PR AGENCY DIARIES: HOW TO GET CREATIVE WITH PR SENDS
In today’s socially driven society, influencer marketing is a key component of any PR campaign. Whether paid partnerships, contra collabs or a mix of both is part of the plan, trial and endorsement at a local level can generate genuine interest via much more cost-effective means than ATL advertising.
On the flip side; as an influencer you’ve likely been hit up by brands or agencies before, but if you’re new to the game, how do you make sure those packages keep on showing up and make yourself the go-to for social collabs? We’ve compiled our top tips for creating content with contra to cement yourself in the competitive social space:
Go beyond unboxing
So you’ve been shoulder tapped, agreed and received a pretty package to your door? Often the first instinct is to share the parcel on social straight away showing your appreciation. This is great – a lot of effort goes into the package, especially if it’s a custom-design branded gift box or it’s stuffed with hand-picked goodies for you to enjoy. But it’s what’s inside that counts – so beyond the unboxing, brands are keen to see whether you’re really a fan of the product.
If you share your unboxing and then never discuss the product again, it implies that you do not stan. Totally fine if the product genuinely isn’t for you, but if you’ve got love; show love. Share a follow up post with your honest thoughts – it goes a long way for future collabs with the brand, and shows your followers that you’re genuine.
Get creative
A beauty product doesn’t need to be part of a bathroom shelfie, nor does vino have to be captured in the kitchen. If the opportunity allows (and it still makes sense) get creative and set up shots in situ that are a little out of Leftfield. It’s also worth exploring effects and various options across platforms, like Reels, to ensure your content stands out from the crowd.
Involve your audience
Use interactive engagement prompts to get your audience invested in the unboxing – received a cult-fave skincare product? Try using a poll to ask your followers if they’ve tried it. Landed a tech device you’ve never used before? Try a question box to see if your followers have any tips for setting it up. Got your hands on a brand-new launch before anyone else? Be a guinea pig and see what your followers want to know about it.
Feedback
Whether you loved it or loathed it, make sure you give that feedback. Drop back into the DMs to let the brand or agency know your thoughts. Feedback – good or bad – will ensure you understand one another and help build long term, genuine relationships. Honestly is always the best policy and means upcoming outreach can be tailored considering your personal preferences, and paid ambassadorships unearthed.
