Why Influencer Marketing Should Focus on Relationships

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is a strategy where brands partner with social media personalities to promote products or services. Influencers have developed large, loyal followings on social media. While some celebrities, such as actors and singers, are influencers, internet-famous influencers are also powerful. They’ve amassed significant audiences who trust their advice and recommendations. 

In influencer marketing arrangements, a brand pays an influencer to endorse and mention its offerings in social media posts.

Influencer clout depends largely on audience size. Here’s how influencers are categorized:

• Megainfluencers: Megainfluencers have 1 million or more followers. Examples include Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift. Companies that use megainfluencers usually are huge corporations, brands targeting a broad audience or luxury brands.
• Macroinfluencers: Macroinfluencers have between 100,000 and 1 million followers. For example, makeup artist Wayne Goss has over 680,000 Instagram followers and falls in this category. Macroinfluencers appeal to startups seeking rapid business growth and awareness, nonprofit organizations and travel companies targeting specific travel categories.
• Microinfluencers: Microinfluencers have between 10,000 and 100,000 followers. For example, Omniyogagirl is a microinfluencer with over 68,000 followers of her yoga, crystal and lifestyle Instagram account. Microinfluencers appeal to midsize companies and quickly growing small businesses within specific niches.
• Nanoinfluencers: Nanoinfluencers have between 1,000 and 10,000 followers; they typically have niche audiences. For example, Curvy Conn, with over 1,800 followers, shares fashion ideas and styling tips tailored for curvy individuals. Nanoinfluencers are generally more affordable than higher-level influencers, so they appeal to small businesses. 

What are the benefits of building influencer marketing relationships?

Building relationships is an essential part of influencer marketing. When you build a relationship with an influencer, you also strengthen relationships with your target audience — if you choose the right social media star to partner with. 

Consider a prominent example of what can happen if you don’t prioritize a vital influencer marketing relationship. In 2013, Nike lost its partnership with Stephen Curry to Under Armour because it failed to build a relationship with the future Hall of Famer. Under Armour and Curry are making hundreds of millions together, and Curry plans to stay with the company even after retirement. 

Source: Under Armour

While you may not have millions on the line, prioritizing your influencer relationships can affect your bottom line. Here are some ways influencers help businesses grow when brand relationships are strong.

Building influencer marketing relationships helps you reach a highly qualified audience.

There’s a huge difference between marketing to a general audience and pinpointing your brand’s target audience. The right influencer can help you reach specific individuals who will be highly receptive to your product or offer and more likely to purchase.

Influencers can help you build an audience attuned to your offerings. When you and your influencer have a strong relationship, the influencer is more likely to become a genuine fan of your brand. They’ll convey that enthusiasm to followers who trust them and help you increase sales. 

Building influencer marketing relationships expands your reach.

Strong influencer relationships can help boost brand awareness online and build brand authority. Every time an influencer engages with your brand or shares a post, they help you reach a much larger audience than you would have on your own. 

As your influencer marketing relationship grows deeper and more trusting, the influencer will be more likely to review your products or produce sponsored content, helping their followers discover your brand and its offerings. 

Building influencer marketing relationships creates trust with your audience.

According to Izea’s 2024 Trust in Influencer Marketing report, more than 60 percent of social media users trust a sponsored influencer post over the recommendations of an A-list celebrity, and over 50 percent have purchased products directly because of an influencer’s recommendation. 

Additionally, Sprout Social’s 2024 Influencer Marketing Report revealed that 86 percent of consumers make a purchase due to an influencer at least once a year, showcasing the significant impact trusted influencers have on buying habits. That trust can extend to your brand when an influencer introduces their followers to your products or services and they have a positive experience. 

When you build a strong relationship with an influencer, their promotions or endorsements will feel more authentic to their audience, who will, in turn, trust your brand. This authenticity can foster deeper connections with potential customers and increase conversions.

Aligning your brand with trusted influencers shifts public perceptions. Instead of delivering your marketing messages directly, the influencer acts as a trusted intermediary, lending credibility and authenticity to your brand.

Building influencer marketing relationships helps you make new influencer connections.

Strong influencer relationships can pave the way for connections with other relevant influencers. In addition to generating more sales leads, influencers you’ve bonded with could introduce you to other businesses and influencers in the space. You can gain new and interesting connections that greatly benefit your business.

Here’s an example of using influencer marketing to gain new connections: Marketing software company Traackr helped the online travel site Travelocity establish more human and authentic connections with its audience. Travelocity wanted to destroy the perception that online travel agencies are cold and transactional. Traackr and Travelocity collaborated with influencers to create content to boost brand visibility, inviting influencers to value-driven events to create rapport.

Source: Travelocity

The Travelocity team maintained ongoing strategic partnerships with key influencers, joining forces for promotions like the Travelocity Roaming Gnome. This promotion resulted in an impressive 1,200 percent surge in brand impressions and a 1,000 percent increase in brand mentions.

Building influencer marketing relationships improves customer retention.

It’s not enough to maintain good relationships with influencers. You must prioritize relationships with the audience members who become your customers. Win them over with your product quality and excellent customer service. If you don’t first establish customer relationships, buyers may abandon your brand if the influencer stops promoting your product. 

When you build relationships with influencers and customers, you can improve customer retention via social media and earn repeat business. 

How can you build better influencer relationships?

Your influencer marketing relationships must be genuine. Consider the following tips for building authentic, trusting influencer marketing relationships:

• Set the right tone from the beginning: Influencers are people and want to be treated as such. Steven Khanna, head of growth at Endorsely, advised approaching with authenticity when initiating a relationship. “Forget the cookie-cutter pitches,” Khanna cautioned. “Personalize your outreach by mentioning why you admire their work and how their style complements your brand. Building trust early sets the tone for a long-term partnership, not just a one-off post.” 
• Research your influencer to ensure they’re a match: Caitlin Slavens, a well-known influencer in the psychological space, emphasized the importance of approaching influencers who match well with your brand. “When companies approach us, we want to know why you think we would be a good match for your company and why you think your company would be a good match for our audience,” Slavens explained. “We get several requests from businesses that know little about us; some don’t even follow us on social media!”
• Give your influencer relationships time: Relationships don’t develop overnight, whether personal or professional. Think of the influencer as a new acquaintance and give your relationship time to develop into something genuine and long-term. After your initial influencer outreach, continually nurture the relationship so it becomes mutually beneficial. Check in with them regularly and share brand updates and developments. 
• Meet with your influencers face-to-face: Face-to-face interactions make it easier to build connections. While in-person meetings may not always be possible, make an effort to meet. Consider organizing an influencer party or monthly brunch so the influencer gets acquainted with you and your team. If you are too geographically distant, schedule regular video calls.
• Bring value to the influencer relationship: Consider how the relationship benefits the influencer. Perhaps you could introduce them to influential people in your network. Maybe you could establish a long-term partnership with them and work together on future projects. You could even provide them a platform to showcase their talent or expand their following. Whatever form it may take, delivering value to an influencer can make them more inclined to strengthen their relationship with you.
• Be consistent with your influencer: You probably have a “friend” who comes to you only when they need something. This type of relationship is likely not deep and trusting on your end. Similarly, your influencer relationship can’t develop into something genuine if you approach them only when you need something. Keep in touch between projects and show interest in their lives and careers. Maintain a strong bond so everyone is on board when opportunities to work together arise.
• Thank your influencers: Thanking influencers for their efforts and collaboration is a simple but effective way to strengthen your connection. Some marketers may forget to do this, although it’s obvious. Be sure to send your influencers sincere thank-you notes to show how much you value their help.

How much does it cost to work with an influencer?

Influencer marketing costs vary widely by influencer clout, platform, agency fees, usage rights, exclusivity and more. While there’s likely an open-ended budget for celebrities and megainfluencers, nanoinfluencers earn significantly less. New influencers may even accept compensation in the form of products, discounts and giveaway entries.

Here’s an overview of average influencer costs by platform, according to Influencer Marketing Hub:

Instagram 

• Nanoinfluencers: $10 to $100 per post
• Microinfluencers: $100 to $500 per post
• Midtier influencers: $500 to $5,000 per post
• Macroinfluencers: $5,000 to $10,000 per post
• Megainfluencers: $1 million or more is possible for a single post or campaign, depending on the celebrity’s reach and engagement.

TikTok

• Nanoinfluencers: $5 to $25 per post
• Microinfluencers: $25 to $125 per post
• Midtier influencers: $125 to $1,250 per post
• Macroinfluencers: $1,250 to $2,500 per post
• Megainfluencers: $2,500 and up

Facebook

• Nanoinfluencers: $25 to $250 per post
• Microinfluencers: $250 to $1,250 per post
• Midtier influencers: $1,250 to $12,500 per post
• Macroinfluencers: $12,500 to $25,000 per post
• Megainfluencers: $25,000 and up

X (formerly Twitter)

• Nanoinfluencers: $2 to $20 per post
• Microinfluencers: $20 to $100 per post
• Midtier influencers: $100 to $1,000 per post
• Macroinfluencers: $1,000 to $2,000 per post
• Megainfluencers: $2,000 and up

YouTube

• Nanoinfluencers: $20 to $200 per post
• Microinfluencers: $200 to $1,000 per post
• Midtier influencers: $1,000 to $10,000 per post
• Macroinfluencers: $10,000 to $20,000 per post
• Megainfluencers: $20,000 and up

Costs vary across platforms due to differences in content formats, audience engagement levels and the time required to create platform-specific content. For example, video production for YouTube often demands more time and resources than a single Instagram post.

How much should you spend?

How much you decide to spend on your influencer marketing campaigns will depend on your budget and numerous other factors. However, marketing spend in this area is increasing. According to Influencer Marketing Hub’s 2024 State of Influencer Marketing Report, nearly 60 percent of marketers plan to boost their influencer marketing expenditures over the next year. Additionally, over 35 percent will dedicate 30 to 40 percent or more of their budget to influencer marketing campaigns. 

Here’s how the report breaks down brand expenditures: 

• 47.4% spend less than $10,000 annually.
• 20.9% spend between $10,000 and $50,000. 
• 8.9% spend $50,000 to $100,000 annually. 
• 8.3% spend $100,000 to $500,000.
• 14.5% spend more than $500,000.

These numbers reflect the growing importance of influencer marketing for businesses of all sizes. Marketers across industries are finding that a well-crafted influencer campaign can drive significant returns, whether working with nanoinfluencers or megainfluencers.

Jennifer Dublino contributed to this article.