• by Holly Pavlika , Columnist, June 5, 2015

There is a proliferation of influencer marketing companies cropping up each and every day. Ever more marketers are understanding how influencers can bring in new audiences to the brand. In fact, many influential moms have bigger and more engaged audiences than many top brands. But beware the company you choose.

There is currently a buzz in the blogosphere about an influencer firm with less than ethical practices. Never promise rates you can’t meet — like $4 a post — or have little to no follow-through on the rates you do promise. Influential mom bloggers talk to other moms, and you can bet if they have a bad experience with a brand or marketing company, they will share their experience. 

Here are five things to remember when you approach influencers with compensation offers.

Don’t offer compensation that is not commensurate with your ask.

Think about what you are asking of the influencer. How many hours do you think it will take to complete everything you are asking? How would you feel if you were offered $200 for a job that will take you 8 to 10 hours of your time, including providing original photography? It takes years to build up the kind of influence you are looking to tap into, and all of this should be taken into consideration when discussing compensation with influencers. 

Don’t send them free products in exchange for writing about the brand — and then expect the products to be returned.

Unless you’re offering mom a high-value product, like a state-of-the art television, the product alone will not be enough compensation. Unless you are looking to work with bloggers who are just starting out and building their blog and social presence, most mom bloggers are not looking for things to keep them busy. Social media has given them the opportunity to stay at home with children and create a small business that contributes to the household expenses. A free product doesn’t help with the mortgage payment or buy groceries.

Don’t ask for a freebie in exchange for potential future paying work.

Ask yourself: would you provide free services in exchange for a promise of future compensated work? Don’t expect a quick turnaround at the same rate you negotiated after you’ve dragged your heels making decisions. You’ve taken your time making decisions and now expect the mom to produce content on a dime. It’s disrespectful to her craft and makes it difficult for her to create quality content. If you have a need for speed, then you need to compensate the influencer for that added pressure. 

Don’t give the influencer prescribed content to publish.

The more the prescribed the content, the less organic, and handcuffs don’t sit well with moms. Prescribed content doesn’t mean you can pay an influencer less, and above all else it breaks the rules of influencer marketing. Don’t put words in an influencer’s mouth; influencer content works because it’s a story told from a personal perspective. Social influencers know how to expertly talk about the product in a way that lends authenticity and relevance, and create engagement with their dedicated audience — with whom they have already established trust. Content needs to be in the voice and words an influencer uses naturally. 

Don’t contract influencers for work and decide to bail on the campaign without compensating.

There should be a kill fee given if brands decide to bail midstream of a campaign. Think about it: the influencer has given up other commitments when she accepted your campaign. And even if you kill the campaign, that influencer will have already put in hours of effort in producing content for your product. In order to salvage the relationship, compensate appropriately.