Partnering With Influencers To Run Campaigns

Growing a brand isn’t just about having a great product, it’s about reaching the right audience. Influencer marketing makes this easier by connecting brands with engaged communities on Instagram, YouTube, and beyond.

For early-stage brands, influencers can be powerful ambassadors, especially when combined with running a Gleam Competitions or Rewards campaign.

The key?

Finding the right influencer who aligns with your brand. Keep reading to learn how to identify the perfect partner and launch a successful campaign.

Influencer campaigns work by offering a prize or discount to drive actions like follows, sign-ups, or shares. In return, the influencer promotes your campaign, creating valuable content while exposing you to their audience.

To get the most out of it, pick the right influencer:

• Prioritise Engagement – A smaller, engaged audience beats a big, passive one.
• Check Your Community – Influencers already mentioning you are likely great fits.
• Search Relevant Hashtags – See who's talking about your industry.
• Review Past Collaborations – Have they worked with similar brands successfully?
• Assess Consistency – Regular posts and steady engagement are key.

Once you’ve found a potential influencer, reach out in a professional but friendly way. There’s no need to be overly formal, but keep it polite:

• Be Clear – Briefly explain your campaign and why they’re a great fit.
• Highlight Benefits – Show how they’ll gain followers, engagement, or valuable content.
• Offer Value – Small to mid-sized influencers may accept free products or campaign exposure. Larger influencers (100K+ followers) usually expect payment. Make sure you ask for their rates and propose an offer from the get go.
• Use the Right Channel – Check their bio or website for an email, it’s the best way to discuss business collaborations. If no email is available, send a polite DM introducing yourself and asking for their preferred contact method.

Influencer giveaways are one of the fastest ways to build trust and drive engagement.

They work because influencers introduce your brand to their followers, people who already trust their recommendations. This makes them more likely to take action.

Giveaways benefit both you and the influencer, your brand gets exposure, and they get engaging content for their audience. If you include entry actions like following their socials, it can also help them grow.

You set up the giveaway using Gleam, and the influencer drives traffic by sharing the link in their bio, Stories, or captions. This means all entries are tracked, actions are verified, and both of you benefit.

While giveaways are great for engagement and growing an audience, they don’t guarantee immediate sales.

If you want to convert engaged followers into paying customers, a discount-driven campaign can incentivise purchases while still using an influencer’s reach.

Instead of entering for a chance to win, followers unlock an exclusive discount by completing key actions like following your brand, subscribing to emails, or visiting your store.

This approach works particularly well for brands focused on conversions, as it gives customers an immediate incentive to purchase.

It’s even more effective when combined with a limited-time offer.

The same as with giveaway announcements, for long-term impact, keep your discount link in an influencer’s Linktree. This makes sure that followers can always access the offer which is a good way to drive ongoing sales.

A great example of an influencer-led giveaway is Absolut’s #PlanetEarth’sFavoriteVodka campaign, which was a fun way to celebrate both sustainability and LGBTQ+ inclusivity while also advertising the vodka.

It worked really well because the influencers integrated it into their content, some shared sustainable cocktail recipes, while others highlighted Absolut’s history of supporting LGBTQ+ rights.

Why it was a win-win?

• For influencers, it gave them content that aligned with their values, engaged their audience, and strengthened their personal brand.

• For Absolut, it connected them with engaged, like-minded communities while reinforcing their commitment to sustainability and LGBTQ+ advocacy.