Influencer Marketing for Small Business
Influencers, Man
There is a right and wrong way to go about this
Influencers are taking over the internet and influencer marketing has become a more and more relevant marketing channel for a lot of small businesses. I mean, we’re all trying to find that one person or thing that blows things up for us (in a good way!). The thing is, influencers can be assholes and try to build a business for themselves that isn’t actually good for you—people are lazy, man. So in this episode of the Pretty Okay Podcast, we put on our big girl ranty pants and talked about how you can do influencer marketing for your small business the right way.
Influencer marketing is about relationships—without them, you’re wasting money
Influencer marketing is about relationships, and we will die on this hill. Because when you’re hiring an influencer, that is just the transaction. What you’re really after is finding someone who will be an advocate or super fan for your business—and you don’t want someone faking that (people can smell it from a mile away). So, when you’re taking the first steps to work influencer marketing into your small business marketing strategy, you want to make sure you’re finding the right person/people. And there are different types of influencers you can hire:
"Traditional influencers” (which can have mega or niche audiences)
Brand ambassadors
Content creators
Affiliates
Regardless of which you choose, you’ve gotta know that the thing you’re looking for is not just a “big following”—what you’re looking for is someone who will genuinely engage with your small business and aligns with your brand's values. In other words, it's about hiring an influencer who genuinely believes in the product or service they are promoting. Likewise, influencers should prioritize partnerships with brands they connect with on a deeper level, rather than solely focusing on freebies or payment (insert eye roll).
If you’re hiring an influencer, they need a contract
One of the biggest mistakes we see in the world of influencer marketing is the lack of contracts between the influencer and the small business. And if you’ve ever listened to an episode of the Pretty Okay Podcast in the past, you know that grandma needs a GD contract! Because if money (or even just time and product) is being exchanged, you have to have a clear agreement: outlining expectations, deliverables, and compensation terms. This is really to protect both you and the influencer from misunderstandings or disputes down the line. And if you don’t have a contract, there are plenty of small business lawyers who sell influencer marketing contract templates. Here are some of our favorites:
Best practices for influencer marketing (don’t mess this up)
Successful influencer marketing for small businesses requires more than just sending out free products or paying for unboxing videos (insert another eye roll). Again—it's about fostering genuine partnerships built on mutual trust and respect. So when it comes to the best practices you should follow for influencer marketing, here are our top tips (based on what we’ve learned and experienced personally):
Small businesses need to prioritize authenticity and engagement over follower count
You should hire influencers who genuinely resonate with your brand values
Create a plan that focuses on creating valuable and authentic content that is relatable to the audience
Always sign a contract!
Share your brand guidelines
Set the influencer up for success by giving them tips about how to use your product(s) correctly
Influencer marketing can be a powerful tool for small businesses to reach new audiences and drive sales. But, success in this space requires careful planning, clear communication, and genuine relationships between the influencer and your brand. So go out there, hire an influencer, but don’t f*ck it up.
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