Social Media with Melissa Maker

A guide to choosing an influencer that truly aligns with your brand’s DNA

by Michelle Hespe

An influencer partnership can be high stakes. The influencers you work with– everything from their aesthetic to their ethics– reflect your brand. So choose wisely.

83%

of consumers make purchase decisions directly from recommendations.

In recent years, something has become clear–consumers are no longer happy with straight advertising or obvious selling–they’d rather buy when someone they like recommends that they do so. In fact, in a 2018 study from digital marketing experts and advisors Jay Baer and Daniel Lemin, a staggering 83% of respondents said that their purchasing decisions came directly from recommendations.

Influencing today is a bonafide job where ethics, morals, contracts and money are all a part of the equation.

An influencer has to maintain a solid reputation and the more followers they have, the more people there are ready to openly and publicly judge. And as technology develops, influencing too has sped up the rate at which people consume content. In a minute an influencer can rise or fall.

To be a successful influencer now, you have to get it right. There’s barely room for mistakes.

Look at the recent fall from grace of YouTuber Jeffree Star—a hugely famous cosmetics retailer and former musician who had a strong collaboration with cutting edge make-up brand Morphe. The company cut all commercial ties with Jeffree after stories kept surfacing of his racism, treatment of other YouTubers, bad associations and things he has said and done up to a decade ago.

Before hiring an influencer, do the research and know and understand the person you are choosing to represent your brand. Take it as seriously, if not more seriously, than hiring a staff member in your brick and mortar store or that person on the end of the customer care line, because they might well have more reach and influence than everyone in your current business combined.

Introducing

Melissa Maker

Melissa Maker, the owner and founder of cleaning company Clean My Space, is one of the top cleaning and organizational influencers in the world.

She has: 65,000 followers on Instagram as herself (@Melissa Maker)

100,000+ followers on her company Instagram (@CleanmySpace)

1.5 million+ subscribers on her YouTube Channel Clean my Space

AND she is regularly tapped as an on-air and print media cleaning expert.

Melissa knows what she’s doing, and even more importantly, she knows what others are doing in the influencing space today.

“The new, young generation of consumers today has a zero tolerance policy,” says Melissa. “They expect to live in a world where there is fairness and equality and they have guts to speak up when they aren’t happy about something. And they certainly have no time for those who are not guided by a moral compass.” Which completely changes the face of influencing. Melissa points out that influencers are being called out now for things that they did online in their past. “Influencers are facing the consequences for bad behaviour, disrespectful posts or anything that can be deemed inappropriate or offensive. A quick screenshot of a bad tweet or a photo taken out of context from an influencer’s past can have ruinous consequences for the influencer and any brands they are associated with,” she says.

Melissa believes that through the younger and more emboldened generation, we are seeing a greater push for equality, justice, environmental responsibility and many other large-scale issues. “A lot of us are still learning what ‘the right way’ is, and a lot of influencers have had to get their footing as things accelerate,” she says.

“Look at the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. For hundreds of years, Black people have been disadvantaged and have not received equal opportunities,” she says. “They’re upset and they are saying so. They are asking for allyship and real change. And they are doing this through a powerful tool—social media. Influencers have to figure out how to get on board with causes that matter in a way that’s responsible, meaningful, authentic and morally-guided.”

Great Time to Get on Board

Although it’s a turbulent time to align your brand with an influencer, it’s also a great one, as influencers are being held accountable more than ever for who they are (and are not) online. The role of the influencer–who they are and what they stand for, is being laid bare for all to see.

“As a retailer, you need to take a more wholistic approach to influencing,” Melissa explains. “For instance, don’t just look at how many followers an influencer has, as it’s not all about the first-glance numbers. Yes, look at how many likes and comments are on a post, but also read the posts and the reaction and responses from the influencer. Is the audience delighted, engaged and positive? Is the influencer responsive and kind? Or, do you see negative comments and little response from the influencer? That says a lot.

“Get to know how they interact with other people and navigate tough situations. Look at who is tagging them and why. If they follow you, follow them back and watch them closely before you make decisions. You want an influencer that mirrors your

“If you choose a great influencer who is honored to work with your brand, they will go above and beyond for you.” “We are seeing a greater push for equality, justice, environmental responsibility and many other large-scale issues.”

“Influencers have to figure out how to get on board with causes that matter in a way that’s responsible, meaningful, authentic and morally-guided.”

own brand’s DNA, an influencer that would respond to a difficult situation the way you’d ideally like to see your brand respond. That demonstrates alignment.”

Melissa also advises retailers to become familiar with the other places where their content lives, as a top influencer will be on more than one platform.

“A brand has to understand the full scope of what that influencer is all about,” she says. “They have to get a feel for who they are and what they do. Before you do business with them you need to get a sense of their voice, and how they treat people in their community. Are they controversial? Does the way they present themselves align with your brand? Look into their past and if they have been involved in anything, say political, then look at how they have handled themselves. All of these things are really important.”

Money Matters. It’s a Job

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that by giving an influencer some free products you are going to have a long-lasting and fruitful relationship. “If they are any good at what they do, they’ll most likely say no to your offer in exchange for content anyway,” says Melissa. “An influencer needs to be paid like anyone else if they are going to run a successful business and make a living from influencing.” Professional influencers often have a team that helps to grow and nurture the very community brands are seeking out.

Melissa turned down a really big deal recently, for good money. “It turned out that when doing a review of the content brief–after being sold on a new and exciting environmentally-responsible development–the claims were actually overstated and it read more like a fresh coat of paint covering up damaged wood,” she says.

Melissa knew that her audience wouldn’t like the partnership and it would look bad for both parties. “The brands need to be transparent about who they are so they can attract the right influencer. If the fit is not right, it will come back to bite you later.”

She firmly believes that if you choose a great influencer who is honoured to work with your brand, they will go above and beyond for you, as the alignment will no doubt lift their own game, reputation and followers. “Consider that influencer a spokesperson for your brand,” she says. “Their name is on your content and vice versa. You are both depending on one another to do a great job.”

Getting Practical

On a practical level, Melissa says to always create a contract upfront, before any work is done. There are lawyers and legal teams in the new media space who deal specifically with influencer contracts, and many professional influencers have standard contracts they can send, too.

“There’s always going to be a push and pull on fees. When brands first enter the space, many face sticker shock—your boss might expect a load of work from an influencer for $X, but you might need to pay $Y to get what you actually want and need,” she says. “You have to look at how that payment converts to sales or exposure, and if you can’t do it yourself, then engage a strategist who can do that work for you. Hire an expert.”

Melissa also points out that looks do matter. “Consumers all look different and generally relate better to influencers who look like them, and line up with their values,” she says. “It’s about choosing someone who others can relate to for a campaign.”

Retailers also need to think about diversity in the influencer roster. “Think about varying body sizes, genders, sexual orientation, races and family unit makeup,” she says. “That’s how to gain new customers and how to show your commitment to diversity and your open-mindedness to change. Selecting the right mix of influencers can be a wonderful way to usher you there.”

The bottom line…as staff is everything when it comes to running a good business, if you are smart about the influencer you hire and the influencer is smart about who they choose to align with, you can both go places. |•

IT’S WHAT’S BEEN MISSING

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