By Rebecca Tomkins, Account Coordinator

I recently worked on a major social media campaign for one of our travel clients. The aim of the campaign was to engage a selection of social media influencers to help stimulate conversations about our client among millennials. In exchange for their social media posts, we provided the influencers with a unique travel experience.

Here are some of the things I learnt about developing and implementing a social media campaign involving a value exchange.

1. Agree on the outputs and outcomes from the beginning

It is crucial to understand what your client’s expectations are and to agree on the deliverables right from the start. Develop the key messages and address what your client can offer and what your client expects.

2. Choose the right influencers

Discuss with your client the type of influencer they want talking about their brand and who they want to talk to. Another important thing to remember is that the number of followers isn’t everything. Influencer engagement is even more important. Analyse their channel and see how many likes, comments, shares, etc. the influencer can generate. Other things to consider include: how often the influencer posts; what time of the day their posts receive the most engagement; and the type of content that generates the most engagement.

3. Contact the influencer directly

I found the quickest way of communicating with an influencer was directly via their channel. If your client is open to it, you can even direct message the influencer from your client’s social media page. This gives legitimacy to your approach.

4. It’s a two-way street

It is important to communicate to both your client and the influencer that the relationship needs to be mutually beneficial. When contacting the influencer, be clear and upfront, and definitely don’t overpromise. Be transparent about which client you represent, what you can offer them, and what is expected of them if they agree to the value exchange.

5. The influencer retains creative control

It is important to make sure your client understands that they don’t have creative control over an influencer’s channel. If the influencer is being provided with a product, service or experience to review, it does not guarantee they will only sing praises about them.

6. Give influencers something with which they can brag about the brand

Offering influencers some tangible branded assets – something of real value that aligns with their channel – is a great way of enhancing their experience and also gives them something they can use to create or enhance their social content. And it will make your client’s brand more memorable. As we all know from our own experience with social media, striking, unusual images capture attention!