Influencer Marketing

---
name: influencer-marketing
description: "Use when planning influencer outreach campaigns."
version: 1.0.0
author: Hermes Agent
license: MIT
platforms: [linux, macos, windows]
metadata:
  hermes:
    tags: [influencer, marketing, outreach, partnerships, sponsorships]
    related_skills: [social-media-strategy, social-media-analytics]
---

# Influencer Marketing

## Overview

A complete system for planning, executing, and measuring influencer marketing campaigns. Covers identification and vetting of influencers, outreach templates (cold email/DM), sponsorship tiers with pricing ranges, contract templates, campaign tracking workflows, and ROI measurement frameworks. Suitable for nano-influencer (1K–10K) through mega-influencer (1M+) programs.

## When to Use

- **Launching an influencer program** for the first time
- **Scaling existing partnerships** — moving from one-off to ongoing ambassador programs
- **Product launch or rebrand** — leveraging influencer credibility
- **UGC content generation** — sourcing authentic content from creators
- **Competitive response** — matching competitor influencer activations
- **Always-on brand advocacy** — building a long-term ambassador network

## Body

### Part 1: Influencer Identification & Vetting

#### 1.1 Tier Classification

| Tier | Followers | Typical Cost/Post | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano | 1K–10K | $20–$200 or free product | High engagement, niche trust, UGC |
| Micro | 10K–100K | $200–$2,000 | Targeted reach, authentic content |
| Mid-tier | 100K–500K | $2,000–$10,000 | Broad reach + credibility |
| Macro | 500K–1M | $10,000–$50,000 | Mass awareness |
| Mega | 1M+ | $50,000–$1M+ | Massive exposure |

**Budget rule:** 80% on nano + micro (authentic UGC + conversions), 20% on mid + macro (awareness halo).

#### 1.2 Sourcing Methods

| Method | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Manual search (platform-native) | Free | Niche discovery |
| Marketplace (Shopify Collabs, Upfluence) | Commission/SaaS | Scalable programs |
| Agency | Retainer + % | Large campaigns |
| CRM (Aspire, Grin, CreatorIQ) | $$–$$$ | Full program management |
| UGC platforms (Billo, Trend.io) | Per-video | UGC sourcing |

#### 1.3 Vetting Scorecard

```markdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| Audience fit (matches target demo) | 30% | — |
| Content quality (style aligned with brand) | 20% | — |
| Engagement rate (>2% average of last 10 posts) | 20% | — |
| Authenticity (sponsorships feel natural) | 15% | — |
| Brand safety (no controversy, no competitor ties) | 10% | — |
| Growth trajectory (growing vs stagnant) | 5% | — |
| **Weighted Total** | **100%** | **/5.0** |
```

Pass threshold: ≥ 3.5/5.0

**Red flags:** Fake followers (check SocialBlade), engagement pods (generic comments), controversial history, over-commercialized, audience mismatch.

**Vetting tools:** SocialBlade (follower growth graph), Modash (audience demographics), HypeAuditor (paid, quality score).

### Part 2: Outreach Templates

#### 2.1 Cold DM (Instagram, TikTok, X)

```
Hi [Name]! 👋
I'm [Name] from [Brand]. We love your content on [topic] — especially [specific post].
We're launching [campaign/product] and think your audience would love it.
Would you be open to a quick chat about a collab?
Thanks, [Name]
```

**Product Gifting Version:**
```
Hey [Name]! Big fan of your [platform] content. [Specific compliment].
I'd love to send you our [product] for free — no strings attached. If you love it and want to share, amazing. If not, no pressure.
Just need a shipping address.
[Name] @ [Brand]
```

#### 2.2 Cold Email (Professional)

**Subject:** `Collab idea: [Brand] × [Their account name]`

```
Hi [Name],

I've been following your work on [platform] — particularly your [series/post]. Your take on [topic] really resonates with our community at [Brand].

We're planning a [campaign type] for [timeframe] and believe you'd be a perfect fit.

📦 What we offer: [Compensation], [Creative freedom], [Perks]
🎯 What we're looking for: [Number] posts on [platform(s)], [Content type], [Usage rights]

Would you be open to a 10-min call to explore this?

Best,
[Name] @ [Brand]
```

#### 2.3 Response Tracker

```markdown
| Creator | Platform | Followers | Outreach Date | Response | Status | Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| @creator1 | TikTok | 45K | 04/01 | Interested | Negotiating | Send rates |
| @creator2 | Instagram | 12K | 04/01 | No reply | Follow up | 04/05 |
| @creator3 | YouTube | 230K | 04/02 | Declined | Closed | — |
```

### Part 3: Sponsorship Tiers & Pricing

**Tier 1 — Product Seeding ($0–$200):** Free product, 1 organic post, repost with credit.
**Tier 2 — Flat Fee ($200–$5,000):** 2–4 posts, brand approval, repurpose rights (6 months).
**Tier 3 — Performance ($500–$10K base + %):** 3–6 posts + affiliate (10–20%), unique code + UTMs.
**Tier 4 — Ambassador ($1K–$20K/month):** 8–15 posts/month + exclusivity, 3–12 month contract.
**Tier 5 — Co-Creation ($10K–$100K+):** Co-designed product/campaign, perpetual rights.

**Pricing by platform (micro-influencer, 10–100K):**
- TikTok: $100–$1,000
- Instagram: $150–$1,500
- YouTube: $200–$2,000
- LinkedIn: $150–$1,000
- X/Twitter: $50–$500

### Part 4: Contract Template (Tier 2–3)

```
INFLUENCER PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

Brand: [Brand] | Creator: [Name] | Campaign: [Name] | Term: [Start→End]

1. DELIVERABLES: [X] posts on [Platform] by [Date], including [brand tag, #hashtag, #ad disclosure]
2. COMPENSATION: $[Amount], payable [30/60] days from first post. OR [X]% commission via code/link.
3. CONTENT RIGHTS: Brand may repurpose for [paid ads / website / email] for [X] months.
4. EXCLUSIVITY: No competing brands in [Category] for [X] days before/after campaign.
5. FTC: Creator must disclose #ad or #sponsored in first 3 lines of caption.
6. APPROVAL: Draft due [Date]. Brand response within [X] business days. Max [X] revisions.
7. TERMINATION: [X] days written notice. Creator paid pro-rata for completed posts.

Signatures: [Brand] ______ [Creator] ______
```

### Part 5: Campaign Tracking & ROI

**Tracking methods:**
1. UTM links → Google Analytics (traffic + conversions)
2. Unique discount codes (e.g., CODE10)
3. Affiliate links (ShareASale, Refersion, Impact)
4. Platform promo tools (TikTok Creator Marketplace, Instagram Branded Content)
5. QR codes (IRL events)

**ROI Framework:**
```markdown
Direct ROAS = (Sales × AOV) / (Fee + product + shipping)
Content Value = Equivalent studio production cost − influencer cost
EMV = Impressions × CPM / 1000
```

**Campaign Dashboard:**
```markdown
| Creator | Posts | Impressions | ER | Clicks | Conversions | Revenue | Cost | ROAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| @A | 2 | 120K | 4.2% | 800 | 32 | $3,200 | $800 | 4.0× |
| @B | 3 | 45K | 6.8% | 450 | 28 | $2,800 | $400 | 7.0× |
| @C | 1 | 310K | 1.2% | 200 | 5 | $500 | $2,500 | 0.2× |
| **Total** | **6** | **475K** | **3.8%** | **1,450** | **65** | **$6,500** | **$3,700** | **1.8×** |
```

### Part 6: Post-Campaign Workflow

```
Day 0–7: Monitor posts within 2h, reply to comments, screenshot everything
Day 7–14: Pull impressions/engagement/clicks, track code usage
Day 14–30: Compile full dashboard, calculate ROI per creator
Day 30+: Send thank-you + results to top performers, negotiate extensions, repurpose content for ads
```

## Common Pitfalls

- **Fake follower fraud**: Nano with 8% ER > macro with 0.5% ER. Always vet engagement rate, not follower count.
- **No contract**: Verbal agreements kill usage rights and create legal risk. Always written.
- **Overly scripted briefs**: Give guidelines, not scripts. Influencers know their audience best.
- **Ignoring FTC compliance**: #ad must be clear and early. Fines + trust damage otherwise.
- **One-off mentality**: Ongoing relationships outperform single transactions 3:1.
- **No tracking infrastructure**: Without UTMs + codes, you can't prove ROI.
- **Not repurposing content**: You paid for UGC — use it across paid social, email, website.
- **Wrong audience match**: 500K followers but 80% wrong demo < 5K perfect-fit followers.
- **Not checking past sponsorships**: Low engagement on sponsored content = audience doesn't trust endorsements.

## Verification Checklist

- [ ] Influencer tier strategy defined (budget allocation by tier)
- [ ] Vetting scorecard created with ≥5 criteria and weighted scoring
- [ ] At least 10 potential creators identified and vetted
- [ ] Outreach templates ready (cold DM + cold email, product gifting)
- [ ] Response tracker created (spreadsheet or CRM)
- [ ] Sponsorship tier matrix defined with pricing ranges
- [ ] Contract template ready (deliverables, compensation, rights, FTC clause)
- [ ] UTM tracking links generated for each creator
- [ ] Unique discount codes or affiliate links created
- [ ] ROI framework defined (direct ROAS + content value + EMV)
- [ ] Campaign dashboard set up for real-time tracking
- [ ] Post-campaign workflow documented (monitor → measure → thank → repurpose)