Build Good Relationships with Influencers

“So it’s more of a conversation with influencers and you’re also building a relationship at that point. So it’s not really a transaction. ‘We’re sending you this, so you do this.’ We’re having a conversation, making sure it’s a good fit.” – Sarah from MuteSix

With more and more people turning to influencer marketing, brands must be strategic in their approach. When brands look for influencers to partner with, they may want to start by building a relationship that can be mutually beneficial. Companies may only be looking for a few posts to boost sales. However, to maximize the benefits of influencer marketing, a business must seek to form a partnership with influencers who align with the company goals. 

Quick Breakdown of Our GRIN Gets Real Episode #11

Sarah comes to us as the head of Influencer Marketing at MuteSix. MuteSix is a Digital Marketing agency that Sarah describes as being set apart by “understanding our creative learnings to help us really win new customer acquisition and retention strategies.” Having begun her career at a startup in LA, Sarah quickly dove into the world of growth hacking and worked extensively in business development and PR. She then made her way into the eCommerce space before joining MuteSix, where she helped create their Influencer Marketing department.

In this week’s episode, Katya Allison (GRIN) sits down to talk with Sarah to discuss the role of digital marketing agencies and influencer marketing. As the role of an influencer evolves and, at times, outpaces traditional advertising, Sarah breaks down the benefits of companies utilizing influencer marketing content to increase revenue. She also discusses the tools her company, MuteSix, uses to help the brands they partner with to achieve successful relationships with influencers.

Tips and tools include leveraging influencer produced content in ads as opposed to spending thousands of dollars on traditional advertising. How to avoid tunnel vision and find the ideal influencers to achieve your goal. And the importance of a subject line of an email and how to craft it to get your target influencer to engage. 

As consumers are looking for brands that align with their needs, they are increasingly turning towards authentic reviews from brand influencers to determine if a product or service is right for them. Utilizing this form of marketing can be cost-effective and shifts the focus to the quality and genuineness of a product or service. 

Followers want to see authentic reviews from the actual product being used. This encourages trust in the consumer experience. Whether utilizing micro influencers or those with big followings, an Instagram post can prove to be just as beneficial as an ad that costs thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

The goal is to get the word out about your brand. With these techniques, businesses can economically showcase the effectiveness of the product in real-time with a video or testimonial. Brands have the option of paying influencers directly. However, there is a benefit to sending products for free, and the review potential of this method can really resonate with modern shoppers. 

Part of the discussion centers on determining the approach to use for a campaign goal to be achieved. Companies can greatly benefit by using the content directly from influencers in their advertising. Brands should be aware of the value of authentic captions in social media posts and can even utilize these in their advertising to stimulate a feeling of connection with shoppers. Sarah and Katya even discuss why sometimes beauty doesn’t generate revenue and why someone who drives revenue might not always make beautiful content. 

“Really, if you’re sending content out, you can 100% replace that content with influencer generated content. And what we see is it’s a lot more credible. Especially, one, if you’re working with macro influencers. You definitely add the credibility there. But with micro influencers, people put themselves in their shoes…when I see someone using a product, it’s when I decide, okay, do I see myself using that product too?? – Sarah from MuteSix

At the end of the day, it’s all about building an authentic relationship with influencers so they can showcase what a brand has to offer in a way that genuinely connects with viewers. After all, the content is where the creativity of an influencer shines, and taking the time to build these relationships can only benefit a brand.

This episode details everything from engagement pods and the controversy surrounding them, to why nano influencers (those with less than 3,000 followers and dubbed “people like you and me”) have such high engagement rates, to the pitfalls of managing an influencer program. To hear more of Sarah and Katya’s discussion on the role of the digital marketing agency and the importance of influencer marketing, check out the full episode now. 

About our Guest Speaker

Sarah Grosz is Head of Influencer Marketing at MuteSix. A college dropout who was fired from her first job, Sarah is a bold, energetic risk-taker whose untraditional path has led to over a million dollars for brands in trackable revenue. She manages a 10-person team and plays a fundamental role in leading the influencer and TikTok strategies for some of today’s most profitable DTC companies like Highline Wellness, Theragun, Snibbs, and Bev. 

Sarah’s success and value as a leader can be attributed to her spontaneous approach to life and an unparalleled drive to rise above and move forward. She has an insatiable hunger for knowledge and is continuously learning new techniques and tools – staying a step ahead of the industry and putting herself at the forefront of trends that catapult businesses to the next level. 

Despite diversions in her early educational and professional endeavors, Sarah has a certificate in Leadership Principles from Harvard Business School and serves on the Influencer Marketing Council at dentsu, MuteSix’s parent company. Passionate about giving back and mentoring others, she is also a council member for the In Her Shoes Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping girls find their voices.

When she’s not making clients go viral or racking up likes on LinkedIn, Sarah spends her free time enjoying the beach, shopping at the local farmers market, and soaking up the little things that make LA unique.