Influencer marketing is increasingly popular among companies that want to promote their products and create a solid, empathetic relationship with their customers.But what is a marketing brief for the influencers and how to get in contact?
The influencer marketing brief is a document that describes the campaign goals, expectations, content guidelines, and expected results from the campaign. Through this tool, you can show the influencers you have chosen for your campaign what you expect from the collaboration and how their content can align with your brand goals.
Why should you make a brief for an influencer marketing campaign?
Often the writing of a brief is a “mistreated” step during the organization of a campaign. A widespread belief is that this tool has secondary utility compared to more important aspects such as, for example, influencer selection. In reality, writing an effective brief is extremely important, for several reasons:
- You can define the goals, strategy, and expected KPIs of your influencer marketing campaign, so you can show influencers what you expect and, likewise, make your team part of every step of the campaign. Clarifying the goals also means you then have the tools to be able to monitor them and understand whether the campaign is delivering the results you envisioned
- You can improve your relationship with influencers by providing them with a written document that summarizes the activities to be carried out, timelines, and communication methods. In this way, the risk of snags and misunderstandings is averted
- You can be sure that you have correctly communicated your brand values, the mission and vision to be embodied, and the type of content required. This will make it easier for influencers to align with your expectations and your company’s communication mood
Before contacting a creator…
Consult his networks, his contents, get interested in his editorial line, his universe. The more you know about what drives them, the better you will be able to personalize your email.
Let’s make the perfect brief!
#1 – General introduction about the company
A self-respecting brief opens with a general overview of the company. In this phase you will need to make influencers “fall in love” with your brand and your proposition.The content of the first message must present your brand: its activity but also its history, its values and your vision. It must explain to the creator why his profile and his universe are interesting for the brand. Don’t forget, of course, an overview of the products or services to be promoted, showing their features and benefits. To evoke a partnership, the subject of your email must be clear and include the name of the brand involved and the project. It must show that it is not a copy and paste.
#2 – Campaign goals and characteristics
Defining the objectives of the campaign is crucial for a full sharing of intent with the influencers involved. In addition to the objectives, in this section it is also important to specify the campaign operational details, giving information on:
- Where the contents will be shared
- The number of content to be created and the format of the content (example: post with static photo, spoken stories, video reel…)
- Any campaign hashtags, links, discount codes, affiliate links or other materials that can be shared to further the success of the campaign
- Any social accounts that need to be tagged or mentioned in campaign content
#3 – Timelines.
Another aspect that should not be underestimated concerns deadline management. Timing is essential for a campaign’s success. Therefore, the brief should contain specifics on:
- The date by which to deliver the content produced for possible review
- The date by which the content should be published
- The date by which to receive any promotional materials
#4 – Guidelines for content production.
In this more “meaty” part of the brief, you will need to indicate the guidelines for producing content for the campaign. In this case, useful information relates to:
- Content length.
- Content style.
- Points to highlight. If, for example, it is important for your company to get the sustainability theme out there, you should point this out to influencers who can highlight this aspect
Things to do and things to avoid. If there are must-do aspects for your product communication, you can point them out as guidelines. Likewise, you should point out all the things you do NOT want done (e.g., particular shots or words not to be used in accompanying texts)
#5 – Frame all aspects of the collaboration between the brand and the influencer
- Payment Methods: you will need to specify the amount of the compensation, the mode of payment (e.g., wire transfer, PayPal) and the timing. if the remuneration is a “freight exchange” mode, you will need to specify this.
- The transfer of rights: Do you plan to use the influencer’s content for your communication supports (POS, website, etc.)? If so, it is essential to agree on this with the influencer.
This is not only an act of professionalism and transparency, but also allows you to avoid misunderstandings later.
#6 – Expected results from the campaign.
Finally, the expected results of the campaign, in terms of, for example, conversions, sales, engagement, should be stated in each brief. Again, the clearer the KPIs to be monitored, the easier it will be to analyze the campaign’s performance.
