Creating an Influencer Playbook

As an Enneagram 1, there are few things I love more than a good plan. I’m a firm believer that laying the groundwork and being prepared is what produces the greatest outcomes. You may have heard Dan’l speak about an “influencer playbook” during a recent Marketing Matters webinar. Influencer playbooks are one of the many tools the team at DMA utilizes when managing influencers because they 1) lay the foundation for the brand and 2) prepare the influencer with a tool that they can use to guide their every move when working with a particular brand. 

Before we dive into the details of what comprises an influencer playbook, we’ll set the stage of what an influencer playbook is and why we think it is so important. 

An influencer playbook is a document we create and share with our influencer partners after a partnership agreement is signed. The playbooks contain information about the brand and business that the influencer needs to know so they are better able to to meet goals and exceed expectations. While it’s a lot of legwork up front, creating these playbooks will save you plenty of time with the influencer later when educating and coaching them about their product, whether a blog post, photo, recipe or all three!  A playbook offers a one-stop-shop for influencers to reference and be the most effective and genuine partner.

What to include in an Influencer Playbook 

Welcome Letter

Here’s your chance to tell the influencer that you’re excited to work with them and tell them a bit about you and your company. Leaving this section out and jumping straight to the “demands” you have for them, could start the partnership off on the wrong foot. Instead, we recommend welcoming them to the team with a letter and confirming you’re here as a resource and a partner! 

Company Overview 

One of the attributes of an excellent influencer partner is when they genuinely care about the company and brand instead of solely caring about the dollars. Thus, the more authentic the influencer is, the better outcome you will receive.

One way to increase the authenticity of an influencer post is to give them company background and make them feel they are a part of the team. If they can include detailed facts about your company, it will translate to their communities as a partnership that has emotional 0depth beyond the blog post.

Key Messages 

What are some of the key phrases your company uses to reference your company or your products on a regular basis? Share those with your  influencer partner to align his or her messaging with yours. A good influencer will know how to naturally weave key company messages into a deliverable that is shared with an online community.

Remember, you want an influencer post, photo or recipe to be authentic to their brand too, which means that the content they are producing still needs to come from their voice – not yours. That is why we recommend providing them with “key messages” that define the brand, so the influencer can put them into their own words.

Approval Details 

Assuming you want to review the influencer’s post before it goes live, this is where you detail what is expected. Should the review go to you? How many days before? Including these details will ensure the influencer meets your expectations throughout the duration of the agreement. 

Pro Tips 

Including “pro tips” for your product is key to showing the influencer that you’re a resource for them and want them to succeed. After all, who knows your product better than you? You’re full of ideas on how to prepare and present your product(s) so be sure to share helpful tips and tricks with your partner. 

Publishing Details 

Once you review and approve the influencer’s work, it’s time for them to publish. Be sure to include the requirements you have for publishing to help the influencer proceed. Should they be tagging the company? Linking to your website? These details are important to share up front as opposed to asking them to go back and edit their posts. 

Relevant Resources 

Hashtags, social media handles/tags, website links, social media stickers, you name it! Like I said before, giving the influencer the detailed information up front is so much better than offering it after the post has been published.  

Putting in the effort to prepare a playbook for your influencer partners can be the key to your partnership’s success.  As a marketing agency, we often receive gratitude from influencers that we work with when we share a playbook because they realize how helpful the contents can be in setting them up for success.

In the last two years, we’ve managed around 180 influencer partners and enjoy doing it. Are you wanting to create an influencer playbook for your brand? Or maybe, you’re needing some help choosing influencers to represent your company.  Schedule a call with us – we’d love to chat!

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