An influencer briefing is a document issued by a brand to an influencer outlining the parameters of the joint cooperation, such as key details, expectations, and creative direction of a planned marketing campaign. It sets the foundation for a successful collaboration by ensuring alignment between the brand’s goals on the one hand and the influencer’s approach to engaging their audience on the other. It’s not just about conveying the basics of the campaign; it’s about inspiring and guiding influencers to create content that resonates with both the brand’s objectives and their audience’s expectations. Let’s delve into what makes an ideal influencer briefing, ensuring that both your brand and the influencers you partner with are aligned for optimal impact.
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The influencer briefing is a critical document that bridges the gap between a brand’s marketing objectives and the influencer’s creative process by translating high-level goals, such as increasing brand awareness or revenue, into actionable content ideas that align with the influencer’s style and audience preferences.
An influencer engages with their audience in a distinct way, whether it is through humor, empathy, or detailed knowledge regarding a topic. They have a deep understanding of what resonates best with their followers. To ensure the sponsored content achieves its goals, the brand needs to allow the influencer the creative freedom to stay authentic while clearly communicating its own expectations for the agreed content pieces. By providing a comprehensive overview of the campaign, including its goals, expectations, and how it aligns with the influencer’s audience, the briefing ensures that all parties are working towards a common objective.
Begin with the basics: brand name, contact information, the designated point of contact for questions or submitting final work, the campaign title, and the timeframe. These elements are crucial as they provide influencers with a clear understanding of who they are collaborating with, the scope of the campaign, and the timeline for deliverables, ensuring alignment from the start. This sets the stage and provides essential contact points, ensuring the influencer knows who to reach out to with questions or for further collaboration.
Detail the campaign’s essence – objectives, target audience, key messages, and desired tone. Additionally, provide a comprehensive description of the advertised product or service, highlighting its advantages and unique features. This enables the influencer to gain a deeper understanding and connection with the product, making it easier for them to naturally and seamlessly integrate it into their content. For example, a campaign objective might be to “increase awareness of a new product launch among millennials,” or “boost our sales by 10%,” with a key message such as “our product empowers your everyday adventures.” This section is crucial for aligning the influencer’s content with your marketing strategy. It’s about providing enough information to guide but not stifle creativity, allowing influencers to tailor their content in a way that feels authentic to their style while still meeting your campaign’s goals.
Outline specific requirements regarding the content pieces – the number of posts, which platforms to create content for and if content for one platform can be re-used 1:1 for another platform or needs to be adapted, the hashtags that need to be used, and any mandatory mentions or links. Also add No-Go’s for your company, such as inappropriate language, the mentioning of competitors or controversial topics. Also specify any rights for content reuse to extend the campaign’s reach across your brand’s channels. Additionally, ensure the influencer is reminded to clearly mark the content pieces as advertisements/ads to comply with legal and ethical guidelines.
Conclude with the financials and a detailed timeline, including deadlines for drafts, content delivery, amount of feedback loops (if applicable), and posting schedules. This ensures both parties are clear on the deliverables, deadlines, and financial aspects of the partnership, setting a clear path for the campaign’s execution.
To show you what a good influencer briefing could look like, here is an example.
While the briefing document is essential for the collaboration, the spirit in which it is delivered and the ongoing communication throughout the campaign are just as critical. A briefing is not just a set of instructions; it’s the beginning of a collaborative relationship built on mutual understanding and shared goals. To establish a positive cooperation is crucial as it allows the brand to leverage the influencer’s unique insights into their audience while ensuring the campaign aligns with the brand’s objectives.
By fostering open communication and flexibility, both parties can create content that is authentic, engaging, and impactful. After sending the briefing, it’s advisable to arrange a call with the influencer, ideally directly with the creator or otherwise with their management, to ensure that the contents are understood and feasible. This step can significantly minimize the risk of numerous, time-consuming approval loops at the end. Encourage open dialogue, be open to feedback, and be willing to adjust as needed. The goal is to create a partnership where both the brand and the influencer feel valued and excited about the campaign.
A thorough Influencer Search on an Influencer Search Platform might be the first step to a successful campaign, but a good influencer briefing is where brand and influencer really come together, blending clarity, creativity, and collaboration. Clarity in the briefing ensures that influencers fully understand the campaign’s objectives, such as by outlining key goals like “increase engagement by 20%” or “promote a specific product feature.” Creativity provides influencers with the freedom to develop authentic content – for instance, allowing them to craft a narrative that resonates with their followers while staying true to the brand’s tone. Collaboration emphasizes open communication, like holding brainstorming sessions to align on content ideas, fostering a true partnership that benefits both the brand and the influencer.
The briefing serves as a roadmap, guiding the influencer through the campaign’s objectives and expectations while leaving enough space for creative freedom. By effectively communicating your brand’s vision and how the influencer fits into it, you set the stage for a successful partnership that can elevate your brand in the authentic voices of those who influence your target audience.
Last but not least, agreeing on something in an influencer briefing is one thing. The other is ensuring the campaign tasks have been properly carried out. So remember to always use an Influencer Tracking Tool like influData to make sure that the content fulfills what was agreed upon.
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