Event Recap: The Art of Influencing Panel

Brands and companies have unlocked the power of social media influencer partnerships. By collaborating with local influencers, brands can tap into new audiences, generating expanded reach and engagement. Still, many PR practitioners are unsure how to navigate and begin forming relationships with influencers. The West Michigan Public Relations Society of America (WMPRSA) hosted three local influencers who shared their firsthand experiences and offered strategies for crafting compelling campaigns that resonate with audiences. Attendees left inspired and equipped with the insights needed to elevate their influencer marketing efforts.

The program featured a panel with Rachel Greiner, Marketing and Social Media Manager for Experience Grand Rapids, Corinne Bass, social media manager, Michigan influencer, and content creator based in Grand Rapids, and Emily Joyce, a Grand Rapids-based influencer who loves GR and specializes in all things fitness, events, travel, drinks, and food. The panel was moderated by Kelsey Berkompas, Senior Public Relations Specialist at Priority Health and WMPRSA Treasurer. 

How to Tap Into Local Influencer Communities

HummingBirds is a digital platform that offers a collaborative space for brands and influencers to work together on brand campaign postings. Intending to help businesses thrive, the influencer platform is a cornerstone for Rachel’s influencer relations strategy. By engaging influencers on a micro level, brands get unique and local perspectives through content that taps into authentic communities. For example, Emily shared how she has collaborated with Rachel to develop unique content for the Experience Grand Rapids pages, highlighting the nearby places that had a European feel and reflected her personal experience with the city. This platform has solved problems for brands and creators by making communications more structured and accessible.

What You Should Know about Influencer Marketing Compared to Traditional

The greatest advantage of influencer marketing is the credibility and trustworthiness of the content to consumers. Content creators have a keen pulse on the world, allowing them to display quality content while remaining authentic to their online niche. Every creator has a unique voice when speaking to their audience that businesses can tap into through content curation. Depending on the campaign objectives, micro-influencers can help yield results because of their niche following who are highly engaged with content. Bigger does not mean better when it comes to the following of an influencers page. Smaller niche pages can be just as engaging, if not more, then macro-accounts. 

When we speak about influencer relations, PR practitioners need to give legitimacy to the work that influencers of all levels do for brand campaigns. An ambassador program is a great way for brands to start working with content creators to create an authentic brand voice online.

What Should You Pay Influencers?

Influencer relations is a two-way street between companies and content creators, with many layers and aspects to balance when considering fair creator compensation. Influencers should be compensated based on their experience level, engagement rates, follower count, and portfolio content. Negotiating what that number is varies on campaign budgets and it is important that both parties feel accurately compensated for their outputs. An influencer will know how their content performs on the backend of social media analytics pages. These analytics are easily accessible upon request and are a good place for PR professionals to start to determine what the return on investment might look like. 

Considerations When Working With Influencers

To create relationships with influencers, ensure the values of the influencer and your brand are aligned to make the best results for both parties. Be mindful of what you are asking to be marketed to ensure content is being properly targeted to relevant communities. As PR practitioners, we need to be conscious of building trust with creators to represent a company while remaining true to their own brand to ensure interests are aligned. 

About The Author:

Tina Duoibes is a senior studying Advertising & Public Relations with minors in Marketing and Middle Eastern Studies at Grand Valley State University. She serves as the CEO of GrandPR, GVSU’s first and only student-run integrated communications firm, for the 2024-2025 school year. She currently works at SpartanNash as an External Communications Intern. Tina is also a member of the Programming Committee of WMPRSA and holds a position on the executive board of Grand Valley’s Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America.