What is an influencer marketing software? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Influencer marketing software (some people refer to these as creator management platforms) gives brands the opportunity to scale their program with various functionalities, including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Creator discovery tools\u00a0<\/a><\/li>
- Relationship management\u00a0<\/a><\/li>
- Product fulfillment\u00a0<\/a><\/li>
- Content tracking\u00a0<\/a><\/li>
- Reporting and analytics\u00a0<\/a><\/li>
- Creator payment tools\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
See Also: Influencer Marketing Tools: What Technology Is There & How Do You Use It?<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nWhat does influencer marketing software do?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Influencer marketing software can assist with all aspects of influencer management and your campaigns, but not all solutions are the same. For the best results, make sure your chosen platform can do all of the following. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Discovering new influencers <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The best strategy for finding the best partners for your brand involves a multi-tiered approach. After all, you don\u2019t want to put all of your eggs in one basket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An ideal influencer marketing software should offer a few different ways to help you find creators. Some things to look for are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- A variety of <\/strong>creator-sourcing tools<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> Trying to find creators with just one technique can lead to you missing out on potential brand champions, so make sure your platform offers a multi-channel approach. Ensure they have a tool that allows for inbound applications from interested creators and a tool for sourcing analytics for creators.<\/li>
- Inbound influencer request capabilities: <\/strong>When you\u2019re a thriving brand, everyone <\/em>wants to be involved. If you get a ton of direct messages on social media accounts or emails from people hoping to partner with you, having a tool to streamline information collection and add prospects to a CRM is ideal.\u00a0<\/li>
- Organic discovery tools: <\/strong>Sometimes, there\u2019s no better way to find partners than by scrolling through your chosen social media platforms, such as TikTok<\/a> or YouTube<\/a>, and seeing who you discover. However, you can\u2019t make an informed decision without data, so having some kind of tool that provides info<\/a> about a creator immediately is essential.\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n
See Also: How to Find Content Creators Guidebook<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Relationship management <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
An open and consistent line of communication is essential for any good business relationship, and being able to manage contracts in one place keeps your team organized and efficient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An ideal influencer marketing software will include the ability to manage contact information, contracts, and more for each prospect and creator in your program. Some of the best platforms, including GRIN, will even integrate with your email provider<\/a> to keep all of your influencer communications in one convenient location. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Content collection <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Keeping track of every piece of content your creators post on your behalf can be exhausting, especially if you\u2019re regularly updating each post\u2019s performance in a spreadsheet. A good creator management platform will aggregate the content, allow you to download it to your computer, and give you real-time results so you can see which posts are winning and which could use a little more work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creator payments <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Paying your creators on time is essential for maintaining a good working relationship with them. Your influencer marketing software should track how much you owe your creators (whether through flat fees, commissions, or both) and allow you to pay right from the platform. And as a bonus, some software solutions will generate tax forms<\/a> for your creators, so you don\u2019t have to worry about them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Data tracking and reporting <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
An ideal influencer marketing software should also provide reports and analytics to help you track the views, engagements, ROI, and more of each campaign, creator, and content piece. This will help you make educated decisions when it comes to future influencer marketing programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, having a tool to generate reports quickly and easily will make it much easier to show your boss and stakeholders how well your program is doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"People](\"https:\/\/grin.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/SA_Influencer_Marketing_Software_vs_Influencer_Management_Agency_2022-Q4-10_Featured2.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\nWhat are the pros of influencer marketing software? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Using influencer marketing software allows for complete management in a fully digital environment that benefits the marketing team, the brand, and the creators.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Streamline your efforts. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
All the tools in an influencer marketing software are designed to save you time, whether it\u2019s the automated email templates and sequences, content aggregation and data reporting, or product fulfillment capabilities. You can take all the time you save and put it towards other matters, like strategy and relationship building. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manage relationships at scale. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Managing a large team of creators can take a lot of time, and when you\u2019re trying to do it on top of your other duties at work, things can fall through the cracks sometimes. However, an influencer marketing software can greatly increase the number of creators you can effectively work with at any given time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep all of your tools and resources in one place. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Flipping between tools, apps, and spreadsheets can be a downright headache. But influencer marketing software solutions handle all of your duties, like messaging creators, paying partners, and tracking content, in one convenient place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stay in total control of your program. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The ability to be in full control of your program is also a strong point for many influencer marketers. There is no need to wait for an agency to get back to you about potential influencers or the results of a campaign. Since you are directly involved in everything, you can receive information immediately, speeding up your marketing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manage your expenses. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The pricing structure for influencer software tends to be better for brands than that of agencies. Most platforms, including GRIN<\/a>, do not charge commissions, which is typically the case for agencies. Instead, you know the flat fee you will pay right from the start, so there are no surprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are the cons of influencer marketing software? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Software requires onboarding time. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Whenever you start getting your feet wet with new software, you\u2019ll have to dedicate time to become familiar with it. Be sure to budget for this time when making your decision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Software isn\u2019t the best solution for people with little to no influencer marketing experience. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Creator management platforms are great for streamlining tasks you\u2019re already doing with advanced tools and automation, but you\u2019ll need knowledge and experience when coming in to get the best results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, a platform can help you narrow down your influencer options to a list of 100 people, but you\u2019d still need the strategic eye of an experienced influencer marketer to be able to pick the perfect partners from the group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, GRIN offers various resources to help you dominate the creator economy, making it perfect for beginners and pros alike. Check them out: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- GRIN Academy: <\/strong>Our online learning platform provides on-demand product training and forward-thinking content that keeps you up to date with the ever-evolving creator economy.\u00a0<\/li>
- GRIN Community: <\/strong>Our dedicated Community gives you the opportunity to collaborate with other GRIN users (who are absolutely killing it with their programs) and discover insider tips through exclusive masterclasses and workshops.<\/li>
- GRIN customer success managers and influencer strategists: <\/strong>With a dedicated customer success manager and access to expert strategists, you always have support from industry specialists who have done this all before for brands just like yours. We\u2019ll give you the tools and resources to help you scale your program and navigate your unique marketing challenges.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n
What kind of company should consider using influencer marketing software?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A company that already has a bit of experience in influencer marketing and is looking to scale its program is the best fit for influencer marketing software. This way, they have their existing knowledge they can leverage to create a huge, successful program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How long should a company use influencer marketing software? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A company can use influencer marketing software as long as they want. There isn\u2019t really any point at which a brand can outgrow the capabilities of a creator management platform. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
See Also: How to Sell Your Boss on Influencer Marketing Software [+ Downloadable Pitch Deck]<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"Coworkers](\"https:\/\/grin.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IM_Influencer_Marketing_Software_vs_Agency_2023-Q4-10_Featured1.webp\")
\n\n\n\nWhat is an influencer management agency? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Influencer marketing agencies are similar to traditional marketing agencies but focus on influencer management and connecting creators with brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Digital and full-service marketing agencies may also include influencer marketing as one of their many offerings in addition to other disciplines like SEO, PPC, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does an influencer marketing agency do? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Influencer marketing agencies perform nearly identical roles to those of influencer marketing software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They typically focus on connecting influencers and brands, then creating and managing the campaigns. The agencies usually take care of communications with the influencer and use analytics to develop and adjust strategies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recruit influencers.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Agencies will analyze your campaign goals, budget, and more to find influencers aligned with your brand. Many agencies will ask for approval from the brand before firming up contracts and moving forward with any creators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Develop content briefs. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Influencer marketing agencies will use your goals to create custom content briefs for your chosen creators. These outlines typically contain information on the deliverables, payment methods, brand assets, and more. They\u2019ll then provide these to the creators and negotiate with them over any revisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
See Also: A Crash Course on Briefing Creators [+ Influencer Brief Examples]<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Handle day-to-day responsibilities. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
You can cross a whole list of to-dos and stresses off your schedule since you\u2019ll have a team of influencer marketing managers handling every aspect of your program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manage deliverables. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Agencies will review and collect content from your brand\u2019s influencers, and if you\u2019re working with a full-service agency, they can pass this content along to other teams to repurpose<\/a> so you can get the most value out of your program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Track and report results. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The agencies will track the results of your program, make adjustments as needed, and deliver all of the information you need in a nice, easy-to-understand report. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
See Also: Influencer Reporting Best Practices for Demonstrating ROI [+ Free Influencer Report Templates]<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n
What are the pros of working with an influencer marketing agency? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Save time. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- GRIN Community: <\/strong>Our dedicated Community gives you the opportunity to collaborate with other GRIN users (who are absolutely killing it with their programs) and discover insider tips through exclusive masterclasses and workshops.<\/li>
- Inbound influencer request capabilities: <\/strong>When you\u2019re a thriving brand, everyone <\/em>wants to be involved. If you get a ton of direct messages on social media accounts or emails from people hoping to partner with you, having a tool to streamline information collection and add prospects to a CRM is ideal.\u00a0<\/li>
- Relationship management\u00a0<\/a><\/li>
![\"Influencer](\"https:\/\/grin.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/SA_Influencer_Marketing_Software_vs_Influencer_Management_Agency_2022-Q4-10_Chart.webp\")
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