How do you co-create valuable and authentic content with influencers?

First, figure out what you want to achieve by working with influencers. Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive more sales, or build trust with your audience? Clear goals will guide your collaboration and help measure success.

An influencer has reached that position by personifying the perceived interests and needs of many others, who are now their audience, and representing them. Before you reach out to an influencer, in turn, you need to make sure that what you propose also fits in with those needs, interests and values otherwise you're wasting their time and yours.

It's essential to approach influencer collaborations with a clear strategy and realistic expectations while also prioritizing authenticity and long-term relationships. - Authenticity: Collaborating with individuals whose values and interests align with your brand is essential. People can quickly tell if they are promoting a product (mainly because its a sponsored content) or because the influence genuinely likes the product/service and wants to share the same with the follower base. - Long-term collaborations: Brands should look at collaborating more with influencers that have proven their value and do more collaborations so the influencer's audience can keep the brand on top of their mind.

Look for influencers who share your values and have an audience that matches your target market. Check their content, engagement rates, and how they interact with their followers. Tools like BuzzSumo, Upfluence, or even a simple Instagram search can help you find the right people.

Each influencer has their own audience. That audience represents specific interests, values and perspectives. If you do not realize that, then reaching out to an influencer is an exercise of a blind turkey shoot. You may get lucky, but more likely than not you will waste your time and annoy a lot of people.

Work together with the influencer to brainstorm and plan content that fits both your brand and their style. This could include blog posts, videos, social media posts, or any other format that suits your campaign. Make sure the content aligns with your goals and resonates with their audience.

If you do not have at least some kind of idea on how you can work together then nothing will ever get off the ground, no matter how good your initial hook. Make sure you're suggesting something you can do and, ideally, the influencer cannot and something that is feasible.

Work with the influencer to come up with content ideas that fit both your brand and their style. Discuss what types of posts (videos, stories, blogs) will work best, and decide on a schedule. Make sure the content feels natural and authentic to their audience.

A collaboration needs to have both parties doing their part plus clear communication of progress and outcomes. If those are not in hand, then things will go south at the slightest wobble.

Once the content is ready, both you and the influencer should share it on your respective platforms. Cross-promoting helps reach a larger audience. Encourage your followers to engage with the content by liking, sharing, and commenting.

Even the largest influencer cannot be everywhere. There is a lot of value in adding a niche audience that is already engaged and being able to bring that into the picture as well as reaching the wider audience the influencer already has following them, is what creates the win-win scenario.

This point needs more focus. Too many brands work with influencers in a transactional manner and look for quick results. They also fail to realize that their target audience isn't stupid. If they see the influencers you work with working with many brands — especially competitors — it can undermine your efforts. The best approach is to find the right influencer(s) and establish a lasting relationship with them. By nurturing a strong relationship with an influencer, brands can build credibility and trust among their audience while benefiting from their expertise, creativity, and unique perspective.

An influencer is also a living human being. They have their own ideas, drives and passion. Treat them like a promotional tool and deal with them on a purely transactional basis and all you have ensured is that they will do just enough to take your money. A project that helps both you and them feel good and grow is only the start of a relationship that should be part of the growth curve of both an influencer and the brand.