5 Tells To Watch For When Engaging Influencers

The number one predictor of the success of your influence marketing efforts is choosing the right creator to partner with. That comes from almost 30 years of doing this.

(Brace yourself. Influence marketing isn't new. Especially when you stop looking at it as Instagrammers and TikTok-ers. Leveraging third parties to communicate a message to their audience on behalf of your brand is the definition of media relations. Some of us have been doing this a long time.)

The right influencer ... or creator ... or journalist ... has always been the linchpin. Those that succeed as influencer marketing strategists normally have figured out the art and science of finding the right creators for the task at hand.

Sure, it would be simple if you could just find the influencer in your category with the most followers or engagement rate and be done with it. But what if the quality or tone of their content isn't aligned with the brand? What if they have good engagement numbers but don't engage with the fans themselves, rendering the engagement rates a false positive?

There are hundreds of factors that go into choosing the right influencer or content creator for your next campaign. Dozens could be right for you. But how do you get to the more right ones?

If you know anything about poker, you know what a "tell" is. This is a hint your opponent gives, normally subconsciously and subtle, that gives away whether or not they are bluffing. Sam Farha was on the verge of winning his first World Series of Poker tournament in 2003 before losing to Chris Moneymaker because of a tell. Moneymaker noticed when Farha was bluffing, he tapped his cigarette on the table. When he wasn't, he didn't.

Farha went all-in with just a pair of jacks. He was bluffing to intimidate Moneymaker into folding which would put Farha closer to winning the title. Farha tapped the cigarette on the table. Moneymaker called with two pair. They held through the river (final card played in a hand of Texas Hold 'em) and Farha lost. He never won a WSOP tournament.

Did you know influencers and content creators have tells too? Here are five that reveal insights about them that typically make me move on to the next one:

1. They don't respond to your inquiry in a timely fashion.

Regardless of how much fun social media can be, influence and influence marketing is a business. These creators are (presumably) in the business of creating content and partnering with brands. If the email or message sits in their inbox for more than 48 hours, or they don't respond to more than two requests, you probably don't want them to. Any content creator who is hard to get a hold of is going to be hard to work with. Move on.

2. Their first question is about budget

In negotiating, they say the person who says the number first loses. When a creator starts out with, "How much is in it for me?" They lose. This priority on their side means they are in it for themselves and not the customer. (You.) These types typically wind up being problematic and demanding, and delivering far less than those focused on helping the brands they work with.

3. They don't ask about the goal

Similar to the money-first approach, if they don't have a grasp on why they're creating the content in the first place, they're not going to deliver the KPIs you're looking for. Sadly, a lot of creators have a mindset of "I'm going to create my content ... I'll work your brand in." They should have the approach of "How can I create really great content that helps point my audience where you want them to go?" It's different. And not subtle.

4. They wait for your creative direction

While it's fair to expect the brand to come to the table with a concept or ideas on how the creator might approach a campaign or execution, if they are more reactive than proactive in formulating ideas in the early conversations you have, they are just checking your boxes and dialing it in to get paid. You want a creator who, often on the first phone call, says, "OOH! What if we did this ..." If they wait for you to make suggestions, take a pass.

5. They don't ask for the product

We live in an age where consumers demand genuine-ness. How can a creator deliver an honest endorsement or recommendation of your product if they don't use it? Yes, you should be bringing your product or service to the table for them to experience so their opinion is informed. But if they don't ask for it, consider that a red flag.

I'm sure there are others, but these five are the big ones I look out for. And believe me, I do not hesitate to just end the conversation as soon as I see one. Sure, I'm polite ... as long as they're not playing the ego card ... but the winning hand is mine. There are thousands of creators out there eager to work with, and work hard, for brands.

Tolerating the red flags and hoping they'll turn out okay is seldom a formula for success.

What red flags have you seen in dealing with creators? I'd love for you to share them in the comments.

Need help with your influencer marketing strategy? Drop me a line.