Working with social media influencers

Influencer marketing is expected to grow to a $15 billion market by the end of 2022. Make no mistake, this is the new way to communicate, and not only brands but also the public sector and governments need to understand how to leverage this opportunity to meet their goals effectively.

The truth is, many governments are already doing it. For example, the US government reached out to social media influencers to help shape the narrative in relation to the Ukraine war. By working with 30 content creators, the Biden administration demonstrated its recognition that many people in the US, particularly young people, consume news through social channels.

But while working with social media influencers can undoubtedly help governments to get their messages heard effectively by the right audiences, there are a few things to avoid.

Here are five powerful tips to help:

1. Consider working with micro and macro influencers.

Don’t just go for the big names: working with less famous creators offers great value for money and higher credibility within their target audience. There’s no strict cut-off for audience size, and numbers differ from platform to platform.

Take Instagram, for example, where the influencer types are generally broken down as here.

2. Allow room for creativity

Social media is a dialogue, not a monologue. Instead of communicating in a top-down style, influencer campaigns only work if the creators have the creative freedom to produce content in their own style. Letting the creator decide how to convey your message will make it more authentic and credible within their specific audience.

Don’t get me wrong, the success of any collaboration with content creators still requires a clear brief with your messaging objectives and background information to help the creator with their brainstorming process. However, the magic only happens when we relinquish control of the process and trust the influencer to do what they’re good at.

3. Be transparent

Make clear who the client is. Trying to hide behind an agency can backfire and we’ve seen many examples of when it does. Creators need to know who they are working for – if they find out after the event, chances are they will not only delete the content but also become vocal about their negative experience.

Being transparent about where the funding comes from and what the campaign objectives are does not just make sense from a crisis management perspective – it’s also the right thing to do.

4. Build long-term relationships

Once you’ve identified the right creators who share your values and reach your target audience, it’s time to think about the kind of relationship you wish to form. Instead of commissioning multiple one-off pieces with multiple influencers, consider working in longer-term packages, where you agree, for example, on a series of content (eg five videos over five weeks). Not every piece of content will go viral, but by trying to deliver your message in various ways, chances are higher that at least one piece of content will be widely shared. In addition, your messaging will be better remembered and is more likely to succeed if engaged with multiple times.

5. Know the rules

Working with influencers to raise awareness about certain topics is a great way of communicating, but there are important rules to keep in mind when it comes to certain types of content. Social media platforms have strict rules when it comes to paid political advertising and if you don’t adhere to them chances are high that your content gets banned.

Are you planning to work with social media influencers? Reach out to share your ideas with us to maximise its effectiveness.