How can you negotiate for more autonomy and decision-making power?

Prove your expertise across multiple campaigns and then people will want to be more involved. They will come to an expert in the space, ideally you, to bounce off ideas or problem-solve. The more and more you show your expertise, the more autonomy you get.

Leverage is everything. I recently shared article about how to increase your revenue as an influencer you can check it out on my profile. At the end of the day if you have engaged audience you won’t have to prove your value, the right companies already know and want you. You will get too dollar for the eye balls within that market audience. The key to being exceptional is only talking about the things you like and are interested in and sharing your expertise on it. When you stay true to who you are and you’re authentic you bring more value to the table and generate more followers. The bigger your fan base, the more money you attract

I run influencer marketing campaigns with millions of dollars now and an important thing I’ve learned is that every client is different. Understanding the clients point of view and what they want to achieve from the campaign you’re running on their behalf is key. Always voice your opinion even if you know your client won’t go for it, this will help build trust. On the flip side it’s important to also understand what an influencer is thinking to gain credibility. I did this by experimenting in becoming a content creator (posting daily) for 3 months straight so today, I can relate to most pain points that influencers go through and speak their language

One critical proposal mistake is offering linear deliverable increases (Package 1 = 1 YouTube video, Package 2 = 2 YouTube videos, etc) with a discount for picking the highest tier. Instead, you should tie each package to the brand's various goals to help them understand the business outcome for each option. For example, if a brand's 1st goal is awareness, then Package 1 better be awareness-focused tactics like YouTube integrations or podcast ad reads. However, if their 2nd goal is getting people to sign up for their upcoming webinar, Package 2 better be newsletter sponsorships where the CTA is registrations! The beauty of this strategy is that now the only way the brand can accomplish all their goals is by selecting the highest package!

A common mistake I see is how we, as influencer marketers, present our pricing within proposals. We commonly tie them into deliverables of content such as an Instagram Reel versus tying them into several factors and explaining the reasoning behind pricing to clients. When working with an influencer a client is paying for: 1. Creative Concept 2. Content Production 3. Distribution 4. Association Value Another common mistake is having a rate card that you then package deliverables and offer higher discounts based on scope versus tying this in with campaign objectives. For example, if a client is launching a new product or service, tie this in with Reach, Impressions and Ad Frequency to help clients justify your prices internally.

One thing I’ve found the most effective when negotiating is being proud of the prices you offer no matter how high they may be. As an example, one of the influencers I work with is one of the highest paid influencers in the country he is in, although this person does not have a high following; this is due to their profile and authenticity. When speaking to a client, I take pride in the prices we offer because I am certain this person will deliver business results for the client. Confidence is key. ??

I feel as an influencer marketer, it is honestly very important to reflect back and see what we have done right and what went wrong. Specially in case of negotiations, it is really important to learn from each case. This enhances the capability to perform a better and faster negotiation. An influencer marketer also learns human psychology to some extent during this process.

Educating leadership and stakeholders on what influencer marketing is and what it isn't is key to gaining autonomy, trust, and decision-making power. This should give them a baseline understanding of the practice, then you can clearly define what influencer marketing will look like for you brand or product.