You're faced with an influencer's content change request. How do you navigate this social media dilemma?

To navigate an influencer's content change request, first review the request to ensure it aligns with your brand's values and goals. Communicate openly with the influencer to understand their perspective and find a compromise that satisfies both parties. Maintain a collaborative approach, emphasizing the importance of authentic content while ensuring it meets your brand standards.

Listen and assess. Influencers know their audience and therefore what will perform best on their pages. Therefore it’s important to listen to their opinions and change requests as sometimes briefs won’t feel authentic to their page and audience. It is however very important that any changes made completely align with your brand, messaging, values and goals.

The best way to have successful influencer campaigns is when they are done collaboratively. Create a brief but allow the influencer to put their own suggests forward in a way that feels natural to their audience. This way the content created will be authentic to both the brand and influencer and have a higher chance of success.

This is best done on the phone, in my experience. Emails back and forth get length, confusing, and frustration can grow on both sides. Have a quick call (not Zoom—call! with a phone!) and share points. Then as the brand follow up with a summary in writing via email. That's my preferred method as an influencer.

If content doesn’t feel authentic to the influencer then it’s not going to resonate with their audience and therefore not get the desired results. Being flexible ensures this is avoided and gives the opportunity for both sides to be happy with the campaign and the best possible results to be achieved.

The brands needs are my needs are my audiences' needs, honestly. Again, there's less of a problem if you're setting up a campaign timeline that actually allows you to VET influencers. You'll know their process, their timeline, their expertise. If I need more time or a last-minute change, it's because I KNOW it will benefit the campaign. Influencers should only want what's best for their audience too and if they aren't pushing back on you sometimes, they don't care enough.

Remember, you're on the same team and MOST content creators are not out to make a brands experience difficult! It is also wise to set in writing what is expected of the creator and brand. Both sides should be working to make something that is mutually benficial to both parties!????

When in doubt, hop on a call! So much tone and intent gets lost over email. As an influencer too, I want to keep relations positive with hopes of an ongoing partnership. Is that a realistic expectation for your brand? Tell us that (never lie though). It will help.

Agree on the call, definitely something to take off of e-mail and move to a call (with cameras on). Prepare and ask lots of open-ended questions to see where the other side is coming from. Think and prepare what your non-negotiables are.

Building trust with influencers is crucial. Start by acknowledging their request and expressing your appreciation for their feedback. Open a conversation to understand their reasoning behind the change. Perhaps they have new insights or creative ideas that could enhance the campaign.

Once you understand their perspective, analyze how the change aligns with your campaign goals and target audience. Would it better resonate with your followers? Could it potentially damage your brand image? Be honest and transparent in your communication.