4. Contacting Influencers Every relationship has a beginning. Considering context and content when contacting influencers can dramatically increase ROI for time spent on influencer outreach. You’ve got the perfect campaign and the perfect influencer in mind - now what?
10. Following the Leaders By following industry guidelines examined here (like WOMMA’s Honesty ROI) and asking your self a few simple questions, you can ensure your influencer outreach is ethical and effective – helping to develop a strong working relationship.
11. The Honesty ROI To help marketers navigate changing government regulations related to bloggers, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) created the Honesty ROI as a self-assessment tool. Honesty of Relationship 1. How will we ensure bloggers disclose their relationship and participation in this marketing program? Honest of Opinion 2. What measures are in place to ensure we are not influencing bloggers to say anything other than their own honest and genuine opinion? Honest of Identity 3. Does this program mislead the public in any way that could damage the reputation of our company? These are the three core questions for any influencer engagement, for WOMMA’s full 20 Questions For an Ethical Assessment visit: http://womma.org/ethics/assessment/20/
12.
13. Good Influencer Contact: Why it matters What I don't like is when I receive an email, from a reader, letting me know that a giveaway has NOT been received…What THESE bad marketers don't see, or seem to want to understand, is the time it takes to switch laundry....Twitter...cook dinner...blog...clean up cat puke...go on Facebook and check in on my teens...and then surf the Internets for articles on how to better manage my time! I want to personally thank ALL of you for showing me (and my family) nothing but love and respect and highly recommend you to all of my blogging friends and readers!
14. Social IRM (Influencer Relationship Management) is the discipline of building and managing relationships with influencers. It's built on the principles of social media - respect, trust, and a true value exchange between brand and influencer.
18. Jason Avant, looks forward to working with brands/agencies on a regular basis when they respect and value his participation.
19. Social IRM: What the Future May Look Like “ As the demand for bloggers increases, I can only draw similarities from other places. It's common for authors who want to get on speakers' circuit to have a speakers agent. We should expect a bloggers' agent to appear that represents top bloggers to brands, conferences, and beyond.” – Jeremiah K. Owyang, Forrester, August 2009
20. Legal Issues with Compensation Blogger compensation presents both a legal and an ethical issue for brands and blogs. Following government regulation and guidelines, WOMMA framework, and best practices will guide you in these murky waters.
21. Issues with Compensation: What the FTC Says “ While decisions will be reached on a case-by-case basis, the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.”