How to Build Effective Influencer Partnerships for Brand Growth

By now, you and your team have likely heard about influencer marketing, affiliate partners, co-branded campaigns and commission-based partnership models. Affiliate programs have been around in some fashion since the late 1980s, but the increasing use of cookies to track user activity online, combined with the blogging and social media boom of the mid-2000s, made affiliate marketing a household phrase. Seemingly overnight, blogging empires and social media influencers with thousands of followers started building businesses based around affiliate links and earning commissions on sales. 

Affiliate and influencer marketing isn’t only for bloggers or content creators. In fact, organizations and businesses of all sizes can implement effective, successful and scalable influencer partnership programs to help achieve their goals. 

That said, a successful affiliate marketing program relies on long-term relationships with influencers. However, building them requires consistency and strategy.

This guide breaks down the best affiliate marketing strategies to identify influencer partners and cultivate long-lasting relationships.

Why Influencer Partnerships Are Vital for Brand Growth

Affiliate marketing can offer numerous benefits, ranging from increased brand awareness and buyer trust to an unmatched ability to scale while maintaining a high return on investment (ROI). However, perhaps the most essential reason why maintaining long-term influencer partnerships is so vital to—and helpful for—brand growth can be boiled down to one somewhat cliche statement: It’s a win-win for the brand and the influencer.

• Your partners benefit from consistent financial gains. By building a lasting relationship with a brand, influencers can integrate the brand’s products or services into their content more frequently and authentically, often leading to more conversions—and more commission—over time.
• Your brand enjoys long-term, high-quality content creation and authentic promotion. When you work with an influencer for a longer period of time, you will likely see content quality improve and align even more closely with your brand voice and story. You will also enjoy a greater connection with your partner’s brand and audience.

Your brand and your partners make more money as conversions increase. Lastly, the beauty of influencer marketing is that both parties benefit when conversions increase. As you and your partners work together long-term, you can enjoy more sales and higher commissions—resulting in a financially successful, effective influencer collaboration.

The Role of Influencers in Modern Marketing

Years ago, marketing was based on disruption. Advertisements on TVs, radios, billboards and even online were created to capture the attention of buyers and interrupt whatever task they were focused on completing, whether watching a television show, listening to their favorite song or commuting to work. 

Now, in the age of the informed consumer, disruptive tactics like these often fail to convert as effectively as they did in years past. Buyers are more skeptical of blatant advertisements and frequently require time to build trust in a brand before they click “buy now.” 

Fortunately, partnership marketing helps bridge the gap between the buyer and the brand. Influencers devote time and effort to building an audience that trusts their expertise, opinions and recommendations. What’s more, influencers often promote an enviable lifestyle—whether one of luxury and glamour, simplicity and idyllic values, vibrant health and wellness or another vibe entirely—that their audience wants to achieve as well. 

But how does that benefit your brand? When influencers promote products or services, they leverage the established trust and credibility they have with their audience to get conversions. Buyers feel more confident in the investment in your brand’s products or services. Influencers also promote products to highly targeted audiences that may be more qualified to purchase than the general public.

Steps to Building Effective Influencer-Brand Partnerships

Now that you understand the benefits and role of long-term influencer partnerships take a look at some strategies to build lasting relationships with top affiliates. 

1. Find the Right Influencers for Your Brand

This step is crucial in establishing long-term influencer relationships. Ensure your partners align with your brand values and the lifestyle or solution your products and services provide. Verify that their content quality is on par with your expectations, too. 

One thing to note: Don’t limit yourself to partners with hundreds of thousands of followers. Micro-influencers, or those with follower counts ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 followers, often command strong conversion rates due to their close relationships with followers.

2. Set Clear Objectives and Expectations 

As is the case with any stakeholder or project partner, it’s crucial to establish campaign objectives and expectations upfront. Share your goals, quality and messaging standards and establish a review process, if needed, for any content before your partners go live. Finally, keep your partners updated on special promotions or focuses for the coming months to ensure their campaigns align with your objectives. 

3. Establish Consistent Communication

Ensure you have clear, consistent communication channels with your partners. You may check in via email, instant messaging or video chat. However you prefer, keep your metaphorical door open and empower your partners to ask questions or provide suggestions and feedback to refine your affiliate campaigns.

4. Engage with Influencers Online 

If you want to develop authentic relationships with your affiliate partners, don’t treat them like strangers! Ensure your brand social media accounts like, follow and engage with influencers online—and not only when they post about your products.

5. Offer Growth Opportunities

Finally, consider growth opportunities, especially for your top performers. These opportunities can vary depending on your brand and objectives, but could include: 

• Co-created content
• Exclusive collaborations between your brand and your affiliate partner
• Co-designed or co-launched products and services

If you’re not sure where to start, ask your affiliate partners. They likely have ideas that will help your brand stand out to their followers, exposing your products and services to new potential buyers. 

Turn to Acceleration Partners for Effective Influencer Partnership Management & Brand Growth

Our team of strategic influencer marketing professionals at Acceleration Partners understands the benefits of authentic, long-lasting relationships between publishers and brands. We specialize in matching your company with global affiliates that align with your values and goals while facilitating positive, financially beneficial relationships that withstand the test of time. 

If you’re ready to launch or scale your brand’s affiliate marketing program and start building impactful influencer partnerships, turn to Acceleration Partners and let us help grow your brand today!