How to Legally Use Images in Your Social Media Marketing

Do you share images in your social media marketing?

Wondering if you’re violating copyright laws?

With a bit of information, you can learn to protect yourself and your business from a copyright infringement lawsuit.

In this article, you’ll discover five tips to help you use images correctly (and legally) on social media.

#1: Understand Copyright Basics

You don’t need to read a law book, but knowing a few copyright basics will go a long way in helping you use images legally (and protecting your own content). So much misinformation about copyright is out there; however, understanding these key points will put you ahead of the game.

• Copyright is a designation given to creative works that you put into the world in a “fixed form,” meaning the minute you type that blog post or put that photo on Instagram, you’re protected.
• Copyright covers a variety of categories, including literary works (books, poetry, articles); performing arts (music, lyrics); visual arts (artwork, jewelry, photos); digital content (websites, blogs); motion pictures (movies, television, videos); and photographs (commercial, personal, portrait).
• Copyright protection is automatic, meaning the work is presumed to be yours. Although many people use the copyright symbol © as a way of saying, “Hey, this stuff is all mine!”, the symbol is no longer legally required.
• With this protection, you get certain rights. For example, no one else can use your work without permission.

Many websites use the copyright symbol but it’s not legally required.

• If you want the ability to sue for copyright infringement (if someone steals your work), you need to register the work with the U.S. Copyright Office within 90 days of publication.

So, for example, if you publish content on February 1 and infringement occurs on March 1, you still have until the end of April to register and be able to take legal action against the March infringement. However, once that 90 days from publication passes, you would not be able to bring an action against that March infringement.

For an easy way to think about copyright protection, remember this: If you didn’t create it, you may not be able to use it (even if you give the work’s creator credit).

#2: Read the Terms for Your Social Media Platforms

Is it okay to retweet? Sure. Is it okay to repin images on Pinterest? Maybe. Is it okay to repost on Instagram? Sometimes.

Remember that all social media platforms have different rules and take big steps to protect themselves and their users. To know what is or isn’t acceptable for each platform, find a comfortable spot and read each platform’s Terms of Service/Use/Conditions.

Pinterest terms clearly say that you’re responsible for the user content you post.

For example, on Pinterest, you’re allowed to repin other images on Pinterest (meaning, you can’t copy to another platform). However, if the image you’re repinning appears on Pinterest without permission from the author, you could be committing copyright infringement because you’re “solely responsible” for anything you post.

What this looks like: Sally posts an awesome picture of chocolate cake on her blog, but she isn’t on Pinterest. Emily really likes the picture and posts it on her Pinterest account with her recipe. Jennifer repins it on her board of desserts. Both Emily and Jennifer may be liable to Sally for copyright infringement, even though Jennifer didn’t know she was doing it.

What to do? Check the source of the original pin to make sure the author and that picture are on Pinterest.

Remember, take time to read the terms for each platform and understand what’s allowed and what isn’t. Doing this could save you a lot of heartache, time, and money in the future!

#3: Choose the Right License When Using Stock Images

If you use stock images, you often have choices about what type of license you have for using the image. Generally speaking, the more expensive the license, the more you can do with the image. When you use a stock art service like iStock, make sure the license you choose allows how you’re using the image.

A stock art service may let you choose which type of image license you need.

Just because you paid $11.99 for a stock art photo doesn’t mean you can use it however you want. Many licenses limit the purchaser to personal use only, online media only (versus print), or a certain number of uses.

If you’re a designer or you use stock art to create images for others, make sure you have the license to do so. Sometimes you may need to make sure your customer buys the license directly from the company.

On the website where you purchased the image, look for license guidelines in the footer. Or you can always reach out and ask the company if your license permits your intended use of a picture.

Look for a license information link in the footer of the stock art service.

#4: Get Permission From the Image Creator

Bottom line: If you’re questioning whether to use an image or video, ask! In today’s online world, most people are probably happy to give you permission to use their image, provided you give them credit.

Take Instagram, for example. Did you know that reposting is actually in violation of Instagram Terms? But (and it’s a big but), given the platform and how it works, 99% of users are okay with (and like!) reposting that includes the good etiquette of linking back to their profiles.

Instagram’s Terms of Use state that users must comply with the Community Guidelines.

However, say someone is among the 1% who don’t want their content reposted. If that person finds people are doing it without their permission, they can file a report with Instagram or potentially sue for copyright infringement.

Just a word of warning: Some photographers and attorneys are on the hunt for people infringing copyright. Unfortunately, with copyright infringement, you can’t claim you didn’t know what you were doing, and are likely on the hook for damages under the statute. However, most are happy to settle out of court with a nice payout. I’ve heard of a picture of a pickle costing someone more than $5,000.

When in doubt, ask. “Better safe than sorry” is a great motto when thinking about whether you’re using images and videos legally.

#5: Don’t Assume Fair Use Applies to Your Use of Someone Else’s Image

The term fair use gets thrown around a lot, but what does it mean? Well, it can be an exception to the exclusive rights a copyright owner has over their work. The Fair Use doctrine was created to allow for certain use of images and content as long as that use doesn’t impede the author’s rights.

Usually, fair use applies to comment, criticism, or parody; however, people have a lot of misconceptions about when fair use does and doesn’t apply.

The Fair Use doctrine allows for certain use of images and content as long as that use doesn’t impede the author’s rights.

You can’t claim fair use by simply giving attribution to the author. Fair use and attribution aren’t related. Fair use is about how someone is using content and it’s one of those wishy-washy gray areas where lawyers often say, “It depends.” Courts use a four-factor test to determine whether fair use is in play:

• The purpose and character of the use (whether it’s for commercial or nonprofit/education purposes). The more on the side of education, the more likely it’s fair use.
• The nature of the work.
• The amount of the work used compared to the whole work (meaning, was it a paragraph from a book or was it the entire book?).
• Effect on the market or value of the work.

An example of fair use would be using a snapshot of Marie Forleo or Gary Vaynerchuk in a webinar you’re doing about online marketing. But you can’t necessarily take an episode of Marie’s TV/video show and post it on your website, claiming education and fair use. The whole point is to balance copyright protection with the public’s interest. So ask yourself, what am I using the work for and am I using a lot of it?

Conclusion

The truth is that using images on social media and for online business these days is tricky. As is often the case, the law is behind the times and may take a while to catch up. But if you can keep these five tips in mind as you use images on social media, you’ll be way ahead of the curve. Educating yourself about copyright, social media platform terms, and image licenses will go a long way in protecting you.

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How to Create Social Media Marketing Videos Without Appearing On Camera

Do you want to market your business with video?

Are you unsure about appearing on camera?

You can easily create compelling and budget-friendly videos while staying comfortably off-screen.

In this article, you’ll discover how to gather and combine video assets to tell your story, all without getting in front of a camera.

#1: Choose a Storytelling Approach

First things first: Decide on the story you want to tell and what type of video is best for telling that story. Not sure where to start? Several categories of videos may resonate with your audience and none require you to appear on camera.

A video to explain what you do is always a good idea. For this type of video, talk about who you are and what your brand, business, or product does. You can post this video on your website and in the About section of your business’s Facebook page.

In this example from Blue Apron, the video explains how their meal service works, what cooking expertise you need to follow their recipes, how they source their ingredients, and why their service is valuable.

Create a video about what your business does to share on your website and Facebook page.

How-to videos can be a great way to establish your expertise, serve up share-worthy content, and reach new potential customers. For example, New York florist City Girl Flowers created a video about how to make a floral gift box. Don’t want your hands on camera? This video would work just as well using photos throughout the various stages of the process without showing the florist’s hands.

Stories resonate with consumers, particularly on social media. A video telling an interesting story behind your product can make that product feel all the more valuable.

For instance, Nu-Era Bakery in West Virginia created a video about the connection between their pepperoni rolls and West Virginia history. The story resonated with their Facebook fans, who shared the video more than 4,000 times!

A video can tell an interesting story about your product’s history.

A testimonial video can showcase the great work you do through your customers. Because your customers do the talking, you don’t have to be on camera at all. In this great example from Slack, several members of the Sandwich Video team talk about how Slack improved the way the team coordinates its video projects.

And these are just a few examples. You can also create promotional videos about your projects or services. Seasonal videos might relate to Valentine’s Day, summer vacation, Halloween, or other special occasions.

#2: Gather Content for Your Video

After you have an idea for your video, it’s time to compile the photos and video clips that tell your story. To get this content, you may not need to pick up a camera at all. Your marketing material both on and off social media, as well as user content, can all be resources for your video.

Existing Marketing Content

Even if you haven’t been making videos to market your business yet, you’ve likely been doing other things to spread the word about your products or services. You can repurpose content you’ve used for other marketing projects and campaigns. Look for reusable content on your website, printed materials, marketing projects, and campaigns.

Crate and Barrel’s marketing team repurposed images from their Spring 2016 product catalog to create a marketing video for Instagram and Facebook.

As you look for content to use in your video, keep an eye out for assets like these:

• Your company logo
• Product shots (like in the Crate and Barrel example)
• Team photos or headshots from your About Us page
• Photos used in brochures, signage, and so forth

Instagram and Snapchat Stories

Have you created an Instagram or Snapchat story? Save these videos and repurpose them, along with the other photos and videos you’ve already posted on your social pages.

It’s easy to download your full Instagram story (or just part of it) to use again later. First, open your Instagram story and tap at the bottom where the names of the people who have viewed your story are listed.

Open your Instagram story and tap at the bottom of the screen.

On the next screen, you have two options. To download the entire story, tap the arrowat the top of the screen. To download a clip, scroll through to select a clip and tap the arrow below your story.

Download your entire Instagram story or just a clip.

The process to download Snapchat stories is similar. In the Stories section, tap the download icon next to My Story.

Navigate to your Snapchat Stories section and tap the download icon.

When a dialog box asks if you’d like to save your story, tap Yes to confirm and the entire story is downloaded.

Tap Yes to save your Snapchat story.

Downloaded stories from Instagram or Snapchat are saved to your camera roll or gallery, where you can use them in new marketing videos.

User-generated Content

Don’t have many photos and videos of your own? Ask your customers! You can create fantastic videos using photos and videos from the people who use your products and services (and love you!).

You can look online to see if fans are already posting photos or videos, or send out a call to action asking fans to share content with you. Then edit those assets together into a video. An added benefit is the people whose photos and videos you include are likely to share your video with their friends!

Ask Permission to Use Customer Content

Before you use other people’s content, make sure they give you permission. To get permission, reach out via email, send a message on social media, or comment on their post. Be sure to let users know exactly how you’ll be using their photo or video and keep a record of their response.

If you reach out on the post itself, follow up via email so you can keep a record of the person granting permission. Here’s a simple format you can use: Hi [person’s name]. We really enjoyed your [photo/video/etc.] and we’d love to feature it in our own video. Please let us know if you’d be okay with that!

#3: Combine On-Screen Text With Your Visual Assets

When you aren’t on camera to talk to your audience, you need other channels for telling a story. Lucky for you, text offers an easy solution.

You may have heard the phrase, “Text is dead; long live video!” That’s not exactly true. Text still lives on and can help you tell stories in your videos. When you put text to good use, your video may need only a handful of photos or video clips. Author Bunmi Laditan has an amazing example of the power of images and a little text.

Author Bunmi Laditan used a few images and well-chosen text to create a funny video.

Text is the glue that holds your photos and videos together and helps you tell a story. To start writing your text, think about the story you’d like to tell from start to finish. Write it out. Then organize the photos and video clips you’ve gathered or shot in an order that you feel best represents your story. You can do this in your video editing software, on notecards, or by arranging printed photos.

After you create a basic storyboard, use text to fill in the necessary holes and tell your story. You can use stand-alone text slides or place text on top of video clips or photos (as in the video above). Make your text as concise as possible so viewers feel like they’re watching your video, not reading it. Also, be sure the text is easy to read and stays on-screen long enough for viewers to scan it.

When you’re done, share your video with someone you trust to provide honest feedback. Ask him or her to repeat the story to you after viewing the video. Were there any holes in the story? Are there any questions that weren’t answered? Improve the video based on this feedback.

Conclusion

When you think about marketing videos, perhaps personality-based campaigns like Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” or Dollar Shave Club’s viral hit, featuring co-founder Michael Dubin, come to mind. If you’re not comfortable on camera, the prospect of doing something like this can feel understandably terrifying.

That being said, you’ve likely heard that video is becoming a must-have for marketing, especially on social media. According to 2016 data, video is performing better than other types of posts on Facebook, social video viewing is linked to purchasing decisions, and more marketers than ever are embracing the medium.

The good news is that you’ve got everything you need to start making great videos without having to turn the lens on yourself.

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A Take on 3 Confusing Terms: Content Marketing, Content Strategy, Content Marketing Strategy

Are you looking for a job – or looking to hire someone – in a field associated with “content marketing” or “content strategy” or “content marketing strategy”? Do these terms pop up regularly in your reading and your conversations? If so, you know that people often misuse them.

Not that they mean to. It’s just that the terms often are used loosely, interchangeably even, resulting in confusion that can lead to ill will or poor business decisions.

For the sake of our businesses and our careers, all of us who work in these fields need to understand and appreciate the differences and similarities among these terms – and use the terms accurately.

For example, search job postings for “content strategist.” Go ahead, don’t be shy. You’ll find dozens of positions. In the descriptions, do you notice a theme? I’m willing to bet that you’re staring at a list of duties around writing, editing, and publishing content. And while that’s a great description of what many content marketers do, it doesn’t fit what content strategists (like me) do.

Where’s the disconnect? How does content marketing relate to content strategy, and how does content marketing strategy fit in?

Content marketing strategy as a sub-discipline

I’m just going to put this out there: I see content marketing strategy as a sub-discipline of content strategy. Let’s start by clarifying the difference between these two terms:

• Content strategy is a sub-discipline of user experience (UX). A person in that role considers an organization’s content holistically and shapes the way that body of content influences people’s experiences with the brand. Content strategists think about how all the organization’s content fits together. As Rahel Anne Bailie puts it, “content strategy” equates to an “umbrella strategy.”

• Content marketing strategy deals specifically with content marketing. Content marketing strategists determine what content will build the customer base by helping people make decisions or solve problems at various points in their experience with the brand
• I break it down for students in my introduction to content strategy course like this:

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:  Developing a Content Marketing Strategy

How content marketing fits with related roles

Given that content marketing strategy is a sub-discipline of content strategy, does that mean the folks in marketing report to a content strategist? Not usually. In most organizations, the content strategist and content marketing team report up through different departments, even if they sit next to each other on the same project team. Content marketers typically report to the marketing team, while content strategists report to the UX team.

I show my students the hive diagram that Kristina Halvorson has used in her presentations. This diagram details a range of possible roles on a web team. Of course, not all content is web content, but the diagram (with a few tweaks) would look similar for any kind of content team.

The original hive diagram doesn’t include the content marketer role. In my class, I point to where I think the content marketer might belong: nestled in among the web analyst, content strategist, web editor, and web writer roles.

My version of the hive diagram created by skillset.org. The original (not including “content marketer”) formerly appeared on the Brain Traffic blog.

Here’s how I see the content marketer role in relation to each of its neighboring roles. Keep in mind that a role doesn’t necessarily belong to a person. Sometimes, multiple people play a role. Other times one person plays multiple roles.

• Content marketer in relation to the web analyst: Gathers insights from the web analyst to determine how best to target the customer with the right content at the right time

• Content marketer in relation to the content strategist: Plans for the publication of marketing content, aligning with the overall strategy that the content strategist has formulated in partnership with stakeholders

• Content marketer in relation to the web editor: Adheres to the editorial standards put in place and enforced by the web editor

• Content marketer in relation to the web writer: Creates a plan that is carried out with or by the web writer

Of course, the content marketer works with other roles, too, not just with the adjacent hexagons in this two-dimensional representation.

Zoom in to see more accurately the relationship I’m focusing on in this article, namely, the relationship between content marketing and content strategy.

This view reinforces my point about content marketing strategy being a sub-discipline of content strategy. Content strategists do some things that content marketers don’t, and vice versa. The area where the two functions overlap – where people are thinking strategically about content marketing – is content marketing strategy.

#Contentmarketing strategy is where content marketing & content strategy overlap, says @melanie_seibert.CLICK TO TWEET

It doesn’t matter who’s doing that work in the middle; it could be a strategist doing content marketing work or a content marketer doing strategy work. What matters is that someone’s doing this work. With traditional marketing becoming “less and less effective by the minute,” this overlap area – content marketing strategy – may represent one of your organization’s biggest growth opportunities today.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: An Easy-to-Apply Framework to Build Your (New or Mature) Content Marketing Team

A call for clarity

In summary, when we use “content strategy,” “content marketing,” and “content marketing strategy” interchangeably, we confuse people, from new practitioners looking to enter the field to organizations trying to make sound hiring decisions.

I propose that we distinguish amongst the roles as follows:

• A content strategist plans and guides content efforts across the organization, including marketing efforts.

• A content marketing strategist plans and guides content marketing efforts specifically.

• A content marketer may play a strategic role, a tactical role, or some combination of the two within the practice of content marketing.

If I’m being honest, I don’t see the confusion clearing up anytime soon. I expect to keep seeing content marketing roles with the title of “content strategist.” But it’ll be OK. We’ll keep working together. We’ll support each other. And we’ll keep explaining the distinctions between these three terms – content marketing, content strategy, and content marketing strategy – to anyone who’s interested. We’ll make the content world a less confusing place one conversation at a time. 

Beginners Guide to Instagram Influencer Marketing for Online Store Owners

We all know how incredibly powerful UGC (user-generated content) can be for an eCommerce store. Well, Instagram influencer marketing is UGC on steroids. By harnessing the popularity and engagement of the right influencer you are able to access the most modern version of word-of-mouth advertising: social media.

But I am getting a little ahead of myself. First, to show just how powerful Instagram is as a platform, here is some interesting eCommerce Instagram stats for you:

• In February of this year, Facebook announced that Instagram hit over 400 million daily active users, sharing on average 95 million photos and videos per day
• According to an Iconosquare study, around 70% of Instagram users actively look for brands with good content on Instagram to follow
• According to  Pew Internet, 32% of teenagers view Instagram as the most important social network
• According to Instagram, 60% of users have said that they have learned about a product/service on Instagram

Bonus: 6 Online Businesses Crushing it on Instagram

Now enter Instagram influencers…

Instagram influencers are those personalities on Instagram who have a following and who have grown to almost ‘star-like’ status within their niche. Who better to trust with your shopping recommendations than someone you trust enough to follow and whose like-minded content you adore?

This is what makes Instagram influencer marketing so powerful for online store owners. Instagram marketing is successful in itself, but finding influencers takes your reach to the next level. In fact, a study by Tapin Influence proves just this as it found that Influencer marketing content could result in 11 times higher ROIs than traditional marketing methods. So why do Instagram influencers have that drive such good results? Because they have:

• Exponential reach to niche audiences who trust and listen to their recommendations
• Affordable rates
• Wide variety of people within almost every niche
• Building your followers from scratch  

So where do you find these magic-making influencers and how do you get your piece of the Instagram influencer action? In this post we look at what steps you need to follow to win at Instagram influencer marketing.

Step 1: Set Your Objectives

First things first…Before approaching Instagram influencers you will want to have a clear objective in mind. Do you want to build brand awareness for your online store, push the sales for a specific product or give your new product line launch a boost? Here are the main marketing goals you will want to choose from when outlining your objectives and strategies and what influencer marketing can do to help push for each:

Customer Retention

Customer retention is an often overlooked benefit of Instagram influencer marketing. By forming long-term relationships with influencers, you’ll be able to use them as a kind of brand ambassador for your online store. An added face of your brand if you will, that leads to repeat shopping, customer retention and ultimately in growing your loyal shoppers. A concept that online store Lululemon is no stranger to.

Reaching New Target Audiences

Another objective that influencers can help you succeed with is reaching previously untapped target audiences. If you are launching a new product that appeals to a different audience than you’ve been marketing too, posting within your account won’t yield great results. However, influencers who are popular within the target audience you are looking to reach, will give you a big leg up.

Sales generation

Sales generation is probably the most utilized goal/benefit of influencer marketing campaign benefits. There are a variety of ways you can drive more sales through influencers such as using a variety of influencers once-off to push a product or promote a flash sale, including special discount codes for their followers, or getting influencers to review a new product line.

Brand Awareness

Another very important object of influencer campaigns is brand awareness. Influencer campaigns give you access to thousands, and in some cases hundreds of thousands, of that influencers’ follower base helping you get the name of your store out to a huge number of people who haven’t yet heard of you. If this is your main object then instead of forming one long lasting relationship you need for building customer retention, you’ll want to try and get your products to as many influencers in your niche as possible in order to spread the word far and wide.

Increasing Instagram Following

Your last possible objective goal option is to use influencers to grow your Instagram account. This is ideal for new eCommerce entrepreneurs who are growing their social following from scratch. By launching a competition or a popular cause where users are encouraged by influences to hashtag and follow your account to win or participate, is a great way to speed up your following growth. A timeless example of this was the award winning #WearYellowForSeth campaign.

Step 2: Finding the Right Instagram Influencers for Your Business

Now that you know what your end goal is, you are ready to find the right Instagram influencers for your objectives.

Despite popular belief, the number of followers an influencer has is not your top concern. What’s important is what interests their followers, the types of posts they post and the engagement that they get.

For the best ROIs, you will want to find influencers who post around the lifestyle you’re selling in, whose followers are likely to be potential shoppers in your niche. Say you are selling travel gear, you’ll want to look for influences who are known and are popular for their travel posts; as their followers are more likely to need (and use) what you’re selling.  

Let’s dig deeper…

What to Look for When Deciding on Instagram Influencers

Most of us would find spending thousands of dollars on one top-tier influencer a waste of valuable resources. As any eCommerce store owner will tell you, budget is limited and most smaller businesses don’t have the luxury of throwing money around on roping in celeb influencers that can charge up to $15,000 a post.

The good news is, when it comes to influencer marketing, bigger (or more expensive) isn’t always better.  What we’re looking for is to get the most reach we can for our spend. Going for smaller influencers who cost a lot less despite still having great engagement and reach, will ensure you get the best ROIs while targeting very specific niche markets packed with potential shoppers. These influencers are often referred to as ‘micro-influencers’ and price is not their only advantage.

Image Source

As you can see from the above graph, their smaller following tend to be more engaged and offer a far more targeted type of following which can yield awesome results. Some other benefits include:

• Better chance of forming long-lasting relationships
• Shorter waiting lists
• Bigger impact to a more segmented market
• Less risk

Additional Tip: Make sure the influencers you choose not only have followers that are in your target audience, but also have posts that tie in with your brand. If your brand voice is young, fresh and friendly, you wouldn’t want a influencer whose voice is ‘older’ and more corporate.

Checking the Metrics

As I mentioned, it is not the number of followers that are important; what you want to check is the engagement metric as this will point to the ‘quality’ of the influencer. A rough engagement rate average is around 2-4% per user. You can manually work out a post engagement rate by taking a certain number of the influencers’ posts and the likes of each post to get an average engagement per post. Something like this template from Sprout Social which you can click here to access.

Alternatively you can use tools Sprout Social or Iconosquare to more easily get engagement rates per posts. Try and look at their non-promotional posts, posts that they haven’t been paid to post like selfies to judge what their average engagement is and also to ensure that their post engagement is genuine.

Instagram Influences Searches

There are three main ways you can search for micro-influencers in your niche: reaching out to loyal followers, searching popular hashtags associated to the lifestyle surrounding the niche you are selling in, or using third party tools.Here’s a short description on each.

• Reaching out to possible influencers already following you and invested in your brand will make partnerships easier to negotiate. If they are ‘rookie’ influencers, they will also cost you less and you may be able to offer sample products in exchange for a post.  

• Searching by hashtag is another way to find popular posters in your niche. Let’s say you are selling winter coats, you can search anything from #wintercoats to #FashionTips to find popular posts by influencers and bloggers.

• Lastly, if you have some more budget, you can try online tools and influencer matching platforms which will help you find the type of influencers that meet your objectives within your budget. The bonus of using these third-party sites is that the influencers are vetted. Here are some top sites to get you started:

• Tribegroup.co
• Readypulse.com
• Famebit.com
• Revfluence.com
• Ifluenz.com
• Hypetap.com
• Shoutcart.com
• Speakr.com
• Neoreach.com
• Weconnectsocial.com
• Instabrand.com

Step 3: Setting Up Instagram Influencer Partnerships

The last and  final step is to approach your chosen influencers with your partnership pitch. You’ll want to reach out first to introduce yourself and gauge their interest, and then send them a brief of what you want. If you’re not using a third party platform, you should be able to find the influencers” contact information in the bio of their account.

Bear in mind that you will want to allow the influencer a certain amount of creative freedom to ensure the post is in line with the content their followers have come to expect, or you risk not getting the engagement you want. Here are some things you’ll want to include in the brief or pitch:

• Payment: What payment are you offering for the post which includes content creation, usage rights and audience access
• Timeframe: Let them know when you would like the post to go live. This is especially important for time-sensitive promotions and deals.
• Number of posts: State whether this is a once-off or a series of posts
• Content Usage: Discuss your usage of the content created and how long you’ll be able to use it after the influencer has posted
• Intention: State whether this is a one-time collaboration of if you’re looking for a long-term partnership.  

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Once you’ve outlined your goals, found influencers you want to work with and have agreed on a partnership and content strategy rollout…all that’s left is to track the success of the campaign. You will want to compare the amount of Instagram followers, product sales, and engagement from before the campaign began to after it was completed to judge just how much of your objective was reached within your budget.

This is easier to track if you have a clear defined objective such as competition entries. If you’re new to using Instagram influencers, start with something small and test the waters to see what works before putting all yours eggs (marketing budget) in one basket.

Have question or suggestions of your own? Post them in the comments below!

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