Hey y’all,
Before I get into it, I want to remind you of our next extended Modash Live on Thursday, June 11. (That’s tomorrow!)
Marketers from Moroccanoil, Edelman, and Boots will take the main stage to share the ins and outs of running influencer marketing. Special guests Eric Ford (ex-L’Oreal) and Chloe Perkins (ex-Gymshark) are each bringing a hot topic for our On-Trend segment.
If you can’t make it, register anyway, and we’ll send you the replay.
A few weeks ago, I asked 25 creators a simple question.
On a scale of 1-5, how do you feel about gifting styles?
And what do you know, the majority indicated they looove no-strings-attached gifting. Barter deals, on the other hand, have a bad rep.
When we surveyed marketers, they told us the same thing. Creators pushed back the hardest against barter deals.
Take a look at some of the craziest requests creators told me brands have asked of them.
365 days of usage rights 🙃
Several edited videos, raw footage, usage rights, and fast delivery
2 Reels and usage in perpetuity in return for a $12 can of rust paint spray
A product worth under $20, and expect a full post plus usage rights
A dog treat for Rico, and they asked for 5 reels
Woof.
So why do we still use barter deals? The best answer I have for you is that they feel more certain. “Feel” is the operative word here. In our survey, when we compared no-strings-attached vs. barter deals, we found it’s literally a coin toss whether creators post.
Gifting campaigns are always a gamble – no matter how you slice it.
If you pick barter deals, you risk ruining a relationship with creators before they even start
If you pick no-strings attached, you risk sending out a lot of free product without getting a post in return
So what, I should just forget barter deals and just shower the masses with free products?
No, Nancy, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying use the right tool for the right job (or brand, in this case).
Right tool, right job #1: When barter deals work
Barter deals CAN work – so long as they feel fair. And who your brand is and what you sell can make a real impact there.
For example, barter deals work well for:
Brands that have a ton of brand affinity (aka organic fans that post about you anyway)
Brands that sell higher-priced products (because that feels like appropriate payment)
But what if you don’t have those things?
Well, you’re gonna have a harder time. Especially if you don’t want to kill a creator relationship before it begins.
But you can still make it work, so long as you:
Go for smaller creators (or happy customers that already love you and have followings)
Sweeten the deal to make it feel like a fair exchange
Are okay with potentially less authentic content in exchange for more control over the content/timelines
Just keep in mind that you’re walking a tightrope here.
Right job, right tool #2: When no-strings-attached works
Now, no-strings-attached means you’re likely going to spend more in gifted product – and there’s no guarantee that you’ll get posts from it.
Chances are, if you gift intentionally and you treat your creator well, you’ll be much more likely to get that post.
No-strings-attached works well for brands who:
Are newer, or are just getting started with gifting
Have lower-priced products
Want to prioritize relationship-building with creators
Want to test new creators/markets/messaging
But you’re not getting out of this without a gamble. You need to be okay with:
Some creators not posting at all
Not having control over timelines or content quality, in return for more authentic, honest content
And above all – don’t go back on no-strings-attached if you positioned it that way. Because then it doesn’t feel like a gift.
There’s not really a way to get out of a gamble with gifting campaigns. There are drawbacks to both that you’re going to have to be okay with.
(Also sorry to any Nancy’s who felt called out. I just picked a name. You’re probably really cool)
Any sass can be attributed to the heat dome,
Whitney
Content R&D at Modash. Send hate mail to LinkedIn
🩷A good influence
I finally get to recommend a French creator @granny.popcorn.
Who they are: Julia Treissac – an aspiring actress in Paris.
Why she’s worth a follow: I started following her after stumbling upon her series “Recreating movie covers until my grandma notices.” She goes into her grandma’s media room, picks out a movie, recreates the movie cover, and replaces it on the DVD cover.
So far, I don’t think grandma has noticed.
Dream collab: I’d love to see her get hired in a movie, recreate the movie cover, and surprise - it’s the actual movie cover. She’d also be excellent for any kind of brand that sells FX makeup, theatre prosthetics – anything in that vein.
Brought to you by Modash
The influencer marketing platform that brands on Shopify use to grow and manage influencer programs in one place.
