Internalizing Influencer Marketing: Navigating the Tightrope of Processes and Flexibility

More and more brands and agencies are bringing their influencer marketing in-house to maintain control over campaigns and budgets. However, having super-solid yet flexible and agile processes is crucial when doing so. Think of having solid processes as having a reliable GPS for a cross-country road trip. Sure, you might be tempted to take a scenic detour, but without it, you could end up lost, over budget, and way behind schedule. Let’s dive into why this is essential, what happens when you skip them, and how to balance the need for control with the desire for flexibility.

Why Internalizing Influencer Marketing Demands Strong Processes

Internalising influencer marketing means taking on the responsibilities and operations that an external agency might have previously managed. This shift brings both opportunities and challenges. While it can lead to more direct control over campaigns and budgets and potentially lower costs, it also requires a robust framework to manage all the moving parts effectively.

Imagine you’re bringing your influencer marketing in-house. Without rigorous processes, you could quickly find yourself overwhelmed. An influencer might post content that doesn't align with your brand, causing a ripple effect of issues. Or consider the chaos that ensues when a high-profile influencer drops out at the last minute. Without contingency plans in place, such setbacks can derail your entire campaign.

The High Operational Cost of Implementing Processes

Implementing solid processes to support your internal influencer marketing efforts isn’t a walk in the park. It demands significant investments in technology and personnel. These processes can also be time-consuming to establish and may stifle a marketer’s ability to pivot quickly or meet tight deadlines. For instance, a trending topic that perfectly aligns with your brand pops up, but your stringent approval process means you miss the boat.

Moreover, collaboration and coordination become critical. Different teams and agencies, each with their own way of doing things, need to align, which can be like mixing oil and water. Your influencer marketing team might have to adapt to processes and red tape from other departments or external partners, creating potential friction and new risks.

The Risks of Skipping Strong Processes

Skipping strong processes might seem like a shortcut to efficiency, but it’s a shortcut straight to Stressville. It might make life easier initially, but you’ll pay for it with firefighting and redoing work. Think of it as trying to build a house without a blueprint: you might save time initially, but you'll end up spending much more in the long run to fix mistakes and prevent it from collapsing.

Consider this: an influencer posts a controversial statement, sparking a PR crisis. Without a clear plan for handling such situations, your brand could face significant backlash and financial loss. Or imagine a technical glitch delaying content production, causing you to miss critical deadlines. The fallout can be costly and stressful.

The Realities of Influencer Marketing

Let’s face it, influencer marketing rarely goes off without a hitch. From influencers missing deadlines to last-minute scandals, the list of potential pitfalls is long. Technical glitches, extended turnaround times, and inefficient stakeholder collaboration are just the tip of the iceberg.

For instance, a sudden change in weather might ruin your perfect outdoor shoot or internal management delays might push back content approval. Expiring usage rights while a campaign is being extended can throw a wrench in the works. And then there’s the challenge of accurately reporting and attributing campaign performance to justify your budget.

The Balancing Act

Given these complexities, you need processes that are strong enough to keep things on track but flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances. It’s like walking a tightrope—too rigid, and you’ll break; too loose, and you’ll fall.

The solution lies in building in-house and collaborative processes that fit your brand and agency’s unique needs. This way, you can optimise productivity, reduce effort and resources, and ultimately achieve better ROI.

R-Squared Agency: Your Partner in Influencer Marketing Mastery

At R-Squared Agency, we are an influencer marketing advisory firm with over 10 years of dedicated influencer marketing expertise. We help you internalise your influencer marketing efforts, audit and optimise your current processes, and improve collaboration with your influencer marketing team and agency. Our approach ensures better performance, stronger relationships, and, ultimately, a higher return on investment.

By internalising influencer marketing with processes that balance control and flexibility, you can navigate the complexities of this dynamic field with confidence. While the road may be challenging, the rewards of a well-executed influencer marketing strategy are worth every twist and turn.?

Contact us at [email protected] to discuss your influencer marketing operational ambitions or situation.