Building Long-Term Relationships Between Influencers and Brands
Influencer marketing has become the most popular way for brands to authentically connect with their audiences on social media. With the influencer market becoming more and more saturated, though, it can be difficult for brands to find the right partner. That's why building long-term relationships with brands can be a game-changer for both influencers and brands.
Take our long-time partners, Florida Milk, who came to Foodie Tribe seeking the right influencers to showcase the versatility and great taste of Florida dairy products. Together, we found four excellent influencers to run six-month campaigns that greatly benefitted both our client and the influencers they teamed up with.
Long-term relationships provide stability for both the influencer and the brand. For brands, repeatedly using the same influencers builds authenticity and audience trust, while influencers can benefit from a consistent income stream and partnership opportunities. In the case of Florida Milk, using the same influencers allows these creators to build trust with their audience. Seeing their milk content becomes familiar for their followers and feels authentic. For the Florida Milk team, investing in long-term relationships with the influencers means they’re working with creators who truly understand and care about their products. After a couple of months, one of the influencers’ Reels went viral, garnering millions of views! A win-win for both Florida Milk and that creator.
For influencers, building these mutually beneficial long-term relationships starts with finding the right brand, one that aligns with their niche and audience, and feels authentic to the influencer. Brands are seeking influencers who truly resonate with their values and messaging. Inauthentic partnerships can be detrimental to both the brand and the influencer's reputation. Because of this, it is vital for influencers to choose brands they truly believe in and products they would genuinely use. By promoting brands, products, and/or services they are passionate about, influencers can authentically communicate the brand's message to their audience.
Another great example of this kind of long-term partnership is our work with DoorDash, who utilized a Q1 Ambassador program where 27 influencers were given a unique discount code and asked to post monthly Reels and Stories promoting Caviar’s delivery. By teaming up with influencers whose content heavily or exclusively featured food and restaurant-related content, Caviar was assured that their promotion would come across as genuine and informed. Their audiences were following because they enjoyed the influencers’ passion for food, which made Caviar seem like a service the influencer would use regardless of their status as ambassadors.
After finding the right brand/influencer to partner with, clear communication and professionalism are key. Ensuring objectives are understood, deliverables are met, and timely updates are given on both sides establishes brand-influencer trust and avoids misunderstandings. For the influencers, delivering quality content, adhering to brand guidelines, and meeting timelines are all important factors in building a successful relationship with a brand.. And, of course, going above and beyond to create amazing content can help set the stage for future collaborations! The influencers who worked with Florida Milk and DoorDash all produced content in line with the vision and message of the brands, which resulted in each of those marketing teams seeking out many of those same influencers for future campaigns.
In short, building long-term relationships with brands is beneficial to both influencers and brands. By finding the right partnerships, communicating effectively, and maintaining professionalism, influencers can set themselves up for consistent income and exciting opportunities, and brands can create authentic relationships with creators and their followers.
Whether you’re an influencer or a brand, we can help you build and maintain a long-lasting partnership. Visit foodietribe.com to work with us, or join the tribe!