The Dos and Don’ts of Influencer Booking

Incorporating influencer marketing into your overall strategy can significantly elevate your marketing efforts, but navigating the process carefully is essential. According to eMarketer, nearly half of U.S. social shoppers make purchases based on creator or influencer content. To ensure your campaigns stay on track and achieve maximum impact, it’s important to understand the key dos and don’ts of influencer booking and campaigns that can make or break your influencer collaborations.

Best practices and pitfalls of booking influencers

By following these best practices, you can significantly increase the effectiveness of your influencer marketing efforts.

• Create emotionally resonant content. Content that stirs strong feelings is more likely to be shared, so consider using storytelling to connect with audiences.
• Tailor content for each platform. Shape your campaigns to meet the specific styles or tastes of the audiences on various social media channels.
• Choose the right influencers. For authenticity and better engagement, focus on finding influencers who align with your brand rather than pursuing celebrity endorsements.
• Ensure transparency. Ensure influencers clearly disclose their partnerships to maintain trust and comply with FTC regulations.
• Amplify content. Encourage social sharing and actively engage in conversations to extend the reach of your campaigns.
• Measure results. Use metrics to analyze your campaigns’ performance, allowing for continuous improvement and better ROI.

Two of the biggest pitfalls with influencer booking are choosing influencers who don’t make sense for your brand (e.g., choosing someone with a large following, but their following isn’t your ideal customer) or not setting expectations with the influencer up front. 

Getting help from influencer marketing experts can help you set-up a seamless collaboration with an influencer that fits your overall brand’s mission. 

The importance of incorporating influencer marketing in your strategy

Incorporating influencer marketing into your strategy is essential for reaching and engaging target audiences more authentically and positively.

Brand impact

Booking the right influencers can significantly impact your brand’s visibility and credibility. Most customers under 45 say that seeing an influencer’s post is the top way they will try a new product, according to IZEA’s 2024 Trust in Influencer Marketing report. 

Most influencers have spent much time and effort creating a community that trusts their opinion, so if they say that they trust your brand, their followers will be more apt to try it out, even if they haven’t heard of your brand or product quite yet. Working with highly connected influencers who want to partner with your brand will not only get you in front of new eyes and ears but will also create the trust that takes some brands years to create.

Cost efficiency

Gone are the days of solely using television commercials and billboards to get the word out about your brand, at least when it comes to cost efficiency. In 2024, brands are expected to spend just shy of $6 billion on influencer marketing efforts, according to eMarketer, and for good reason. 

Cost efficiency also applies to influencer tiers. While there’s a time and a place for mega-influencers, nano-influencers sometimes make more of an impact on their followers for a lower cost. Strategic posts with influencers get much more traction and attention than traditional media, they tend to cost less in the long run and can be amplified with paid media.

The dos and don’ts of influencer booking

So what exactly should brands be doing (and not doing) when it comes to influencer booking in 2024? Here are a few things to keep in mind for your upcoming campaigns.

Do your research

Before getting started with any campaign, make sure you’re doing the proper research on your influencers and if they fit your overall brand. Using The Creator Marketplace is a great place to start to find out more about the statistics and backgrounds of influencers you’re interested in.  Be sure to check on the influencers’ backgrounds, demographics and past collaborations to see how they’ve been successful for other brands.

Do establish clear campaign goals

Make sure that your influencer efforts align with overall marketing objectives from the start. You’ll want to have open conversations with those involved in other marketing efforts and the influencers you’ve chosen to work with. This will help you ensure successful outcomes from the start instead of questioning what went wrong if a campaign fails.

Do communicate clearly and often

The more you communicate with your influencer, the better. Allow the creators to make content based on what fits their niche, but also let them know ahead of time your expectations and hopes for the campaign. Communicate before, during and after the campaign, especially if you’re hoping to work with that influencer in a future collaboration.

Do set realistic expectations

Many of these “do’s” discuss what to do from the beginning of a campaign, which is the most important. Setting clear, realistic expectations from the start will prevent most issues from popping up throughout the campaign. Outline how to set achievable targets for the influencer campaign and manage expectations accordingly.

Do consider working with various influencer tiers

Don’t be discouraged if you can’t budget for mega influencers — nano– and micro-influencers are just as efficient, if not more cost-effective and sometimes even more trusted by their communities. 

Do consider amplifying your efforts with paid ads

To get more mileage out of your influencer campaign, we suggest amplifying your campaign with paid ads. This will give you creative control, more eyes on your influencers’ posts and the ability to choose different ad platforms. 

Do expect to adjust pricing for usage rights

To prevent issues in the future with your campaign, set up your contract correctly from the get-go. If you’re hoping to own the rights to the content the influencer makes and use their photos or videos for other marketing materials or on your website, you need to specify that from the beginning. It may also cost you more for usage rights. Our Managed Services team can assist with this process, helping obtain reasonable rates for each collaboration.

What not to do

Avoiding common pitfalls in influencer marketing is just as crucial as implementing best practices. Missteps can undermine your campaign’s effectiveness and harm your brand’s reputation.

Don’t overlook audience engagement metrics

While it’s a common misconception that follower count is the most important metric in influencer campaigns, audience engagement should be your primary focus. High follower numbers may seem impressive, but if those followers are not actively engaging with the content, they are unlikely to contribute to meaningful interactions with your brand. Engagement metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and saves provide deeper insights into an influencer’s true impact and the relevance of their content to their audience.

Moreover, influencers with smaller, highly engaged followings — micro-influencers—can be far more effective at driving conversions and fostering brand loyalty. These influencers typically cultivate more authentic relationships with their followers, resulting in higher engagement and a more dedicated audience. By prioritizing engagement metrics over mere follower counts, brands can better assess which influencers will genuinely resonate with their target audience, driving more successful and impactful marketing campaigns.

Don’t rush the selection process

Take the time you need to find the right influencers rather than going for “quick wins.” This could mean following potential influencers, seeing how they interact with their communities and engaging with their content. The influencer-to-brand relationship is as important on their end as it is for you. The influencers want to be sure you’re also taking the time to understand them and the amazing communities they’ve built. 

Don’t compromise on brand fit

Along with not rushing the selection process, you’ll want to be sure your brand selects influencers whose values and style align best with your brand. 

Don’t neglect follow-up and feedback

Maintaining relationships after a campaign concludes is just as important as communicating beforehand. Also, providing feedback and allowing the influencer to provide you feedback can set the foundation for future collaborations.

Applying these principles in your influencer booking efforts is imperative to a successful campaign. Reach out to our Managed Services team to ensure a well-thought-out campaign from the start.