers have access to resources, tools, and materials they need. This can include product samples, access to information, or any other support they may need.

Open lines of communication: Establish an open dialogue with them. This will help you to keep clear communication throughout the creative process. Regularly check-in, provide feedback, answer questions, and address concerns. This will all ensure a smooth collaboration.

Emphasize long-term partnerships: Building long-term partnerships with influencers can bring consistency. You will also get loyalty and high-quality content. Showcase that you’re willing to work with them on an ongoing basis. This will allow them to have a stronger sense of ownership and creative freedom over time.

The important part about creative freedom is that influencers have their own voice and creative style. This voice of theirs is what attracted their audience in the first place. By providing this freedom, you empower them to create content that resonates with their followers in their way. But, as you know, it will also allow them to promote your brand.

5. Be transparent and reliable:

Create trust and transparency by being open and honest in your communication. Clearly communicate your expectations, deadlines, and compensation terms. Honor your commitments and deliver on any promises made. Timely and reliable communication is key to building a strong relationship.

Be genuine: Influencers appreciate authenticity and can easily detect insincerity. Be true to yourself and your brand, and avoid being overly promotional or sales-oriented in your interactions.

Be transparent about your goals: Clearly communicate your objectives and what you hope to achieve from the relationship. This was mentioned before, but we are mentioning it again because your goals determine the yes or no for the influencer. If your goals are not in alignment with theirs, there’s a problem. Whether it’s brand exposure, collaborations, or content creation, being clear about your intentions helps them trust you. But, that’s not all, it also helps the two of you avoid any misunderstandings. As many people say, trust is the building block of any good relationship.

Follow through on your promises: If you make any promises to them, make sure to follow through on them. Be reliable and deliver on what you say you’ll do.

Respect their boundaries: Influencers receive numerous partnership requests and may need to decline some opportunities. Respect their decision and don’t pressure or push them into a collaboration. Understand that they have their own brand and priorities to uphold.

Be open to feedback: Accept constructive criticism and feedback from influencers. This shows that you value their opinion and are willing to improve. Use their feedback to refine your strategies and approaches when working with influencers in the future.

Maintain clear communication: Keep the lines of communication open, and respond promptly to any inquiries or requests from influencers. Be transparent about any changes or updates that may affect your collaboration. Good communication helps create a strong foundation for a long-term relationship.

Nurture the relationship: Building relationships with influencers is an ongoing process. Continue to engage with their content, support their work, and look for opportunities to collaborate in the future. Consistency and reliability will help strengthen the bond you have with influencers.

6. Continuously evaluate and analyze performance:

Regularly test the performance and impact of your influencer collaborations. Track key metrics such as engagement, conversions, and brand sentiment. Analyze the success of each partnership, and make adjustments as needed to improve future collaborations. This will help you understand which influencers are driving the most value for your brand and identify any areas for improvement.

By continuously evaluating performance, you can optimize your influencer collaborations and make decisions. Here are a few ways to do this:

Use Analytics Tools: Take advantage of social media analytics tools. A few examples of these are Instagram Insights, YouTube Analytics, and third-party platforms. These will help you to track and measure the performance of your collaborations. These analytics tools can provide valuable data on reach, impressions, engagement, and demographics.

Compare Results: Compare the performance of different influencers or campaigns to identify trends. Look for influencers who consistently deliver high engagement rates and conversions. Consider factors such as the type of content, time of posting, and audience demographics.

Gather Feedback: Collect reviews from the audience to understand their views of the collaboration. Monitor comments, direct messages, and brand mentions to gauge brand sentiment. This feedback can help you identify areas for improvement and make changes.

Adjust Strategies: Now that you have what you need (your analysis), you can make adjustments to your collaborations. This may involve working with different influencers instead, or changing content formats. Continuously iterate and experiment to improve your results.

Remember that influencer collaborations are not a one-time event. Continuously evaluating and analyzing performance will help you optimize your influencer campaigns, maximize your return on investment, and build stronger brand partnerships.

7. Reward and recognize their efforts:

Show appreciation for your influencers’ work by acknowledging their efforts and publicly recognizing their contributions. Offer rewards or exclusive perks for their ongoing support. By making them feel valued and appreciated, you build a strong foundation for a long-term relationship.

Here are some ways to reward and recognize influencers for their efforts:

Publicly acknowledge their contribution: Regularly mention and highlight their work on your social media, website, or blog. Give them shoutouts, tag them, and share their content to showcase their expertise and reinforce their influence.

Offer financial compensation: If your budget allows, consider offering them financial compensation. This can be in the form of sponsorships, partnerships, or affiliate programs. Ensure that the compensation is fair and aligns with the value they bring to your brand.

Take away…

Building a long-term relationship with your influencers is all about trust, communication, and mutual support. But just like any relationship, you need to be so invested in them. By genuinely connecting with them and giving them value, you’ll strengthen your partnership and create a foundation for collaboration.

Remember, it’s a journey that needs time, effort, and passion. Building a long-term relationship with influencers is a continuous effort. Keep nurturing the relationship, adapt to changes, and always be willing to collaborate and grow together.