The better aligned your influencers are with your vision, message, goals and products, the better chance you’ll have at running a successful campaign. Identifying your ideal influencer persona is critical before launching your influencer marketing campaign.

Having your influencers discuss their brand experience with consumers is essential. Positive reviews and discussions about your brand builds trust and loyalty with your followers and the audiences your influencers reach. Learn three strategies that will ensure you to identify the best influencers for your brand and rollout your influencer marketing campaign in confidence.

The reason celebrities aren’t always the right type of influencer for your brand, is because even though they have large followings, it may seem like an odd match to your customers. Strongly consider the source and reputation of the person who’ll be publicly endorsing your brand. If you picked someone solely because they’re popular and trending, it’s likely your message will get lost and you’ll experience backlash from your followers.

Authentic relationships and trust-building are present in every successful influencer marketing program. This is one area you shouldn’t slack in when selecting the right people for the role. Get together with your team and built out what you want your influencers to be, what you want to see them talk about, their passions, etc. If you start working with someone and it feels strange or there’s apparent conflict and opposing views, then it’s probably time to move on and find a replacement.

Take your time and vet your influencers like you would any other job candidate. Even though you’re the one out searching, it’s still necessary to get to know your influencer and confirm everything checks out before you agree to work with them.

Develop an ideal profile and list of questions you will ask potential influencers and use this as your benchmark when it comes time to make your final decision. Most importantly, focus on content quality, reach, engagement and alignment of values with your brand. Give your vetting process the attention it deserves.

Many brands will work with multiple influencers depending on the specific campaign, product or service. It’s also possible for a brand to use someone for a few campaigns before realizing they’re not getting the return they expected and drop them. To avoid this, start small and build upon the successes of your best influencers instead of trying to force relationships with the wrong people.

Take note of how your audience reacts and engages to the influencer’s posts and shares. Analyze if your brand is getting an increase in positive mentions and any uptick in sales for the specific product. Measure all earned media and identify which influencers and which topics lift your brand the most. Set yourself up for a positive experience by going through the vetting process and spending the time it takes to run some testing. It’s better to start small and capitalize on what’s working instead of forcing something that clearly aren’t natural. It’s business, but remember that it should also be a fun and exciting experience for both you and the influencer.

Consumers are begging for and rewarding brands who deliver authentic messaging and experiences to them. Relationship building takes time. The good news is that once the connection is there, activating influencers becomes more seamless and effective with each new promotion you launch.