Social Influencers Say It’s Really Not Just About the Money

When considering teaming up with a brand, social influencers say they consider a variety of factors, but mainly they just want to be sure the brand’s values line up with their own.

About four in ten influencers surveyed cited common values as one of the most important reasons when deciding to partner with a brand, according to influencer marketing automation platform TapInfluence, which polled 268 influencers in North America who had an average reach of 259,000.

Brand recognition and opportunity to grow their following were other factors cited, but fewer respondents mentioned them as being a key reason why they would team up with a brand. For example, only 2.24% of influencers said that it was important for the brand to be well recognized, and 4.9% said the partnership would be a great opportunity for them to grow their following.

A separate question in the survey raised the issue of money. Only 11.2% said that money was a primary factor that would prevent them from partnering with a brand, compared with nearly half who cited, again, the idea of alignment between brand and influencer.

Other factors such as stringent guidelines and micromanagement were also brought up, but ultimately, most influencers wanted to make sure they meshed well with the brands they were going to work with.

Influencer marketing is top of mind for many brand marketers. By and large, most marketers work with influencers because it helps drive engagement and awareness of their brand. And influencers don’t just partner with brands because they offer them competitive compensation. For some, being granted creative freedom is more important.

Courtesy of eMarketer