The huge growth of influencer marketing can be attributed to one key element—the trust factor. The thing is, influencers are genuine people sharing relatable, honest and real content.

While we could sing their praises all day long, the ROI for influencer marketing speaks for itself. In 2018, companies on average saw a 520 percent return on investment for influencer marketing. (Yep, you read that number right.)

But like many things, not all influencer partnerships are created equal. So in our quest to help clients find the right influencers and get the most out of influencer partnerships, we went right to the source. We asked three top local influencers what they love about brand partnerships and how brands can get the most out of their work with influencers.

The ladies we interviewed are some of the kindest and most genuine influencers in our hometown of Columbus, blogging about everything from parenting to fashion to events and things to do around town.

Here’s who we heard from:

They shared some great insights! The big takeaways?

• Influencers are proud of the authentic followings they have built and are passionate about sharing information with their audience that is relevant and informative.

• Brands shouldn’t shy away from sharing content generated by influencers. In fact, influencers LOVE when brands share their content!

• The best brand partnerships bring benefits all around – benefits to the brand, to the influencer and the audience.

Read on to learn more from Julie, Jeanyne and Beverly. 

What is your favorite part about working with brands?

• My favorite part about working with brands is that, when it is a good match, I can use my platform to share about some really amazing things that people might not know about. When I have the opportunity to share about something I have learned about and really believe in because of a partnership with a brand, I am usually pretty excited about it and just want to say to my audience, "Hey guys! Did you know…?"  ~ Julie Miller, What Should We Do Today Columbus
  

• I enjoy learning about new products/services that are relevant to my audience. Even if the products/services don’t have a direct correlation to my audience, I still like exposing my audience to some variety of products/services that they might find helpful or can recommend/reference to other family or friends. ~ Jeanyne Jakubowski, The Blooming Jaks
  

• I love sharing brands that we already love and also discovering new brands and new products. I also love the relationship building some partnerships bring along. ~ Beverly Adams, The Beverly Adams

What type of brand content resonates best with your audience?

• I write about family-friendly things to do in Columbus, Ohio. People love to know about new things to do in Columbus - so getting the scoop on things to do around town usually garners a lot of interest! That's my first priority. The vast majority of my audience are parents so anything that makes parent life a little easier also resonates well! ~ Julie Miller, What Should We Do Today Columbus
  

• My audience resonates with content that’s best fit for motherhood, families and community. Also, my audience tends to respond more positively with companies/brands that have a global reach versus a local city. Although my audience enjoys giveaways, I believe less are likely to enter due to the amount of accounts required to follow for giveaway entry. Many would prefer to engage with content versus a giveaway entry.  ~ Jeanyne Jakubowski, The Blooming Jaks
  

• Content that resonates well with my audience is usually a mix. Supporting local has been a big thing as well as sustainable products. People are also tired of the constant push to buy buy buy. I value experiences and it seems my audience is going that way as well.  ~ Beverly Adams, The Beverly Adams

What are best practices for brands to get the most out of their partnership with you as an influencer?

• It seems pretty simple but sharing my content on their platforms benefits everyone! It's surprising how many times I have worked with a brand and I share the blog post or social post but the brand does not re-share it or showcase it. If you take the time and resources to pay an influencer to create content that's tailored to your business, you should attempt to get as much leverage out of it as possible! If it's a blog post, share it on your social media platforms and/or link to it on your website. If it's an Instagram post, add to your stories or make your own static post. Just make sure to get permission before using any photos before posting and always make sure to tag the influencer! 
  
  One of the things that made me the happiest in this area is when I wrote a blog post for a brand and they shared it on their Facebook page AND boosted it. This was a win/win for all involved and I felt that they really valued my work and wanted it to be seen! ~ Julie Miller, What Should We Do Today Columbus
  

• I would recommend brands being specific with content requirements/recommendations before influencers submit content. Often, I’ve run into situations where I’ve submitted multiple drafts to clients because they repeatedly requested changes – largely due to the instructions/requirements not clear from the beginning or the client looking for a specific design/photo layout. Requesting change is understandable; however, that can result in a poor experience for the influencer because they will need to plan extra time for new content. ~ Jeanyne Jakubowski, The Blooming Jaks
  

• The best way a brand leveraged the influencer content I generated was by creating targeted Facebook ads to get more exposure to the content. Communication is always key when it comes to working with brands. Making sure expectations are communicated ahead of time. ~ Beverly Adams, The Beverly Adams

What value do you bring when working with brands, and how do you measure if a partnership is successful?

• I have a very specific audience, so if brands are looking to reach my specific audience, they can know that they will be hitting the target. I have worked hard to grow an authentic following of actual people who are truly looking for the information I am sharing. I do not stray far from my niche and I feel that has earned me an active and engaged audience. 
  
  I feel a partnership is successful, first of all, if the brand is happy with the work I have done. Secondly, I look to see if the work engaged my audience and did my audience find the information helpful or worthy of sharing? I feel that the partnership is successful if it was a win/win/win for the brand, myself AND my audience. ~ Julie Miller, What Should We Do Today Columbus
  

• The value I bring working with other brands is a firm knowledge of what benefits my audience. I measure a successful partnership when I have engagement from my audience (comments/direct messages) regarding the content posted. ~ Jeanyne Jakubowski, The Blooming Jaks
  

• I always make sure I ask what the brand is looking to gain from partnering with me. Are they looking for brand awareness or looking for sale conversions? I always make sure to communicate my strengths and weakness when it comes to what the brand's expectation is. At the end of a campaign, I always share metrics and will look at my past campaigns with similar products to see how well the campaign with that specific brand did. I always ask for feedback if there was anything the brand thought I could have done differently. ~ Beverly Adams, The Beverly Adams 

Are you ready to dip your toe in influencer marketing and want help getting the most out of your influencer partners? Approach us at hello@approachmarketing.com.