An influencer brief is an essential part of every influencer marketing campaign. Think of it like a map that guides your creators towards success. It should provide detailed instructions to help stay on the right path and deliver high quality content for your campaign. The influencer brief is one of the most important elements of your campaign because it needs to clearly communicate your goals, expectations and offer guidance on content creation. If the brief isn’t clear, your influencers can easily miss the mark and deliver content that doesn’t meet your expectations.
But writing an influencer brief doesn’t have to be difficult, ! Whether this is your first influencer brief, or you already have several under your belt, this guide to writing a killer influencer brief in 10 steps is a must-read!
Use Visuals
Remember that saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words‘? Well, it’s true! Scientifically speaking, the human brain can process images up to 60,000 times faster than words. This means that including visual elements such as logos, product photos, example posts or a mood board can help your influencers absorb information faster and understand the aesthetics you’re looking for. Don’t cram the brief full of pictures, but provide some when it is relevant (i.e., show some snapshots as an example of what kind of style and mood you’re looking for).
Create a value proposition
Value propositions are oh-so-important nowadays! Why should the influencer work with you; what’s in store for them? Influencers are busy and swamped with requests daily, so make your value proposition as clear as possible. This means conveying what your brand is willing to offer in exchange for their participation. The value proposition is usually included in other campaign documents such as your invitation email or contract so you can likely copy it from there. Including your value proposition here makes expectations clear and confirms what type of payment (flat fee, performance-based payment, affiliate commission) your creator will receive.
Provide background info
Whether it’s for your brand or that of a client, always provide some background information about the brand. If the influencer has never heard of your brand, what should they know about you? It’s time to introduce yourself. For example, what’s your mission? You want the influencer to have a clear idea about the values driving your brand. You can share information about the aims of the brand, the problem they are trying to solve and who is their ideal target audience. This will help the influencer know instantly if they are aligned with your brand and able to authentically promote your products.
Give product details
General information about your brand and the specifics go hand in hand. Once you’ve provided some general info, write about the product or service you want the influencer to promote. Giving influencers this info helps them understand and see if they fit with your overall campaign objective.
Of course, a product description and photos can only go so far. Ideally you will be sending out product samples for your influencer to test and use to create their content. If you’re going to be offering product sampling, share more details about that here.
In the influencer brief, be sure to highlight what makes your products stand out from others on the market. What’s your USP? Share it here to get your influencer excited about promoting your products.
Explain your campaign
Context is everything! You know your campaign better than anyone, so this shouldn’t be too difficult. If you’re using a mix of influencer marketing and traditional marketing, make sure the influencer knows! Ask yourself what social media platforms are you using, and what are your objectives? In the influencer brief, you should share your campaign goals, the message you want to convey, and the target audience you’d like to reach. You don’t need to spam them with big figures and numbers, but a general overview of what your campaign entails (i.e., events, TV ads..) is an essential element of your influencer brief.
Share expectations
Setting clear expectations is crucial for both parties! By setting clear expectations for your influencers and what role you expect them to play in your campaign, you can avoid potential misunderstandings. This includes expectations about processes to follow or deadlines to respect as well as your expectations for the content they will create. It’s always useful to share timelines and processes up-front to ensure your campaign will run smoothly. For example, will they need to submit draft content for approval? When and how should they do this? Do they need to share any performance data with you for reporting purposes? Let them know in the brief to avoid misunderstandings later on.
Include creative outlines
Make sure to include details of the kind of content the influencer will need to produce for your campaign. Again, some visuals as an example could be helpful here! Describe when to publish posts, and what tags and hashtags need to be included. Do you have a specific call to action for the campaign? Include it here! Does your influencer need to post a link to your website? Does your influencer have a promo code to share with their audience? You should mention all the elements that need to be included in the post in this part of your influencer brief. Make sure everything is clear, and nothing leaves room for misinterpretation.
State DO’S and DON’TS
Dos and Don’ts help reduce confusion and the number of questions the influencer has about what they need to do to fulfill their end of the deal. Plus, you can never be too careful with your list of do’s and don’ts. Should the product be centered in pictures? Should the influencers use specific words (i.e., gluten-free cookies, cruelty-free makeup)? This will help the influencer feel confident about creating content that is fully aligned with your brand. It can also help you as the brand feel reassured that your influencers won’t compromise your brand’s reputation or write misleading information about your products.
Communicate deadlines
Make sure the influencers know about important deadlines for deliverables, draft submissions, and so on. This way, if there are any issues, they can be proactive in letting you know ahead of time or adjusting their plans to meet the deadlines as necessary. Whether you’re running a campaign with a few influencers or several hundred, a clear timeline helps everyone stay on top of things!
Address regulations & payment
Last but not least, lay out any rules or regulations the influencer needs to follow. How is the influencer paid? When are they paid? What documents do they need to provide? How can they submit pieces of content? Will the content have to be approved before posting? Where and how do they submit it? All these questions need to be answered before you can send off your influencer brief. For example, in Upfluence, influencers can submit content directly to get your feedback, and approval, and get paid all within the platform.
Also, influencer marketing is under more scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission. Not surprisingly, as it turns out up to 93% of influencers are not compliant with FTC guidelines. Inform yourself and your potential influencers about the FTC’s guidelines for influencers to stay out of trouble!
Be sure to check the FTC website, or the relevant institution in your country for the most up to date information!
Still looking for some guidance in order to create your next influencer brief? Check out Upfluence’s influencer brief template, for you to copy and edit with details from your own campaign. Get tips for every step you need to include, plus examples to inspire you!
