MKTG 450 Midterm

influencer selection criteria

audience fit, engagement rate, authenticity, content quality, brand fit, expertise, performance, follower authenticity, professionalism and communication

5 steps in influencer selection process

1. define campaign objectives

2. map ideal influencer traits

3. shortlist vet candidates

4. conduct pilot tests

5. review and refine

selection by customer journey stage

attraction, engagement, conversion, customer satisfaction, retention, advocacy

best practices for influencer selection

• use data platforms: back your choice w/ real data; no guessing

• identify organic advocates: look for people who already love your brand

• balance reach vs. niche: don’t go big or small, mix based on the goal

• continually review and improve criteria: keep adjusting what you look for as you learn what works

selection scorecards (comparing influencers against each other)

• criteria: list what you’re judging on (previous criteria mentioned such as authenticity, audience fit, etc)

• weighing: give each criterion a different level of important depending on the campaign

influencer vs. influencer marketing

influencers: content, platform, audience/community, commerce, expertise, empathy, authenticity, disclosures

influencer marketing: what influencers, micro or mega, compensation, performance metrics, brand alignment
think: who vs. what for marketing strategies.

influencer selection strategies reading summary - class 7

Main Idea: Authenticity, topic relevance, and audience alignment 

• 67% of consumers consider honest, unbiased brand influencer collaboration the best one 

Key Definitions: 

• Influencer: someone with a dedicated following who can sway an audience’s purchasing decisions in a specific niche 

• Influencer vs Creator: influencer’s main intent is to encourage purchases

  • Creator’s main intent is to make valuable content, and they often diversify income through things like subscriptions and UGC

• Lookalike influencer: creator with similar content style, demographics, niche, or engagement patterns to an influencer who has already worked well for your brand or a competitor 

4 Influencers: 

1. Mega (1M+) - huge exposure, very expensive, best for mass appeal brands with big budgets 

2. Macro (100K- 1M) - established niche voices. Large reach, high cost 

3. Micro (10k to 100k) - often higher engagement rates and more affordable 

4. Nano (under 10K) - tight, localized, or ultra-niche communities 
   - Strong engagement at low cost 

Defining Your Idea Influencer 

1. Know your target audience 

2. Establish campaign goals/KPIS 

3. Monitor social conversations and brand mentions

4. Identify key characteristics 

5. Create an “ideal influencer” persona

3 Best Practices

1. Search on unexpected platforms 

2. Think long term 

3. Base partnerships on shared values and topical alignment 

Influencers' Expectations from Brands 

1. Creative freedom 

2. Clear communication and expectations 

3. Fair compensation - 59% want clear budgets and payment structures 

   1. Pay can be money, products, commissions, or a mix 

Key Takeaways:

• Prioritize engagement rate and relevance over follower count 

• Define goals and a person before searching 

• Brand safety checks and fake follower detection are essential vetting steps

influencer marketing tech stack components

1. influencer discovery and recruitment: audience characteristics, brand fit, content style, reach, engagement, impact

2. collaboration and relationship management: CRM-style IRM, integrated contract, approval, payment tools, content collaboration workflows

3. campaign analytics and performance evaluation: real time analytics, customizable reports

tool considerations

all in one vs. a la carte, worflow fit with the business, AI integration, integration with other systems, social platform support, complexity or simplicity, UX, cost

• Sprout Social, Popular Pays, GRIN, CreatorIQ, HypeAuditor, Impact.com, Meltwater, Traackr

Sprout Social, top influencer marketing platforms reading - class 8

Main Idea: for brands that want to grow and measure their programs, an influencer marketing platform is presented as a competitive necessity 

Key Definition:

•  Influencer marketing platforms -  software that help brands build an influencer strategy 

• Marketplace - connects brands with influencers in their niche 

• Tools - brand influencer communication and campaign analytics 

• Agency style services - specialists help put together partnerships 

3 Core Benefits of Using a Platform 

1. Find the right influencers quickly 

2. Manage campaigns more efficiently 

3. Track and analyze performance 

How to Choose the Right Platform 

1. Team size 

2. Budget 

3. Existing tech stack

Key Takeaways: 

• Platforms centralize discovery, management, and measurement 

• Platforms differ in specialty, so match the tool to your needs 

• Team size, budget, and tech stack drive the choice 

• Look for AI-powered discovery, brand safety tools, and ROI reporting

5 outreach stages

1. influencer selection strategies

2. pitch preparation

3. outreach channels

4. messaging tactics

5. follow up process

influencer selection process

determine marketing objectives (awareness, traffic, sales, engagement), assess influencers’ audience reach, engagement, authenticity, topic/expertise; platform strengths, influencer audience, voice, style, brand fit and fit with marketing objectives

pitch preparation

compensation model (flat fee, affiliate commissions, merchandise) and agreements

outreach channels

direct messaging, email, influencer platforms, having a history of communication helps

the 7 c’s of messaging tactics

1. clarity: don’t add suspense, say who you are and what you’re trying to do; avoid long paragraphs

2. customization: personalize to the recipient; research so the content is relevant to them

3. compensation: say what they get

4. campaign: clarify the scope (is it one time or continuous?); a tr

5. content: who is creating what and how much of it

6. communication: how you’ll stay in touch

7. CTA: call to action

*follow up with non responders, 2-3 attempts, vary the pitch copy, or try another communication channel

Modash, how to do influencer outreach reading - class 9

Main Idea: prepare thoroughly, personalize lightly, follow up persistently, and think like a salesperson and not just a marketer 

• Influencer outreach - contracting a social media influencer to propose collaborations 

  • First step in building new creator relationships 

3 Step Process 

1. Pre-outreach prep

2. Find email address 

3. Write a personalized email

3 small styles: 

1. Short lightly personalized 

2. Soft ask + call offer 

3. Specific ask 

5 Best Practices

1. Use email over DMs when possible 

2. Use partially templated emails 

3. Default to soft CTA

4. Do unscable things early 

5. Think like a salesperson

6. Following Up

Key Takeaway

• Prep 

• Personalization plus brevity beats long 

• Soft CTAs raise response rates 

• Persistence, polite follow-ups, and testing your approach drive results 

• Outreach is relationship building, so empathize with what the creator needs  

influencer relationship management involves…

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

• Full relationship cycle

• Strategic vs. Tactical IRM

• Human and technical factors

• Software selection

Influencer Relationship Management (IRM)

IRM includes all interactions with an influencer before, during, and after launching a campaign. it ranges from transactional to partnership based models; similar to crm

5 relationship stages of IRM

1. Discovery and vetting: identifying right-fit influencers

2. Outreach and onboarding: first contact, building trust, setting expectations

3. Engagement and activation: campaign execution and collaboration

4. Nurturing and long-term partnership: feedback, iteration, sustained interaction

5. Termination or transformation: off boarding or reimagining the partnership

3 perspectives of IRM

• strategic - why are we doing this?: alignment with brand purpose and segmentation, value creation (win for brands and influencers), reputation management and crisis planning

• tactical - how do we run it day to day?: open communication and feedback; collaborative content development; contracts, compliance, disclosure practices; ROI and performance monitoring

• human - how do we treat the people involved?: authenticity and trust-building, navigating conflict and expectation gaps; cultural sensitivity, the human touch

AI and automation in IRM

AI for influencer identification, outreach, campaign management, automation of tasks, when and why to rely on human intuition vs. automation, ethical considerations and the risk of over-reliance on AI

IRM software capabilities

• Discovery and vetting: find influencers and check their fit, audience, and authenticity

• Campaign workflow management: move each deal through its steps (outreach, contract, content, posting)

• Communication and reporting: keep all messages in one place and show how campaigns performed

• Long-term relationship tracking: remember the history with each influencer so you can keep building the relationship, not just run one campaign

IRM software criteria (size, budget, campaign complexity)

• Solo / small business: lightweight, affordable, simple

• SMBs and nonprofits: balance price and advanced features

• Large corporations: integrated, AI-driven, customizable platforms

• Other factors: integration with existing tools, scalability and reporting features, automation vs keeping a 'human touch', support and learning resources

IRM software criteria

vendors = Grin, Sprout Social, Influencity, Promoty, Later

DIY = use a CRM system, excel template, Google sheets template, Notion template

IRM Conclusions

strong IRM combines strategy, process, tech, and human insight; continuous improvement; check reviews, test and research vendors

Grin, Influencer Relationship Management reading - class 10

Main Idea: Marketing about building relationships, not just transactions

Key Terms: 

• IRM ( Influencer Relationship Management): CRM, but for creator relationships 

• Why Influencers work: social proof, authority, and popularity 

Top 6 Ways to Manage Relationships: 

• Pick the right influencer 

• Measure engagement accurately 

• Use a contract 

• Organize your creator team

• Attribute results correctly 

• Adopt a platform 

Scaling - master the basics first, and consider scaling once you can run campaigns with about 50 creators smoothly 

• Useful software features: a single communications hub, email sequences, contracts and e-signatures, a content library, ecommerce integrations, and reporting 

Repeating by Funnel Stage: 

• TOFU (awareness) - reach, follower growth 

• MOFU (engagement) - engagement, UGC, sentiment 

• BOFU (conversion) - clicks, leads, revenue 

Case Studies - MVMT Watches grew its roster 7x. Tubby Todd passed $100k in conversion revenue. 

• Nutpods grew from 50 to 250+ creators with no added headcount 

influencer business models

4 ways any business can make money online

• selling products or services

• selling ads or promotional content

• affiliate commissions

• subscriptions/memberships

core influencer monetization methods

• sponsored posts

• brand partnerships

• affiliate marketing

• ad revenue from platforms

• merchandise

• digital products

• donations and crowdfunding

other influencer monetization methods

• brand channel takeovers

• public appearances and events

• consulting and coaching

• platform payouts for popular or trending content

influencer monetization tactics

• focus on one monetization source at a time to get traction

• start with low risk, low commitment source like affiliate marketing

• diversify to more than one source

• as you get bigger, consider launching your own products/services

• top creators have 1-5 income streams, which optimizes earnings and hedges risk

Harvard Business Review, how brands and influencers can make the most out of their relationship reading - class 11

Main Idea: diversify across brand deals, products, platforms, payouts, and services 

• Micro and nano influencers can earn income this way 

10 Ways Influencers Earn Money: 

1. Sponsored Content 

2. Brand Partnerships & Ambassadors 

3. Affiliate Marketing 

4. Ad Revenue 

5. Digital Products 

6. Merchandise and Branded Products 

7. Subscriptions & Memberships 

8. Events & Workshops 

9. Direct Platform Payments

10. Consulting 

What Determines an Influencer’s Rates: 

• Follower Count 

• Engagement Rate 

• Niche 

• Scope of project

Key Takeaway: 

• Creators earn modest incomes 

  • Articles cite a US average of about $56,000 for content creators 

  • About 1,000 followers is suggested as a starting point for paid work 

  • Income depends on follower count, engagement, niche, platform, and monetization mix 

creators vs. influencers

• creators make content for the sake of making and sharing content online — the content is the draw/has the personality and the creator’s personality adds flavor but isn’t the main attraction

  • think animated videos or clicking for recipes/cooking

• influencers make content to grow their personal brand and highlight their lives on social media — the person is the draw, people follow them for who they are

  • emma chamberlain, kylie jenner, those with a personal brand

    • most are usually a blend

brand storytelling

take the audience through a story journey…

• introduce a customer in a relatable context, highlight a dilemma/challenge/problem, present a resolution

story brand and influencers

• tell the story with the customer as the ‘hero’ and the brand as the ‘guide’

• humanize messaging: share the challenges and highlight brand guidance

• content and storytelling for each storybrand step

• map the customer persona and their journey

• campaign briefs pair influencer messaging with storybrand steps

• CTAs embedded in the storytelling

• before and after stories

storybrand framework example

Character, problem, guide, plan, call to action, stakes, transformation

• the storybrand framework is a marketing tool that outlines the key components for effective brand storytelling, focusing on the customer as the central character.

ex: table (mattress): character 'you deserve a better night's sleep'; problem 'most mattresses cause back pain'; guide 'we know how frustrating this is, we've helped 10,000 customers'; plan '1 pick your mattress, 2 free delivery, 3 sleep better'; CTA 'buy now'; success 'wake up refreshed'; failure 'keep losing sleep and energy'.

content creation

creation by the brand and/or influencer

• involves media format, style, message

• the goal is to engage, educate or inform

• value is in free exchange for engagement and future sales

ex. a 60 second vertical video

content dissemination

platform selection (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, podcast), frequency and timing of posting - how it gets out

• done by the brand an or influencer

ex. posting the 60 second video on reels and tiktok

content marketing

the idea that content marketing means giving the audience something valuable, not just advertising

buyers persona - who are we making this for?

a profile of your ideal customer with details like age, occupation, personality, motivations, goals, frustrations, technology and community

b

awareness, evaluation, conversion, retention

pattern interrupt

something unexpected early or mid video to grab attention (life size marketing)

4 media formats

• video

• audio

• visual

• text

video

record long videos with short video excerpts in mind

there’s 11 types: viral, entertainment, educational, teasers, demos, case studies, testimonials, before and after, interviews, behind the scenes, sales pitches

types of formats: landscape, vertical, square, muted viewing/subtitles

livestreams too

audio

includes podcasts, audio files, and audio books

audio beats videos for multitaskers, travelers, learners

• launching your own podcast is a long term commitment and has slow growth

• a voice in your earbuds for hours is more intimate

• being a guest on other podcasts can grow your audience

visual

take photos yourself, use stock images, graphic design, infographics, UGC

text

blog posts, website copy and articles, email newsletter, LinkedIn posts / articles / newsletter, Medium posts, Reddit communities / subreddits.

content bottleneck

craft a story for the brand/campaign/eventl have an influencer tell the story in their preferred media format and have them share it across multiple social platforms

GaryVee content model

one keynote becomes 30+ pieces of content

content dissemination with influencers (platforms)

YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest, website / blog, email newsletter, podcast, Twitch.
Rent a platform (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram) vs own your platform (website, email list). 'Get brand ambassadors who share.'

content tactics for engagement

• strong opening hook

• relatable, authentic storytelling > direct promotional content

• platform trends, challenges, memes, sounds, hashtags

• UGC, duets, remixes, challenges

• short videos

• pillars: education, behind the scenes, entertainment/humor, UGC

newsjacking

jump into a news story while its growing and journalists are scrambling for more info