This is a post for everyone who is thinking of hiring an influencer. I already wrote about the steps to take before hiring an influencer, and now is the time for preparation of the posts. In this article I will cover the types of posts you need to make sure you DO NOT ask from your influencer in order to make an efficient campaign.
The classic influencers sales photo
Don’t insist on the most classic photos of all – the influencer, holding your product in her/his hand on a full bright background. Yes, we all know you want to promote the product, but this is not the way. Hiring influencers means stepping into their life, their style, their habits. Therefore, your product should be added into their story, not the other way around.
The classic sales copy
I’m sure you have a lot to say about your product, but the influencer post is not the place for that direct sales pitch. Make sure you don’t ask the influencers to share 2 paragraphs (or more) explaining the product benefits, contents and usage if that is not the usual way they communicate.
Give the audience a teaser, make them wonder what your product can do (or how), and then ask them to visit your website to learn more. That way, they will get the chance to interact with you directly, and if you have an online shop, you will get them one step closer to purchase.
The “I’m not really selling but actually I am” post
There is a very thin line between one post becoming the same as the flyer you’re giving out in the streets instead of the recommendation from the audiences’ favorite influencer. These days it’s pretty easy to notice when someone is trying to bullshit their way around a topic in order to sell something, and it usually consists of a short, fake intro with a different tone of voice than usual, and then a paragraph (or a few) about the promoted product, purchase links etc.
Try to have your influencers post as honest as possible. I’m sure it’s difficult to leave the whole copy in their hands, but remember that you hired them because they’re good at what they do and your audience loves them.
As you can see it is not as easy as just sending your product and waiting for the influencers photos. It takes a lot more adjusting from both sides – your brands’ and influencers’, and it takes combining your tone of voice, visual representation, approach in storytelling to get a good story. It might seem like a lot but once you find the right balance the great results are inevitable.