Posted on

28/3/2024

Influencer Contract: Tips and Tricks

As the influencer marketing industry grows, the need for legal frameworks also increases. While collaborating with influencers without a legal basis was the norm in the past, it is now best practice to enter any partnership with influencers only if you have a contract or similar legal document. What do marketers need to consider when creating a contract for Influencer Marketing? Find out below.

Contract placed on a table with a pen in hand

Key Takeaways

What is a contract? Contracts are legally binding documents that one party to fulfil the requirements of another and vice versa. Influencer contracts define how you should both act during your collaboration.
Analyze the Influencer: Before signing a contract, thoroughly investigate whether the influencer is a good fit for your brand.
How do you write an influencer contract? The core elements include formal details, remuneration, timelines, creative freedom, disclosure agreements, and content rights.

What Exactly Is a Contract for Influencer Marketing?

As in (almost) every relationship, a contract is a written legal agreement between two parties. In the field of influencer marketing (IM), a contract is a binding legal agreement between an influencer and the company working with them. Contracts are necessary to set the framework, terms, and boundaries of a collaboration between the involved parties.

Collaborating with an influencer is similar to working with a freelancer, and a contract is recommended to safeguard both parties. A contract allows both parties to sue if their terms are not adhered to.

So, how do you write an influencer contract? The first step is to outline what you hope to receive from the collaboration. From there, you can determine the elements needed for your contract with influencers. Thus, before creating the contract, ask yourself the following questions:

What content or outcomes do you want from your influencers?
How often and how many posts, stories, or videos do you want your influencers to share? What are the start and end dates of your collaboration?
How much remuneration does the influencer expect? What is the IM budget? And how much are you willing to invest in the influencer you are considering collaborating with?

While you should consider these questions before constructing an influencer partnership agreement, there are additional legal considerations.

What is Contract Law for Influencers?

The contract law that affects you will depend on the country to which your business is legally bound. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates influencers. However, the rules are more complicated in Europe.

While the European Commission imposes rules and laws on influencers, social platforms, and advertising practices, each country can draft and enforce its own laws. Generally, legislation for influencer marketing regulations revolves around labeling and transparency.

However, some EU countries take a different approach due to the federal system.

Germany, for example, reacted to the over-labeling of posts, which made it impossible for consumers to tell when something was advertising and when it was not. Section 5a (4) UWG states that “a commercial purpose of a commercial act is generally not to be assumed if it primarily serves the purpose of information and opinion formation and no remuneration or similar consideration was granted for it.”

In addition, France has established that all influencer and brand partnerships must be agreed upon with a contract. Any sponsored or partnered posts should be honestly labelled, and anyone who fails to do so can be penalized.

Due to the discrepancies, it's essential to check your regional regulations as they may differ depending on the country and national law.

Your Influencer Contract Template: The Elements You Need

Since an influencer contract requires many essential details and incorrect input can result in legal consequences, it is recommended that you create and use a template.

Once you have created the template, you can edit and change variable details, such as the name, address, and payment, while maintaining all the necessary clauses. This way, you can easily and quickly adapt the contract for each influencer and campaign. For example, the template can be stored as an influencer partnership contract PDF.

How do you write an influencer contract template?

When forging a contract, ensure you have the following elements in place.

Personal Details

Like in any contract, you should start an influencer contract with an area for the personal data of all involved parties. For example, the names of both parties and data about the collaboration.

Duration

Every contract should define a clear start and end point, so communicate with the influencer to pinpoint specific dates.

Compensation

No influencer contractual agreement is complete without addressing the influencer’s pay. Negotiate with the influencer to decide on remuneration. Additionally, consider whether you will cover any out-of-pocket expenses during the collaboration.

How much do influencers get paid for partnerships?

The answer is that there is no set cost for influencer marketing. The expense depends on many factors, notably the influencer's reach, engagement rate, and character. The amount of work and duration of the collaboration also affect the price.

If you’d like to strengthen your negotiation skills to secure a better ROI when working with influencers, read the Kolsquare Quick Guide to setting a price that works for both you and the influencer.

Type of Payment

While identifying how much to offer influencers during a partnership is essential, the type of compensation also plays a role.

You must clearly outline the payment terms and structure you and the influencer have agreed upon.

A low-risk compensation structure is desirable. To achieve that, ask the following questions: What amount do you pay upfront, and what is the balance? What is the deadline for each payment? What is the trigger point for payment? When will the content be delivered?

The more precise you are, the better you can establish yourself as a reliable collaboration partner, and the easier it will be to implement the agreements. Logically, you should only pay once both parties have signed the contract.

Scope of the Work

Outline the details of the collaboration, such as specific tasks, the number of posts, and the type of content. In addition, the creative concepts and expectations of both you and the influencers should be contractually agreed upon. While we often stress the importance of letting influencers express their creativity and not restricting their voice or style, it’s still important to address your core goals beforehand. Explaining your KPIs and expectations makes you more likely to have a positive outcome from the collaboration.

Disclosure Agreement

Consider whether you want to include disclaimers in your contract. You can explicitly prohibit your influencers from working with brands or competitors—at least during your partnership. Specify if any of the information you share with the influencer shouldn’t be disclosed. Influencers have a large audience, so it’s important to define in the influencer partnership contract if any of the information you share must remain private.

In addition, there are, of course, termination, indemnification, and immorality clauses. Finally, consider including morality clauses that allow for the termination of the influencer marketing agreement if any acts are committed that harm the other’s reputation.

Furthermore, we recommend a disclosure agreement so that you can know more about the performance of your influencer marketing campaign through data analysis. Read more about data-driven influencer marketing.

The Territory

Define where you can use the content shared by the influencer. Can you use it worldwide, or is it simply for one region?

Intellectual Property

Be sure to clarify who owns the content you create. An influencer is a freelancer, similar to a plumber or photographer. Decide whether you require permanent ownership of the content they create or if the content rights will return to the influencer. In addition, ensure you have agreed on whether you can edit your influencers’ content.

Also, allow influencers to share your name, photo, and company logo with their audience to increase brand awareness.

Best Practices Before Sending a Contract

Before you even set up or modify a contract, you should be sure that the influencer is a good fit for your brand. Communicate honestly about your expectations through influencer partnership email correspondence. It’s essential to take the time to analyse whether the influencer appeals to the exact target group you want to reach.

Best Practices for Agreeing the Contract

Once you have finalised the contract, it’s ready to send to the influencer for approval and signing. The influencer may question or negotiate some of the terms. After these are managed, your discussions will lead to an agreement that both you and the influencer are willing to sign. A contract can be signed with a handwritten or electronic signature.

Contract changes can be requested anytime during the partnership, which may result in multiple amendments.

Launch Your Influencer Marketing Campaign

A template is the cornerstone of your collaborations with influencers. It safeguards your business and the influencer you work with. It is best practice to show your contract to a legal professional to ensure you haven’t missed vital details, such as names, dates, scope of work, and remuneration.

Once the contract is sent and signed, the next concern is to measure KPIs to check the investment has paid off. Influncers should create a positive ROI, like working with any advertiser.

Comment rédiger un contrat de partenariat ? Les éléments dont vous avez besoin dans votre contrat d'influenceur

Comme dans tout contrat, vous devez commencer par les données personnelles de toutes les personnes impliquées dans le contrat d’influenceur. Cela inclut les noms respectifs, les dates clés de la collaboration entre la marque et l'influenceur et la description précise de la campagne. Si vous avez l’intention de créer un template, vous devez faire de la place pour ces informations au début.

Comme nous l’avons dit, l’une de vos questions est de savoir combien de temps la collaboration doit durer. Sur le long terme, le marketing d’influence est généralement plus efficace et il est souhaitable d’entretenir une amitié durable avec la marque. Néanmoins, il se peut que vous ayez en tête une période bien précise.

Bien entendu, un accord contractuel porte également sur le salaire demandé par les influenceurs. Le prix dépend de nombreux facteurs tels que la portée, le taux d’engagement, le caractère et la durée de la collaboration. De manière générale, vous pouvez dire que le prix d’une collaboration est potentiellement lié à la notoriété des KOL (leaders d’opinion) concernés. Soyez plus confiant dans vos négociations de prix avec les influenceurs en lisant le guide Kolsquare pour savoir ce qu’il faut prendre en compte. Outre la question de savoir combien votre marque offre aux influenceurs pour un partenariat, le type de rémunération selon les influenceurs joue également un rôle-clé.

Il en résulte les conditions et la structure de paiement que vous, mais aussi vos influenceurs, souhaitez. Il va de soi qu’une structure de rémunération à faible risque est évidente: quel est le montant que vous payez à l’avance et quel est le montant du solde ? Quelle est la date limite de chaque paiement ? Plus vous êtes précis, plus la mise en œuvre sera facile à une date ultérieure. Cela vous permet également de gérer votre enthousiasme à l’égard de la collaboration avec les créateurs et de vous positionner comme un partenaire de coopération fiable. En toute logique, vous ne payez que lorsque les deux parties ont signé le contrat.

Les idées et les attentes créatives de votre part et de celle des influenceurs doivent également faire l’objet d’un contrat. Bien que nous insistions souvent sur l’importance de laisser les influenceurs exprimer leur créativité et de ne pas les limiter dans leur voix ou leur style, il est toujours bon d’aborder au préalable vos principaux objectifs. Soyez également transparent avec vos KPI.

Avant de rédiger ou de modifier un contrat, vous devez être sûr que l’influenceur correspond à votre marque ou à votre entreprise. Les influenceurs s’adressent-ils exactement au groupe cible que vous souhaitez atteindre ? L’accord de divulgation est également recommandé afin que vous puissiez en savoir plus sur la performance de votre campagne de marketing d’influence grâce à l’analyse des données. Nous vous invitons à lire ce qui suit pour en savoir plus sur le marketing d’influence basé sur les données.

Assurez-vous de savoir qui est le propriétaire de la publication. D’une part, cela est important pendant la campagne: avez-vous convenu que vous pouvez modifier le contenu de vos influenceurs ? D’autre part, vous devez absolument autoriser les influenceurs à utiliser votre nom, votre photo et le logo de votre entreprise dans leur contenu afin d’accroître la notoriété de vos marques.

Il reste maintenant à savoir si vous souhaitez intégrer des clauses d’exclusion dans votre contrat. Vous pouvez expressément interdire à vos influenceurs de collaborer avec d’autres marques ou concurrents – du moins pendant votre coopération. En outre, il existe bien entendu des clauses de résiliation et d’immoralité.

Ces points montrent donc de manière générale ce que vous devez absolument aborder dans un contrat pour votre marketing d’influence et comment vous pouvez vous protéger et protéger votre marque et, à parts égales, les influenceurs, après tout, la vérité dure plus longtemps. Une méthode de travail transparente et structurée se reflète également dans l’opinion générale du public à l’égard des influenceurs concernés.

Comment faire un partenariat avec des influenceurs ?

Établir un partenariat efficace avec des influenceurs nécessite une approche réfléchie et bien structurée. Voici quelques étapes clés à suivre :

Définir vos objectifs : Avant de commencer, clarifiez vos objectifs de campagne. Quels résultats souhaitez-vous atteindre grâce à cette collaboration ?
Sélectionner les influenceurs : Choisissez des influenceurs dont le contenu et la portée résonnent avec votre marque et votre audience cible. Vous pouvez également identifier les profils de KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) les plus pertinents pour votre entreprise grâce à des solutions technologiques d'Influence Marketing dédiées comme Kolsquare,
Élaborer un contrat détaillé : Rédigez un contrat clair qui spécifie les attentes mutuelles, les délais, les modalités de paiement, ainsi que les droits et responsabilités de chaque partie et l'ensemble des éléments étudiés plus haut,
Promouvoir la transparence : Assurez-vous que les publications des influenceurs incluent une divulgation claire de la nature commerciale de la collaboration, conformément aux réglementations en vigueur,
Suivre et évaluer les performances : Utilisez des outils d'analyse comme Kolsquare pour mesurer l'impact de la campagne et ajuster les stratégies et les différentes actions menées si nécessaire.

En suivant ces étapes, vous pouvez maximiser l'efficacité de votre partenariat avec les influenceurs tout en renforçant la crédibilité et la transparence de votre marque grâce à des contrats de partenariats clairement établis.

Conclusion

La nécessité de formaliser les collaborations avec des influenceurs à travers des contrats bien définis est cruciale dans l'industrie de l'Influence Marketing. Ces documents assurent la clarté des attentes mutuelles, la protection des droits des parties impliquées et la conformité avec les réglementations en vigueur - comme avec la loi influenceurs qui encadre les pratiques des influenceurs, des marques et de l'ensemble des acteurs du marché de juin 2023. En établissant des objectifs précis, en sélectionnant soigneusement les partenaires avec lesquels vous souhaitez collaborer et en suivant attentivement les performances, vous pouvez optimiser vos différents investissements et renforcer la crédibilité de votre marque sur le long terme.

About Kolsquare

Kolsquare is Europe’s leading Influencer Marketing platform, offering a data-driven solution that empowers brands to scale their KOL (Key Opinion Leader) marketing strategies through authentic partnerships with top creators.

Kolsquare’s advanced technology helps marketing professionals seamlessly identify the best content creators by filtering their content and audience, while also enabling them to build, manage, and optimize campaigns from start to finish. This includes measuring results and benchmarking performance against competitors.

With a thriving global community of influencer marketing experts, Kolsquare serves hundreds of customers—including Coca-Cola, Netflix, Sony Music, Publicis, Sézane, Sephora, Lush, and Hermès—by leveraging the latest Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning technologies. Our platform taps into an extensive network of KOLs with more than 5,000 followers across 180 countries on Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat.

As a Certified B Corporation, Kolsquare leads the way in promoting Responsible Influence, championing transparency, ethical practices, and meaningful collaborations that inspire positive change.

Since October 2024, Kolsquare has become part of the Team.Blue group, one of the largest private tech companies in Europe, and a leading digital enabler for businesses and entrepreneurs across Europe. Team.Blue brings together over 60 successful brands in web hosting, domains, e-commerce, online compliance, lead generation, application solutions, and social media.