How do you build trust with influencers?

1 Identify relevant influencers

The first step is to find influencers who are aligned with your brand values, goals, and audience. You can use tools like BuzzSumo, Klear, or Upfluence to search for keywords, topics, or hashtags related to your industry and see who has the most engagement, reach, and influence. You can also look at your own followers, competitors, or industry publications to see who they mention, follow, or collaborate with. Once you have a list of potential influencers, narrow it down by checking their content quality, tone, authenticity, and relevance to your brand.

2 Engage with their content

Before you reach out to an influencer, you need to show them that you are genuinely interested in their content and value their opinion. You can do this by following them on their preferred platforms, liking, commenting, and sharing their posts, and joining their conversations. Be respectful, helpful, and relevant, and avoid being spammy, salesy, or generic. You can also tag them in your own posts, if appropriate, or mention them in your stories or podcasts. The goal is to get on their radar and demonstrate that you are a fan and a supporter.

3 Craft a personalized offer

When you are ready to contact an influencer, you need to make a clear and compelling offer that benefits both parties. You can use email, direct message, or any other channel that they prefer, but make sure to personalize your message and address them by name. Explain who you are, what your brand does, and why you are interested in working with them. Outline what you expect from them, what you can offer them in return, and how you will measure the results. Be transparent, respectful, and flexible, and avoid making unrealistic or unreasonable demands.

4 Provide value and support

Once you have agreed on the terms of the collaboration, you need to provide value and support to the influencer throughout the process. You can do this by sending them free samples, discounts, or exclusive access to your products or services, as well as providing them with creative briefs, guidelines, or feedback. You can also help them promote their content by sharing it on your own channels, tagging them, or featuring them in your newsletters or blogs. You can also offer them incentives, rewards, or recognition for their performance or loyalty.

5 Monitor and evaluate the results

The last step is to monitor and evaluate the results of your influencer marketing campaign. You can use tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, or Instagram Insights to track metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions, or sales. You can also use tools like Mention or Brandwatch to monitor the sentiment, reach, and impact of the influencer's content on your brand awareness, reputation, or loyalty. You can also ask the influencer for feedback, testimonials, or referrals. You can use the data and insights to optimize your strategy, improve your relationship, and plan future collaborations.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?