Social media is now the norm and a necessity. With social media comes influencer culture—which restaurant owners should not too-quickly dismiss. “Once seen as young online stars seeking free perks, influencers today view themselves as contracted marketers who usually expect to be paid for their influence rather than compensated with food or merchandise,” writes Joanna Fantozzi, a senior editor for Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN), about their latest partnership with Belle Communication, The Influencer Insider.
Because social media has become a mainstay in customer communication, influencers are now at the top of the marketing food chain. Rather than eye-rolling at what once was brushed off as “online life”, restaurant owners would do well to incorporate influencers in their online marketing. And to do so, restaurant owners also need to have proper expectations. Gone are the days of giving free drink tickets to an Instagram influencer taking pictures at your bar.
Instead, Belle Communication suggests leveraging influencers as part of a serious marketing plan. They shared their tips on creating serious influencer partnerships in Fantozzi’s article, based on “a group of influencers [who] provided insights on what they expect from brand partnerships – from monetary compensation to the degrees of creative freedom.”
From compensation and scope of work, to budgetary guidelines and creative freedom, these influencers are speaking up about what makes their content good content—which means, when you are working with them, good content for your brand as well. Kate Finley, CEO of Belle Communication, says their must be a marriage of understanding between the two brands so that both parties benefit and the marketing is successful. ““Content creation takes time, creativity and deep understanding of an audience. [Creators] want to be treated like trusted members of the marketing team. The most successful influencer campaigns we see are those that operate with mutual respect.”
Read the extent of their research and advice here, with emphasis on these highlights:
- Fair Compensation: Monetary compensation should be an expectation, and established influencers will likely have branding packages for various deliverables and budgets. “Fair pay clearly varies based on the size of the influencer’s audience, the size of the brand’s audience, the deliverables, etc. but influencers agree that transparency is crucial,” Fantozzi writes.
- Scope of Work: Like any contractor, a scope of influencers’ work goes beyond the deliverable (like a TikTok video or an Instagram reel). The contract will factor in administrative work, travel time, editing, etc.
- Creative Freedom: Influencers have built their audiences on a particular brand and will require some creative freedom to speak to that particular audience. Focus on influencers who tone and brand align with your own brand and target audience.
Serious expectations and clear communication demonstrate the level of sophistication now associated with influencer marketing. Restaurant owners should approach influencer contracts with the same intention and expectations they would have of marketing contractors using other modalities.
Richard Weil, owner and principal of National Restaurant Consultants, adds some important considerations towards engaging influencers. “It is very important for operators to review who the influencer is. Like vetting any third-party vendor, influencers’ effectiveness, experience, and references should be reviewed. The scope of work—as noted in this blog–needs to be clearly set forth and expectations and outcomes monitored throughout the contract.”