As an influencer marketer, your main job is building strong, long-lasting relationships with influencers who promote your brand. While you handle various tasks like providing instructions, organizing details, and giving feedback on content, your most important ability is making the influencers feel appreciated, connected, and empowered. Developing long-term relationships with influencers is extremely valuable, even though it requires more time and effort. For influencers, ongoing brand partnerships provide financial stability and allow them to promote products more authentically. For brands, long-term influencer relationships build true affinity, with the influencers delivering content that resonates better with their audience and creates a genuine connection to the brand.
Let’s discuss some strategies to build long-term influencer relationships
Tip #1: Communicate Beyond Email
Don’t just rely on email to talk to creators. Use different communication methods like messaging apps (WhatsApp, Instagram DMs) for casual chats and video calls (Zoom, Microsoft Teams) for more personal connections. This shows you want a real relationship, not just about the branded content. However, communication preferences vary. Ask each creator how they prefer to keep in touch. Some may like casual messaging while others prefer email. Tailoring your approach shows you see them as individuals, not just for campaigns.
Tip #2: Get Creator Feedback
Creators need to feel heard and valued as true partners. Host monthly casual meetings for them to ask questions, discuss life updates, or just have open conversations beyond branded work. Use this time to ask for their honest feedback:
● What’s going well in our partnership? What could be improved?
● Are there any gaps in how we work together that need addressing?
● What are other brands doing that you find interesting?
● Any questions about our brand, products, or upcoming campaigns?
Share important context about the brand side too. These open conversations help you understand the creators’ personal motivations, goals, and desires for the partnership. The goal is to build a deeper connection to develop customized strategies tailored to each creator.
Tip #3: Engage Them Proactively
For many brands, creator relationships only last for one campaign. But smart marketers engage creators before, during, and after every collaboration. Make a list of key creators you want to build/strengthen relationships with – prioritize those whose values, style, and audience fit your brand best. Use tools to monitor their latest content beyond just branded posts.
Then proactively engage in meaningful ways:
● Leave thoughtful comments showing you actually consumed their content
● Reshare their posts to expose them to your brand’s audience
● Congratulate them on their achievements, celebrate their success
Simple actions like these show you appreciate their value as influential creators in their space, not just for promoting your products. Brands like Sephora and Topicals excel at this. They engage with creators’ personal content through likes, shares, and celebratory comments – reinforcing they’re valued partners. This keeps your brand top-of-mind for future collaborations while building goodwill.
While not every creator relationship will last, invest time in the valuable ones with the help of an influencer marketing platform and continuously adapt your approach as their needs evolve in the crowded influencer marketing landscape. Check the influencer marketing platform pricing before investing in one.
