September 30th, 2023 | Alex

How to Manage Influencer Campaigns

Social media plays a huge role in our society today.

People place so much importance and authority on what gets shared and posted on social media platforms, especially when it comes from profiles they trust and support.

Many of these popular profiles can be in the form of a single person, in a term we’ve come to be very familiar with – ‘influencers’.

Social media has provided these influencers with a platform to grow their following and increase the influence they have on people.

From a business perspective, brands can use these influencers to their advantage – and vice versa.

So if you’re running a live event you may consider engaging an influencer to promote the event by posting event details, amongst other relevant content, on their social channels. This is known as influencer marketing.

In this post, we will discuss how to work with, and manage influencers so they can be utilised properly to promote your business and brand.

What is Influencer Campaign Management?

Influencer campaign management is the process of overseeing and nurturing relationships with individuals who have significant online or offline following.

This involved identifying the right influencers, negotiating partnerships, setting clear objectives and deliverables, and coordinating collaborative efforts to achieve marketing goals.

Effective influencer management balances maintaining your brand’s authenticity and aligning influencer content with the brand’s messaging and values.

It also involves monitoring campaigns, ensuring legal compliance, and continuously adapting strategies to stay relevant in the ever-evolving world of influencer marketing.

Influencer management is about utilising the power of these influential people to promote your products or services

You want their actions to resonate with your followers in the hope they can drive meaningful results for your brand.

Managing influencers can be a crucial part of your marketing strategy if you’re looking to leverage their reach and credibility to promote your live events.

Here are some steps to help you effectively manage influencers:

Set Clear Objectives

Before starting any campaign it’s always prudent to set clear objectives that you wish to achieve and so retrospectively, you can evaluate the campaign’s success.

Setting goals is something that’s personal to you and your brand. There are similar metrics that brands will want to improve e.g. traffic, conversions etc.

But their importance may vary depending on what outcome you want to achieve.

Let’s say that you are running a live entertainment event and you want to maximise ticket sales. You then decide that you will use influencers to boost ticket sales.

The main metric that you will set a goal for is ticket sales which can also be known as conversions.

As a result of this campaign (if run successfully) your ticket sales should increase.

Other metrics will be affected as a consequence of implementing the influencer marketing campaign but they will not be your main focus.

Your most important metric is the conversion rate.

This is why each campaign is unique.

Some brands may be focused on brand exposure, therefore conversions aren’t a goal for them in the same way.

Having clear objectives will guide your influencer strategy.

Identify Relevant Influencers

Ideally, the influencer that you choose to work with is someone who aligns well with your brand’s mission and values.

This is hugely important. Your audience will engage better with influencers that they can resonate with and who fit well with your brand.

When brands work with influencers it’s not just their values that need to be matched.

But also their content style and brand image.

Most influencers are content creators too. This means that how they create and craft content needs to be in line with your brand.

If your brand focuses on video content but the influencer you hire is a blogger, then they may not be a good fit.

This does depend on what is stipulated in the contract of course.

Read our blog post on how to find relevant influencers for your brand for a more in-depth look at this topic.

Negotiate Terms and Compensation

This will tie in with the goals and objectives you state at the beginning of the campaign.

Ultimately, you want to use the help of the influencer to achieve these goals. So it’s up to you to stipulate what they need to deliver.

Some influencers may prefer monetary payment, while others might be open to product exchanges or affiliate partnerships. It could be a combination of all of the above.

Either way, this is a crucial step in managing an influencer as you want an agreement that is beneficial for both parties.

What influencers get in return for posting can vary depending on a few aspects including:

Follower count.
Engagement rates.
Niche.
Deliverables.

You need to be open and honest when working with influencers and their representatives so trust can be established and the management process can run as smoothly as possible.

Monitor and Measure

When the influencer campaign kicks off, keep track of the influencer’s content and its performance.

Use analytics tools to measure the impact of the campaign, including metrics like engagement, reach, click-through rates, and conversions.

Tracking these metrics is crucial as it will give tell-tale signs of a successful or unsuccessful campaign.

Monitoring and measuring the data can also allow you to make tweaks and adjustments to the campaign while it is ongoing.

This can be a vital step as a campaign that is potentially failing could all of a sudden be turned around because you paid attention to the data and made adjustments.

Handle Issues Proactively

Issues may arise whilst you carry out an influencer campaign.

If issues do arise, then an effective resolution can be sought out if you can manage to have open and transparent communication.

You want to keep the relationship positive throughout the campaign.

Otherwise, you could risk not only an unsuccessful campaign but a bad experience for your customers…meaning your brand image could be tarnished.

All of which could have been avoided with appropriate planning and management in place.

If you can draw up a detailed contract with clear terms and conditions then this can usually result in little to no issues arising.

Of course, there are some occasions where unavoidable circumstances arise, causing problems for you and the influencer.

Measure ROI (Return-On-Investment)

When your influencer campaign comes to an end you still need to assess the ROI and determine whether it has been a success or not.

Measuring the return on investment (ROI) of an influencer campaign is essential to determine its effectiveness and justify the resources allocated.

To calculate ROI, start by identifying the campaign’s objectives, whether it’s increased brand awareness, website traffic, or sales.

Then, track relevant metrics such as engagement rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and revenue generated during and after the campaign.

Subtract all campaign-related costs, including influencer fees, content production, and any promotional expenses.

Once you have both the gains and costs, divide the net gain by the total cost, and multiply the result by 100 to express it as a percentage.

A positive ROI indicates that the campaign generated more revenue than it cost, while a negative ROI suggests that adjustments are needed.

A well-rounded evaluation provides a comprehensive view of the campaign’s ROI and helps refine future influencer marketing strategies.

Feedback and Improvement

After each campaign, gather feedback from both influencers and your team.

Use this input to improve future influencer marketing strategies.

Knowing what worked and what didn’t work means that your customers can have an improved experience going forward.

Influencers will appreciate any feedback that you may have for them.

In most cases, they will do influencer marketing full time so any constructive feedback you have for them will allow them to hone and improve their craft.

Having this open and honest feedback at the end of campaigns can build long-term relationships going forward.

Meaning the influencer will more than likely work with you again.

Influencer marketing is an extremely effective tool for getting eyeballs onto your brand.

So you want to ensure you’re keeping good relationships with influencers that have previously worked well.

Experts at Managing Influencer Campaigns

As you can see, there are a number of factors involved in managing an influencer campaign.

It’s important to note that getting an influencer marketing campaign right can work wonders for your brand’s publicity and visibility. It’s also a means of generating buzz and driving all-important sales.

We’re a PR agency that specialises in crafting and delivering effective influencer marketing campaigns for live entertainment events, brands and businesses.

We can build excitement and engagement for your business, brand or event through influencer marketing.

Using our contacts we can put you in touch with high-level influencers that can generate a buzz around your brand as well as reach your target audience.