What Brands Consider When Engaging Content Creators & Influencers.
And do Brands Prefer a Style or Format of Content?
When brands look to collaborate with content creators, there's a lot that goes into their decision-making process.
Knowing what brands are looking for can help you tailor your content and pitches to match their needs. Here’s a rundown of what brands usually consider when choosing talent and whether they have a preferred style or format of content.
Style and Format Preferences
Marketing Executive Insight
"The brand I work at has a very clear creative guideline or ‘IP’ and that greatly limits who we can engage for creative work.
Even though we appreciate all content, HQ guidelines mean a preference for chic video content that is bright and sharp, and that often cuts out creatives we’d like to engage with.
We don’t communicate this to creatives directly, but it’s worth looking at the brand’s grid and seeing if your content style aligns with theirs."
Takeaway
Brands often have specific creative guidelines that dictate their visual and content style. These guidelines help maintain consistency across all their platforms.
For content creators, this means before pitching, take a look at the brand’s social media profiles, website, and marketing materials. Get a feel for their aesthetic and tone, and make sure your proposal fits.
Many luxury brands prefer content that is chic, bright, and sharp. If your style is more laid-back or rustic, you might need to tweak it to fit their needs. Be ready to adapt your content to meet the brand’s specific requirements.
Criteria for Selecting Talent
Marketing Executive Insight
"We consider a few factors but concentrate on engagement, previous work, and rates vs. budget.
Being a luxury brand—if they often share about products at a similar price point. It doesn’t make sense for us to engage a creator who doesn’t share in our niche."
What They Look At
Engagement Rates
High engagement rates are often more important than a large following. Brands look for creators whose audience interacts actively with their content.
Authentic engagement, where followers genuinely care about and react to the content, is crucial.
Previous Work
Showcase past collaborations and successful campaigns to demonstrate your capability and reliability.
Highlight work that aligns with the brand’s industry or aesthetic.
Rates vs. Budget
Brands need to ensure the creator’s rates fit within their budget while still delivering expected value.
Being clear and upfront about your rates can help streamline negotiations.
Niche Alignment
Brands prefer creators who cater to a similar demographic and share products within the same price range.
Consistently featuring products or services in the brand’s niche helps ensure relevance to their audience.
Audience Demographics
Marketing Executive Insight
"We also closely examine the creator’s audience demographics.
For example, we look at the percentage of women, their age range, and other relevant demographic data to ensure their followers match our target market."
Key Considerations
Gender
Brands want to ensure that the creator’s audience matches their target demographic.
For example, a beauty brand targeting women will prefer a creator with a high percentage of female followers.
Age
Knowing the age range of a creator’s audience is crucial.
A brand targeting millennials will look for creators whose followers fall predominantly within that age group.
Geographic Location
Brands may also consider the geographic location of a creator’s audience.
For global campaigns, a diverse and international audience might be preferred, while local campaigns might require a more region-specific following.
Interests and Behaviour
Brands examine how a creator’s audience interacts with their content.
High engagement from an audience that shares interests relevant to the brand can be a significant factor in the selection process.
Practical Tips for Creators
Customise your proposals to reflect the brand’s style, tone, and content preferences.
Highlight past collaborations that align with the brand’s niche and demonstrate your ability to create engaging content.
Provide metrics and insights into your engagement rates to showcase the quality of your audience interaction.
Research the brand thoroughly to understand their values, target audience, and market position.
Provide detailed demographics of your audience, including gender, age range, location, and interests, to help brands see the alignment with their target market.
By aligning your content style and proposals with what brands look for, you can increase your chances of securing collaborations and building successful partnerships.
Remember, while creativity and authenticity are vital, understanding and meeting brand expectations is key to thriving in the competitive world of influencer marketing.
