In the same way that influencers build long-term relationships with their followers, brands should do the same with the influencers they choose to work with. Strong relationships built with mutual understanding will almost always result in great content from the influencer, a more enjoyable experience for the audience and ultimately better engagement and ROI for the brand. The holy trinity we call the ‘value triangle’. 

Investing in long-term relationships should be at the heart of any influencer marketing strategy. Here are three reasons why: 

Authenticity

I’ve spoken a lot about the importance of authenticity. And I bang on about it because it’s just so important for both brands and influencers. 

Authenticity is always key for influencers, because the genuine nature of their relationships with their specific audiences is what sets them apart from other creators (of which there are an abundance!). By forging extended collaborations and regularly publishing content together over time, your relationship will be perceived even more naturally to their audience, your relationship with the influencer only ever feeling more and more authentic over time. 

Loyalty 

Influencers are real people, and like any good relationship, building trust and loyalty is key. How an influencer feels about the brands and products they promote will be directly felt in the tone and quality of their content. 

When an influencer regularly promotes a particular brand, their audience becomes more accustomed to that brand being a part of their everyday life and regularly consumed content mix. Establishing long-term relationships with influencers can help you turn those same audiences into loyal customers by naturalising (and then steadily cementing) your place in their lives. 

Better content

One of the key reasons for working with influencers is their ability to create great content on your behalf. When you work with influencers over a long period of time, you start to understand each other better and are able to align your campaign objectives to produce ever more creative content. Giving influencers creative freedom is key to delivering content that resonates, and the better they know your brand goals and missions, the easier it will be for them to portray that in the content they produce.