10 Things to Consider When Hosting an Influencer (That Likely Haven’t Even Crossed Your Mind)
After a string of influencer trips that left little to be desired, it became abundantly clear that there was a disconnect between what influencers need to be successful and what brands think they want.
It’s scary to think that one person potentially has the ability to drive millions of impressions to your destination, but that’s exactly what influencers do. You want to capitalize on their time in-market and make the experience as enjoyable as possible so they showcase your location in the best possible light.
Whether you host influencers frequently, sporadically, or you’re just dipping your toes into influencer marketing here are some insider tips for maximizing the experience when an influencer is traveling to your destination.
Do not treat influencer trips like FAM trips or even blog trips.
This is a big one. An influencer’s primary goal is to capture beautiful photos and videos. They do not need to interview hotel managers or go on property tours or anything else you’d do with travel agents or traditional journalists (unless of course, it’s an untapped photo angle). Everything in the influencer’s schedule from the times and locations should be conducive to creating great content. Things you want to consider: scheduling popular attractions at off-peak hours (when the least amount of people will interfere with the shot), identifying great spots to capture sunsets and sunrises, and the possible effects of harsh mid-day lighting.
Cater to each influencer’s audience.
It’s fine to host multiple influencers at one time, and most actually like collaborating with others (it’s nice to have someone to help take photos), but it’s important to ensure each individual’s niche is considered. If you have food, adventure, and family influencers all coming at the same time, their itineraries should not be identical. There can be some crossover, but for the most part, tailor the experience to the influencer.
Communicate how hands-on you intend to be.
If you’re in the marketing or PR department, being someone’s travel agent probably doesn’t sound all that enticing when you have a million other responsibilities. That said, you know your destination better than anyone. Some brands want complete control over influencer itineraries and logistics, while others leave it completely up to the individual. A happy middle ground usually works best for both parties. You provide suggestions for incredible off the beaten path photo spots and must-see attractions and let the influencer fit them into a schedule.
When offering suggestions, try to think of your destination as a first-time visitor. Is something hard to find with no WiFi? Give me a heads up or directions. Know some lesser-known trails that are not on the website? Any insider intel makes the content that much better.
Be specific and upfront about your budget.
We need to know exactly what you can and can’t cover in order to craft a proposal. If you’re not allowed to expense gratuity or alcohol, this should be communicated up front. Your destination doesn’t cover flights or onward travel from your market? This is also important as we’re pricing out projects. Any details to know what costs are coming out of pocket eliminate surprises. It’s also expected to pay a portion of the fee upfront as a retainer to cover travel expenses and the rest upon delivery.
Roll out the red carpet.
Everyone wants to feel like a VIP. Hotels excel at going above and beyond with personalized welcome gifts. Local wines, surprise upgrades, it’s great to feel wanted. One hotel even made a printed hardcover book of one particular influencer’s blog posts and wrote his name in the sand outside his window. You know what that translates to? More goodwill for you as the principle of reciprocity comes into play. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should be personal to your destination or the person. Think about all the ways you can surprise and delight influencers to show them they’re appreciated.
It’s pretty much expected to have some sort of welcome upon arrival. More often than not, it’s a folder with press info and branded swag. Promo items are fine if they’re useful – water bottles, bags, hats, chargers, etc. Even a few snacks and a handwritten note is a nice gesture if you don’t have a large budget. Anything else is likely going in the trash. Sorry, but it’s true. Companies send influencers free stuff all the time in hopes of promotion so if you’re going to do something, make it impactful.
There’s a fine line between scheduling and over scheduling.
It’s understandable you want to cram as many items as possible into the time we have together but appreciate your visitor’s time. Driving hours between attractions to opposite ends of the city is exhausting. In an ideal world, you’d provide a list of places to highlight, and the influencer would tell you which sounds the most fitting for their audience. Together you’d craft an itinerary around those items, finding other things to showcase in the same region. Voila, less wasted time in the car.
Professional influencers understand they’re not at your destination to relax and unwind, but build some breathing room into the schedule. This will allow time to stumble upon hidden gems and also ample time to post. And definitely plan around meal times – you don’t want to leave anyone hangry.
Think long and hard about itinerary inclusions.
Off the beaten path items are off the beaten path for a reason. It’s understandable to want to show a different side of your country or city than what’s been written about a million times before, but certain attractions are popular for a reason. While that famous spot might not be new, it’s new to my audience and me. Influencers want to see the must-sees before going places no one’s ever been (unless it’s a completely amazing photo spot…see a pattern?).
That said if an influencer wants to do something that might not make sense for the season – give them a head’s up. Not enough snow to snowshoe or snowmobile? Understandable. River water too high to go tubing? Let them know! Even if it’s a last minute change they can be flexible as long as they’re prepared for potential variables.
Make their job as easy as possible.
One of the best trips I ever went on, the PR rep said it only takes three things to make an influencer trip a success: WiFi, water, and a photographer. She was so right. Traveling solo is lonely – meet your influencers whenever you can or send someone to help take photos. A tripod and remote only go so far – the content will always be better with collaboration. Similarly, if they’re contracted to post in real-time, WiFi is crucial (especially in a remote international destination where data is expensive). The more proactive destinations have personal hotspots available to borrow so connectivity is never an issue.
Make your destination as content-ready as possible.
Want to really go above and beyond? Have a drone available to use. Or have props and accessories to borrow. Hats, floaties, balloons, Aztec blankets, round towels. Anything you think would improve photo opportunities or video shoots. Influencers would absolutely love if destinations helped pre-plan and stage shots since you know the ins and outs of the landscape and what would look great there.
Assume that nothing will go according to plan.
Places are unexpectedly closed, the weather doesn’t cooperate, a flight was delayed, he or she forgot to tell you they’re a vegetarian, you just never know. Be cool and roll with the punches. Always have a backup plan A, B, and C and we’ll do the same.
Ready to start planning your campaign together? Let’s brainstorm.
