How to Write the Best Influencer Brief

Are you working with influencers? Knowing how to write an influencer brief is key.

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Why? Clear communication leads to success. Influencers are talented. They have the potential to create viral posts but they need guidance and to understand your product’s value. At the same time, you want to give them the freedom to create original content.

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Writing an influencer brief is a balancing act. Get it right, and your campaigns will meet their goals. Your influencers will be much more likely to work with you again in the future and create amazing content with a comprehensive brief.

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What is an Influencer Brief

While an influencer contract is used as a legally binding agreement between you and the influencer, an influencer brief is a brief but in-depth breakdown of your campaign. Broken down into easy-to-digest sections (which we’ll discuss later) that can be shared with influencers so that they can have a clear guideline of what is expected of them.

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The brief can include details ranging from an overview of your brand all the way down to your content requirements for the campaign. 

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This is taking the campaign that you have in mind and putting it down on paper for influencers to be able to see your vision and help you execute on it. How you format your brief is very important and can be the difference between having great experiences collaborating with influencers or banging your head against your keyboard at 2am in the morning because you’re asking an influencer for revisions for the 18th time. 

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The brief allows you to talk all of the instructions that you would have sent over emails or DMs and put them into one concise document that you can share with influencers. This not only makes your brand look more professional but also facilitates communication and eases the burden on influencers allowing them to create stellar content. 

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What should be included in a brief? 

There are many different templates regarding what you should or should not include. In reality, this will depend on your brand and the type of campaign that you’re running. Here at Embold, we break down our briefs in multiple sections that we’ll break down for you below: 

Company Overview

What's Your Story?

An effective influencer brief begins with an introduction to your brand. Even if an influencer is familiar with what you offer, it's essential to highlight your unique identity.

Include details such as:

• Company Name: Who are you?
• Industry: What market do you serve?
• Location: Where are you based?
• Mission: What drives you?
• Vision: Where are you headed?

This information sets the stage for understanding what your company stands for. It helps influencers align their content with your brand's ethos, ensuring a cohesive and authentic collaboration. By establishing this context, you're creating a solid foundation for the rest of the campaign.

Campaign Focus: Your Strategy in Spotlight

This section brings clarity and direction to the campaign. By articulating the core elements, you align all parties involved and set a clear roadmap for success. It’s your guide to ensure everyone stays on the same page and works towards the same goal.

• ‍Name Your Campaign: What's the official moniker for this initiative?
• ‍Goals and Objectives: What are you striving for with this campaign? Define the key outcomes you want to achieve, be it boosting brand awareness, increasing sales, or fostering community engagement. (Check out this article for marketing objectives specific to influencer marketing.)
• ‍Success Metrics: How will you know when you've succeeded? Outline how you'll measure the campaign’s success and what will make it a triumphant venture for you and your team.
• ‍Product/Service Focus: Is there a specific product or service at the heart of this campaign? Describe what you're promoting and highlight the aspects you'd like to emphasize.
• ‍Influencer Perks: Will you be shipping or providing any products or services to the influencers? If so, make sure to detail what they can expect to receive, whether it's a sample product or exclusive access to a service.

This section brings clarity and direction to the campaign. By articulating the core elements, you align all parties involved and set a clear roadmap for success. It’s your guide to ensure everyone stays on the same page and works towards the same goal.

Content Focus: Crafting the Perfect Message

This section sets the creative direction for your campaign. By outlining the key components and stylistic guidelines, you ensure that content aligns with your brand's identity and objectives. It's your opportunity to guide the creative process without stifling the influencer's own unique flair. It's a collaboration that reflects the best of both your brand and the influencer's creativity.

• ‍Key Messaging: What are the main messages you want to convey? Share the core values, taglines, or unique selling points that should be emphasized in the content.
• ‍Visual and Tonal Style: How should the content look and feel? Whether it's an outdoor adventure or a sophisticated indoor setting, describe the desired ambiance and tone. Are you aiming for excitement, nostalgia, or something more exclusive? Define it here.
• ‍Must-Have Components: What specific elements must be included? Logos, product images, particular messaging? Detail everything that must appear in the content.
• Exclusions: Are there elements that must be avoided? List anything that should not be part of the content, from competing brand logos to certain phrases.
• Calls to Action (CTAs): What actions should influencers guide their audience to take? Provide specific examples like "Shop Now" or "Join the Community."
• Tracking Links: Are there individual or unified tracking links for the campaign? Provide details to help gauge the effectiveness of the content.
• Hashtags and Tags: Identify the hashtags and social media accounts that influencers should use in their content. These can be a creative way to unify the campaign and boost visibility.
• Content Inspiration: Have something specific in mind? Share samples or content ideas that can guide the influencers in creating content that aligns with your brand.
• Additional Insights: Anything else to add? Share any other comments or concerns that will assist in crafting content that resonates with your brand's image and objectives.

This section sets the creative direction for your campaign. By outlining the key components and stylistic guidelines, you ensure that content aligns with your brand's identity and objectives. It's your opportunity to guide the creative process without stifling the influencer's own unique flair. It's a collaboration that reflects the best of both your brand and the influencer's creativity.

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Campaign Timeline: The Blueprint for Success

In any marketing campaign, time is of the essence. Creating a clear timeline ensures that everyone is on the same page and that deadlines are met. It helps in streamlining the process, monitoring progress, and aligning the campaign with other marketing initiatives. A well-defined timeline sets the pace, keeps the momentum, and helps in evaluating the campaign's success at different stages.

• Key Dates: Are there specific dates or milestones that must be considered in planning the campaign? Perhaps a product launch or a seasonal event? Detail those here to ensure they're integrated into the overall strategy.
• First Post: When does the campaign kick off? Specify the date you want the first influencer post to go live. This sets the stage and can align with other marketing activities.
• Campaign Completion: When should the campaign wrap up? Define the end date to allow for proper tracking, analysis, and follow-up.

By outlining the campaign's timeline, you're not only setting clear expectations but also enabling the influencers to plan their work efficiently. This organizational aspect helps in maintaining consistency, measuring performance, and ultimately contributes to achieving the campaign's objectives. Timelines are essential in managing the many moving parts of a campaign, ensuring that everything runs smoothly and that the impact is maximized.

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The Importance of an Influencer Marketing Brief: Why It Matters

Understanding the Influencer's Perspective: Influencers often juggle content creation alongside other responsibilities, such as full-time jobs. They are talented but not mind-readers. Providing a concise and detailed influencer marketing brief serves as a guiding star. It ensures that the content they create aligns with your objectives, eliminating guesswork and confusion.

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Why is a Brief Necessary? Consider These Benefits:

• Streamlined Communication: A well-crafted brief cuts down hours of unnecessary back and forth. It answers potential questions upfront, making the process smoother. As someone who has experienced this, I can affirm that not having a brief will lead to lots of tedious and time-consuming communication with influencers.
• Relevance and Efficiency: A brief ensures clarity. Influencers know exactly what you expect, so they get it right the first time. This translates to content that meets your needs without the need for endless revisions.
• Building Long-Term Relationships: When you provide a detailed brief, it signals professionalism and respect for the influencer's time and craft. This fosters a positive working relationship, making influencers more inclined to collaborate with you again in the future.

In summary, an influencer marketing brief is far from just "extra work." It's a fundamental tool that leads to more efficient collaborations, relevant content, and successful long-term relationships with influencers. It's an investment that pays off in saved time, reduced frustration, and more impactful campaigns.

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Still seems like too much work? Try a platform like Embold for Free 

Feeling overwhelmed by the task of creating an influencer brief and finding the right influencers for your campaign? Look no further than Embold, Canada's go-to free influencer marketing platform.

Here's What Embold Offers:

• Easy Brief Creation: Craft a detailed and effective influencer brief right on our platform. No fuss, no confusion – just clear guidelines for your campaign.
• Access to Thousands of Influencers: Browse and invite from a diverse roster of over 9000+ influencers. Find the perfect match for your brand without the headaches.
• End-to-End Campaign Management: From initiation to completion, manage your entire campaign effortlessly on our platform.

Why struggle when Embold can make it simple? Get started for free and take control of your influencer marketing today!

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