It goes by many names - paid social, affiliate marketing, brand ambassadors but it all comes down to partnering with brands. There are lots of great reasons to collaborate, and you might have already considered it. Like anything else, we recommend seeing if it makes sense for you before diving into the influencer space. Here are some questions to ask before pairing up.

Why partner?

Partnerships are personal. In a sea of content where it gets increasingly difficult to stand out, it helps to put a personal stamp on what you’re sharing.

There are a lot of practical benefits to partnerships. You get marketing materials such as images, quotes and stories to reshare. You could make an appearance at events. In short, you are growing your network and getting brand exposure.

How to align values?

When partnering with an influencer,  there is so much more than the number of followers they have. We always come back to relationships and being personal. Whether they have 2k or 20k followers, you are looking for an account with real engagement. 

The number of followers doesn’t necessarily translate to dollar amount. Finding the right paid social opportunity depends on your goal. Is it to attract media attention and build buzz? Is it to grow revenue for one audience segment? Your partner needs to be on board with your goals and vision.

What to consider?

It takes a lot of planning to achieve a seamless partnership. Just like you lay out the terms for a procedure, list out the terms for a partnership and get it in writing. 

• Are you required to share blog posts or tagged posts? How often?
• Who will provide the creative assets?
• Who is responsible for travel, props, and photography / makeup?
• What’s the process for approving wording and images?
• What page are we driving traffic to?
• Will this partnership affect relationships with other brands?
• Is this for a one time post or an ongoing relationship?

Have you leveraged paid social for your business? Let us know in the comments! For more chats on all things beauty entrepreneur, tune in to our podcast.