Chapter 12 - How is Influencer Content Reviewed and Approved?

Chapter 12 – How is Influencer Content Reviewed and Approved?

Collaborating with influencers enables brands to reach an engaged target audience and increase brand awareness. While selecting the right creator is fundamental to the success of a partnership, it is equally important to ensure that the content created by the influencer for the brand adheres to specific guidelines and meets certain criteria (e.g., legal requirements, visual standards, etc.) without overly limiting the creator’s creativity. To review and approve influencer content is, therefore, a critical step in the influencer marketing process. A well-crafted briefing forms the foundation for a smooth approval process. However, even after all key points are established, influencers maintain a degree of creative freedom in creating their content. This article outlines how to effectively manage the process to review and approve influencer content and avoid common mistakes.

Table of Contents:

• Setting Up an Approval Process
• Benefits of the Approval Process
• Common Mistakes in the Approval Process
• Conclusion

1. Setting Up an Approval Process

The content approval process typically consists of the following six phases:

1. Submission of Content: The influencer submits the created content piece, including the caption, to the agency or directly to the brand.
2. Content Review (First Feedback Round): The marketing team (from the agency and/or brand) carefully reviews the content and caption. This involves cross-checking them against the guidelines outlined in the briefing to ensure that the brand and product are appropriately represented. Attention is paid to tone, visual style, and compliance with legal requirements.
3. Providing Feedback: The marketing team provides feedback to the creator. Since it is rare for content and captions to be flawless, the feedback includes praise for successful aspects, constructive suggestions for improvement, and specific revision requests. Be mindful of common feedback communication mistakes, which are discussed later in this article.
4. Incorporating Feedback: The influencer incorporates the feedback from the marketing team, adjusting the content as necessary.
5. Content Review (Second or Additional Feedback Rounds): After the requested changes are implemented, the marketing team conducts another review of the content. If the content and/or caption still fail to meet expectations, further feedback rounds take place until both parties are satisfied—unless the number of review rounds has been contractually capped. In such cases, we recommend scheduling a call with the creator before content production begins to clarify all guidelines and avoid misunderstandings.
6. Final Approval: Once all required adjustments have been made and the marketing team is satisfied with the revised version, final approval is granted, and the content is ready for publication.

2. Benefits of the Approval Process

A thorough content review and approval process offers several benefits for brands:

1. Ensuring Quality Standards: The review and approval process ensures that the influencer’s content meets quality standards and aligns with the campaign briefing. Additionally, it verifies compliance with legal requirements, such as proper ad disclosures.
2. Risk Management: The approval process helps ensure the content is error-free, adheres to guidelines and laws, and avoids inappropriate language or imagery. This minimizes the risk of public backlash.
3. Consistent Brand Image: By reviewing content for consistency with the brand’s image, companies can ensure their messages are communicated uniformly across various channels and influencers.

3. Common Mistakes in the Approval Process

Typical mistakes made by a brand’s or agency’s marketing team during the content review process can complicate collaboration with creators. Avoiding these pitfalls is essential for a successful partnership:

1. Unclear Briefing: An unclear or poorly structured briefing can confuse the influencer and compromise content quality. Miscommunication often leads to more feedback rounds, requiring additional resources from both the marketing team and the influencer. If issues arise after the first feedback round, the briefing should be revised based on the influencer’s feedback to provide clear, structured instructions and prevent future problems.
2. Overly Rigid Guidelines, Lack of Flexibility, and Trust: These factors can hinder collaboration by stifling the influencer’s creativity. Influencers typically gain their popularity by showcasing creativity and individuality on social media. Maintaining their unique character in sponsored content is essential to avoid alienating audiences. Rigid briefings often fail to produce authentic results. A cooperative balance between the brand’s input and the creator’s creativity is key.
3. Lack of Respectful Communication: Respectful and constructive communication is crucial for a successful partnership. Instead of focusing solely on what falls short of expectations, acknowledge and praise the content’s strengths. Positive feedback builds trust with the influencer and fosters a motivated and engaged collaboration.
4. Insufficient Time for Feedback Rounds: The approval process is an integral part of content production and should not be underestimated. A common mistake is underestimating the time required for feedback rounds, leading to time pressure and stress, which can negatively affect content quality and collaboration.

4. Conclusion

To review and approve influencer content is a crucial step to ensure that the content meets brand standards and expectations while fostering a successful partnership between both parties. By implementing a clear process, maintaining open communication, allocating sufficient lead time before the publication date, and building mutual trust, brands can fully unlock the potential of influencer marketing and effectively engage their target audience.