From the videos we watch to the recipes we try, information and entertainment has gone social. As these new tastemakers and experts emerge, we scope their style on Instagram, laugh at their YouTube videos, and attempt their DIY blog suggestions.

People who make great content can build a loyal audience, and companies have found partnering with these influencers is an effective way to reach their fans.

Justin Goldsborough and Allie Wilmes from FleishmanHillard offered some tips for launching an influencer marketing campaign:

Do your homework – Automated tools like Tapfluence can help you get started, but don’t underestimate the importance of getting familiar with an influencer before you start working together. Don’t expect a blogger known for vegetarian recipes to suddenly start cooking steaks, and a YouTube star known for off-color humor may not be a good fit for a conservative company.
Get a good contract – Allie and Justin couldn’t stress this one enough. Spell out your expectations for your content requirements and compensation. If you don’t want an influencer to work with your competition for 90 days, now is the time to discuss it. You may be able to negotiate reuse rights for content that the influencer creates.
Let the influencer be creative – Giving up creative control can be terrifying for many companies, but when it comes to working with influencers, it can make the difference between a successful campaign and a failure. Influencers know what will resonate with their audiences. Too much “sales speak” is likely to backfire.
Tie the campaign to KPIs or key performance indicators – Well-done influencer campaigns can do much more than generate clicks. Something as simple as an exclusive coupon code can help you track the impact.
Keep it legal – As influencer marketing gets increasingly popular, the FTC has established guidelines for endorsement. Kim Kardashian, Lord & Taylor and Cole Haan have all found themselves in trouble. Don’t add your brand to the list.

Want to learn more? Check out the presentation for more great tips and case studies.

About the author:
Tara Saylor is a communications manager by day, grad student by night and curious all the time. She is also a web nerd and recovering copywriter. Tara focuses on the channels that enable communication and using metrics to improve communication effectiveness. She tweets about communication and combines as @AnokheeTara.

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