Content Creator Partnerships Help Your Business Stay Relevant

Content Creator Partnerships Help Your Business Stay Relevant

Dr. Jim FREDERICKS, Executive Director, Professional Pest Management Alliance

Consider that recent online purchase you made or new service provider you selected—those choices were likely influenced by something you saw on social media. That’s no coincidence. It reflects a much larger change in how people discover brands and make decisions. Content creators, also known as influencers, have taken over the media landscape and likely will continue to hold sway. 

Content creators across industries have established a trusted online presence, some through careful curation and others by letting their personalities shine. No matter the approach, their followers stay invested. They see their favorite creators as go-to sources for recommendations, advice, and entertainment.
For the pest control industry, creator partnerships can be an effective way to get your business in front of a new audience and boost brand awareness. These individuals have already built trust with their audience, so it’s about finding the right person and working together to get your message out there.

THE BASICS OF CONTENT CREATION
The influencer world may seem overwhelming, especially to brands and businesses just starting to get involved. To put it simply, it’s a modern version of word-of-mouth marketing. Here is the main terminology that shapes the core of influencer marketing:

• Content creator: An individual with a significant digital presence who shares media across social platforms.
• Content: The assets that will be posted. This includes images, videos, and caption copy.
• Deliverables: Final pieces of content that will be posted to the agreed-upon social platform.

Brand partnership: A working relationship between a company and content creator that involves compensation in exchange for branded content. 

Next, it’s important to know who you’re dealing with. Creators are generally grouped into tiers based on follower count. Understanding these tiers will help set realistic expectations for cost and reach because many influencers’ rates are dependent upon their total number of followers and their average engagement rate. Influencer tiers include:

• Nano: Creators with 10,000 or fewer followers
• Micro: Creators with 10,000–50,000 followers
• Mid: Creators with 50,000–500,000 followers
• Macro: Creators with more than 500,000 followers
• Mega: Creators with more than 1 million followers

Keep in mind, though, that the biggest following doesn’t always mean the best results. A lot of smaller creators have built close-knit communities with their followers, which often results in higher engagement. It’s all about determining what’s best for your business and your goals. 

BUILDING A CAMPAIGN THAT RESONATES
There are various types of influencer campaigns. There are longstanding partnerships where brands partner with one creator who serves as their sole spokesperson, known as a “brand ambassador.” This individual might deliver multiple rounds of content across a certain period of time. In some cases, businesses might work with influencers for a one-off event, whether it’s to help generate buzz before the event or to draw attention by attending the event. There are also campaigns where brands contract with several influencers at a time to promote a new launch, product, or service.

These are all proactive opportunities, which are planned in advance and often span a longer timeline. Reactive opportunities, meanwhile, can come to fruition in as little as a day. Say you see a popular social media influencer post about a mosquito problem in their backyard; it might be worth reaching out to gauge interest in potentially partnering on content. You can solve the mosquito problem, and the influencer can show and/or tell followers how your company saved the day. These types of opportunities are timely and require businesses to react quickly.

Let’s look deeper into what a proactive partnership can look like in pest control. First, determine your goals and find the right partner. Does that person’s audience reflect the people you want to reach? Do their beliefs and messaging align with yours? 

For pest control companies, this might look like a middle-aged lifestyle influencer with a family and pets who is looking to pest-proof their home ahead of peak season. Maybe it’s a post-grad city influencer who shares tips for keeping rodents out of their new apartment. No matter who you choose, it’s important to vet these potential partners and ensure they check all your boxes.

Next, decide on deliverables, negotiate rates, and prepare contracts for signature. After all the paperwork is complete, influencers will typically work on capturing content within a timeframe provided by the business, which will then review and sign off on the content. For example, the creator might make a video about places in their yard where pests may hide, share prevention tips, and end with a call to action like, “Contact a pest control professional.” It’s always encouraged to have influencers link back to your website.

Once all parties approve content, the business and influencer will agree on a date and time for posts to go live.

MEASURING YOUR CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE
Your campaign is live … now what? 

Tracking likes, comments, shares, and overall sentiment will not only offer opportunities to engage, but it’ll also give insight into campaign performance. Understanding these metrics is an essential part of launching an influencer campaign. Here are a few key terms you should know:

• Engagement rate: The number of engagements (combined likes, comments, and shares) divided by the total number of followers, then multiplied by 100. This formula is often used to analyze how many people are interacting with what’s being posted and likely reflects the number of conversions.
• Conversions: How effectively the campaign drove purchases, site visits, or sign-ups. For example, if a creator included a link to your company’s website in their post, you’ll be able to measure how many people visited your site via that link.
• Follower growth: How many followers you have at the start of the campaign versus the end.

These numbers can also serve as benchmarks to inform your goals for the next campaign. 

LEGAL SAFEGUARDS
There’s no shortage of legal nuances that come along with these types of partnerships, but don’t let that deter you. It’s all about communicating upfront about the expectations from both sides. Having a formal agreement or contract in place allows for a stress-free process. This binding document will outline everything in one place, from content and messaging requirements to costs and timelines.

Many influencers also include fees to use their content. This could be reposting their content on your business page or repurposing it for future brand content. As part of the negotiation and contract-development stages, make sure you ask about usage rights, including if you’re allowed to use their content, for how long, and whether there are any additional costs.

Lastly, sponsored social media content is subject to disclosure requirements. The Federal Trade Commission requires creators to clearly disclose material connections to brands, such as by including “#ad” in the caption of a paid post.

Leveraging influencers and their trusted voice can have a long-lasting impact on your business. The right partnership reaches new audiences in a way that feels authentic, turning brand awareness into new customers. 

About the Professional Pest Management Alliance

The Professional Pest Management Alliance is the voice of the industry, driving demand for professional pest control through innovative marketing programs that educate consumers and earn their trust. Since 1997, the Alliance has grown awareness of the essential role pest management professionals play in protecting health, food, and property, creating market conditions that help businesses of all sizes grow stronger, faster. It actively manages the consumer website, PestWorld.org, and social media channels including @PestWorld on Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube, and @PestWorldOfficial on Instagram. For more information, please visit alliancemainframe.org or npmapestworld.org/alliance.