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By now, you’re well aware that influencer marketing is one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to add value to your brand in today’s digital landscape. But what you might not know is which influencer marketing services are out there and which are right for your business.
No worries—the GRIN team is here to help.
In this blog, we’ll introduce you to four top influencer marketing service options and help you understand what to look for in each. By the end, you’ll have everything you need to move forward with your decision. Let’s jump right in.
Learn how GRIN can 10x your influencer marketing ROI.
Let’s start with the basics. A manual process generally leverages free influencer marketing services ideal for folks just starting out. These tools are great for getting your feet wet, but as you scale, you’ll need something much more efficient and robust.
There are plenty of tools out there you can piece together to have everything you need to run an influencer marketing program manually, but here are a few of the essentials:
An organized spreadsheet helps you maintain a structured influencer database with details like contact information, past collaborations, rates, and performance metrics. Tailor the spreadsheet to your specific needs for a personalized system for tracking influencers.
Email is the primary communication channel for creator outreach and negotiation. It also serves as a documented history of your creator correspondence, offering clarity and protection in case of disputes.
Having a Google Drive or some other cloud storage enables you to store and share campaign assets like images, videos, and contracts, with creators securely. And since multiple people can access the folder simultaneously, it facilitates a collaborative content creation environment.
Having a dedicated social media account conveys professionalism and credibility when reaching out to influencers. It also allows creators to connect with your brand easily and view your content and updates.
You can leverage Google Analytics or the native analytics features on your social media platform of choice to track the success of your creator content and calculate ROI.
There are a ton of tools you can use to run your influencer marketing program free of charge. But after a while, you’ll realize a piecemeal approach isn’t feasible for scaling your program. At that point, you’ll likely begin looking for new influencer marketing services to get the most from your efforts.
Once you’ve proven the value of working with creators, the logical next step is to explore comprehensive platforms to upgrade your influencer marketing services. If you want to get the most out of each partnership and each piece of creator content, this is the way to go. Not only does it bring all of your tools under one roof, it supercharges the capabilities and effectiveness of each.
Not all influencer marketing platforms are created equal. There are a few “non-negotiables” you need to be sure your platform includes before signing on the dotted line. Here’s what you’ll need:
Uncovering brand-aligned creators is one of the most difficult tasks influencer marketers face. With that in mind, your chosen platform should have robust creator discovery capabilities. That could be anything from a searchable creator database to social listening tools.
Or, preferably, a full suite of creator discovery tools you can leverage anytime.
Looking for the perfect creators? GRIN will deliver a hand-picked list directly to your inbox. Learn more by checking out the video below.
Look for influencer marketing platforms with robust email integrations. That way, you can bring all of your correspondence from your email inbox into your new platform. You should also look for an integration that enables you to send customizable emails in bulk and automate follow-up responses.
The best influencer marketing platforms notify you every time one of your creators posts and automatically pulls that content into an organized content library. From there, you can easily search for specific content pieces you can repurpose across your marketing mix.
Influencer marketing platforms make it simple to create campaign briefs and invite creators to join new activations. From here, you can keep all of your creator information, including contracts, deliverables, etc., organized in one location.
A paid creator is a happy creator. Influencer marketing platforms should notify you when a creator needs to be paid and offer integrations that enable that creator to get their payment in the snap of a finger.
Google Analytics and native tools on social media only take you so far. Your influencer marketing platform should level up your game and track creator content, campaign, and overall program ROI down to the cent.
These benefits are only the tip of the iceberg for what influencer marketing software can offer your brand. To learn more about GRIN’s industry-leading software, feel free to book some time with a team member today.
If you have the marketing budget and are looking for someone to take full control of your influencer marketing program, an agency might be the way to go. Though this route can get expensive, you can get all of your influencer marketing services covered while still playing a vital role in the direction of your program.
There are a lot of marketing agencies out there that will claim to be the best choice to represent your brand and run your influencer marketing efforts. Keep an eye out for these attributes to help narrow down your search:
Look for agencies that have a deep understanding of influencer marketing, particularly in your specific niche. This knowledge will be crucial for finding and building relationships with influencers who resonate with your target audience.
Request references and case studies to assess the agency’s track record. Successful past campaigns demonstrate their ability to drive results. You can also speak with current or previous clients to gauge their satisfaction and the agency’s reliability.
A strong agency should have an extensive network of influencers already built in. These creators should range from nano to macro, depending on your specific needs and budget.
Ensure the agency you choose can provide robust data analytics, offering insight into campaign performance, audience engagement, and ROI. A good agency should be transparent about its methodologies and share regular, detailed reports, allowing you to make informed decisions.
Choose an agency willing to create customized strategies that align with your brand’s goals and values rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Your partner should value collaboration and be eager to involve you in the decision-making process.
Using an influencer marketing agency can provide various benefits, such as expertise, access to influencer networks, and campaign management. Agencies often have the tools and experience to execute successful campaigns. However, it’s essential to consider potential drawbacks, including high costs, reduced control over influencer selection, and possible conflicts of interest. Weigh these factors against your brand’s specific needs and resources before deciding if hiring an agency is the best approach for your influencer marketing strategy.
GRIN Professional Services is the perfect option if you want something between a platform and an agency. It combines GRIN’s best-in-class creator management software with an expert team that can do anything from helping you with one-off tasks to running your entire influencer marketing program.
Within GRIN Professional Services, there are two options:
Modular Services gives you support where you need it most with tailored services that fit your program seamlessly. For example:
Need help with a specific campaign? The GRIN Professional Services team will handle the entire process, from identifying the perfect creator partners to comprehensive results reporting and everything in between.
The GRIN team works with you to find on-brand creators who perfectly align with your criteria. GRIN even handles the outreach to ensure your relationship gets off on the right foot.
No time for all the busywork associated with running an influencer marketing program? No problem. Offload it all onto the GRIN team so you can focus on the broader strategy.
Delegate all of your creator management responsibilities to the Professional Services team. Work with them to define your goals and craft a program that runs like clockwork. From there, the GRIN team will inform you about program success while you focus your energy elsewhere.
GRIN Professional Services offers a unique blend of creator management software and expert support. If you want GRIN to handle your whole program—great! But remember, you can also leverage the Professional Services team to teach you the influencer marketing ropes, so when you’re ready, you can run your program yourself with the industry’s leading Creator Management platform at your disposal.
Here is an idea of which Professional Services offering is right for you. When you’re ready, feel free to book some time with a GRIN team member to get started on your journey.
Whether you’re just starting out with influencer marketing or you’re a seasoned pro, there are influencer marketing services for you. Even with little to no budget, there are still some options available. But if you know you want to leverage influencer marketing as a strategy but are torn between with influencer marketing services to go with, consider GRIN Professional Services. Our team will work with you to develop a strategy tailored to meet your needs at a price that you can be comfortable with. Let’s talk about it.
Our team keeps a finger on the pulse, so you’re always working with the latest information.
