Hi babes,

So I was able to connect with a few of my PR/brand contacts and I asked some questions I thought would be helpful to know and I figured it’d be helpful if I shared it all with you. Everything is anonymous, I just wanted to share the answers to help with your blogging journey.

Let’s dive in!

Question 1: What's one thing you look for when working with an influencer?

Answer 1: efficiency, quick response rate, reasonable rates, good conversion

Answer 2: Clean, focused, creative content. Within timeframe

Answer 3: Engagement and how active they are with their audience, content that focuses on the product, sponsored posts that align with their brand

Answer 4: high conversion (aggressive ROI goals), strong content!

Answer 5: Easy to work with, responsive, understanding of budgets, strict timelines, etc. High revenue driver

Question 2: What's the most annoying / least professional thing an influencer can do?

Answer 1: Use the information that's been asked incorrectly. For example, false discount code

Answer 2: Be extremely late with content. Tag other brands when specifically asked not to

Answer 3: Take on partnerships they wouldn't genuinely support, i.e. they wouldn't actually follow the brand they are supporting

Answer 4: Not meet content deadlines, not follow campaign guidelines (IG tags, swipe up links, deliverables)

Answer 5: Not respond to emails, late with content, not meeting deadlines especially with a paid collaboration

Question 3: What's the best thing an influencer can do to make you want to work with them again?

Answer 1: Delivering extra pieces of content (sent or posted)

Answer 2: Send along their content via email for us to use!

Answer 3: Give analytics feedback to brand and post additional content like stories if possible. Not a must, but definitely helps! If brand give you a code share it as much but as organically as possible since this is how they are testing the success of the collaboration.

Answer 4: good communication!! and overdelivering on content/organically posting the month of the campaign is always great. If girls do the bare minimum in terms of content, it usually shows in their numbers and we typically don't work with girls again if they underperform.

Answer 5: Be easy to work with!! Responsive, get content in on time, reads through contracts so they know what's expected of them, willing to negotiate on rates when needed

Question 4: What's your number one tip you wish you could share with influencers?

Answer 1: Please read the information provided in the brief

Answer 2: Don't send a HUGE list of selects for us to pick for you. Send a very select couple of items and ace those pics! Quality over quantity

Answer 3: Be picky with brands if you can! Post more non-sponsored posts so that the sponsorships you really care about shine and your followers aren't checked out because they constantly feel like you are selling things to them.

Answer 4: Our lives don't revolve around you .... LOL is that too mean?? We want the relationship to be mutually beneficial!! <3 (WE LOVE AN HONEST QUEEN)

Answer 5: Be realistic when asking for payment. Even if a brand cannot pay you once, does not mean they will not be willing to pay you in the future. Budgets are often strict (it's not just an excuse, promise!)

Extra Answer: stick to deadlines & keep clear communication & sometimes be the first to follow up/ reach out to brands. Since we work with so many influencers the ones that stand out are the ones that make the first step

Question 5: What's the best way for an influencer to build a long term relationship with a PR contact / brand?

Answer 1: Be friendly! You'd be surprised how many influencers don't know basic manners (please + thank you's!)

Answer 2: Cater your content to the brand and what they post on social. Having content to repost is more valuable to a brand than you think! If you edit your photos in a way that wouldn't match their brand, send them the unedited files if you can.

Answer 3: continuous support and communication!

Answer 4: start off with gifting on a few posts here and there, once you have a reasonable size following and good engagement AND a good working relationship, then payment can definitely come into the equation.

Answer 5: create great content, share with us and follow up with any potential opportunities

Question 6: Do you have any other comments you'd like to share about your experience working with influencers? (Good or Bad)

Answer 1: Just be kind and patient, we're usually very busy so we LOVE when influencers are super friendly and patient with us.

Answer 2: Being an influencer is hard work! I give you guys so much credit. Be true to yourself and try not to get caught up in posting the next biggest trend or working with the biggest brands and post more of what you care about and what speaks to you :)

Hopefully this information was helpful in terms of feedback and how you’re currently conducting your business! Of course, everyone has their own opinion, but I think it is very helpful to really think about these responses from brands themselves. Sometimes I think influencers forget that when we are working with brands, there is an actual person behind the computer talking to you. Both sides require a huge amount of respect for each other because we are all busy with our jobs.

Kindness goes along way! TRUST ME. Even if a brand rubs you the wrong way, a lot of PR & brand reps move between brands and if you end a relationship on bad terms and then that brand rep moves to your dream brand, they may not recommend you for a campaign.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Xx,

Allysa

P.S. - THANK YOU SO MUCH to all the PR + brand reps who took the time to fill out this survey to help me and other influencers out. I appreciate your time so much & I hope this can help build relationships between brands and influencers