Pulse June 2021 | Page 25

out to their other advertising partners . This allows you to put a dollar value on the products and services being exchanged .
Another bonus of working with micro-influencers , according to Medina , is that they often overdeliver .“ Cost is definitely a big difference between a local influencer and a national influencer . I find that the micro-influencers tend to overdeliver because they ’ re trying to grow as well .”
3 . FOLLOW UP Make no mistake that working with influencers is time-consuming , especially since follow-up is paramount . After the influencer has received the product or the service , you need to check in on them : did they like it ? What post ( s ) did they make ? How did the posts do ? Ideally , some of this follow-up will happen on the day of any services , says Ciocan . When she worked with a Las Vegas spa on an activation with fourteen regional Las Vegas influencers , Ciocan “ made sure that each influencer posted a story on the spa — tagging the spa , tagging the esthetician — and then after the event we made sure that they posted . After that , they sent us a proof of their story and their post , and provided metrics and data to the spa .”
Influencers are busy , working with multiple partners in any given week . They often have well-planned and intricate posting schedules . Checking in will keep them
QUICK TIPS
“ We tend not to go back to difficult influencers . We ’ re a small , lean team . If we have to go round and round to come to terms , we ’ ll drop down to the next in line . There ’ s not a lack to choose from , even in a niche industry .”
— ROBIN VEGA , CAUSE + MEDIC
on task and make the relationship a positive and effective one .
4 . EVALUATE THE RESULTS After the activation is over , it ’ s important to evaluate the results . This can occasionally be difficult due to the esoteric nature of brand awareness and engagement . Likes , comments , mentions and phone calls can be tracked , but nothing beats bookings as a measure of success . Ultimately , social

FIRST-TIME SUPRISES What Surprised Members Most About Influencer Marketing

ERIN STREMCHA : “ What was surprising to us was the immediate increase in calls and website traffic we received once the influencer ( s ) posted to their social media channels about their experiences at our spa .”
DANIELA CIOCAN : “ I don ’ t think that working with larger influencers work out well , as enticing as it is . It doesn ’ t quite generate the engagement . It generates likes , but there ’ s no conversion .”
ROBIN VEGA : “ I thought [ influencer marketing ] would be easier in some cases . That world is changing very fast . It ’ s a big business now and it ’ s growing quickly , especially with the pandemic and everyone being home and online more .”
TIM WALLER : “ Working with influencers is a business . The larger influencers get , the more they are run like an advertising platform . Contracts in these cases are very elaborate and it takes time to set up a successful relationship .”
CAUSE + MEDIC uses influencers , but is quick to move on if the relationship proves difficult .
JUNE 2021 PULSE 23