Brands need to prioritise long-term influencer partnerships

By Nicola Tarr, managing partner at Tribeca Public Relations

Influencer marketing has become an essential part of many brands’ marketing strategies. While it can be an effective way to reach new audiences and drive sales, many brands make the mistake of using influencers as a short-term advertising channel instead of building long-term, always-on relationships with them. This can lead to ineffective campaigns, poor ROI, and missed opportunities.

Rather than investing in building meaningful relationships with influencers, many brands view them as just another advertising channel, like a billboard or a TV ad. They pay influencers to post a few sponsored posts for a specific campaign or promotion, hoping to see a quick return on investment, but fail to understand that influencer marketing can have a much greater impact if used as a long-term strategy.

Influencers who have built long-term relationships with a brand are more likely to be authentic in their promotions and endorsements. They have built a deeper understanding of the brand’s values, products, and messaging, which makes it easier for them to create content that feels genuine and resonates with their followers.

Long-term relationships between brands and influencers help to build trust with their followers. When an influencer promotes a brand over an extended period, their audience begins to see them as a reliable source of information about that brand. This can lead to increased brand loyalty and customer retention.

Influencers who are genuinely passionate about a brand, a topic, or cause are also more likely to produce authentic content that resonates with their followers. This content can continue to drive engagement and sales long after the initial campaign has ended. Whereas short-term campaigns often result in once-off posts that don’t create lasting impact or brand recall.

A huge benefit to brands that work with influencers over time is that they can co-create content and campaigns that are more engaging and effective. This is because influencers have a deeper understanding of their audience and what resonates with them.

Meaningful, and well-managed relationships between brands and influencers create authentic content, gain valuable insights, and increases brand loyalty. Rather than taking out billboards, brands should focus on building lasting relationships with influencers to drive long-term success.