How to Write a Better Influencer Agreement

Are you looking to hire an influencer for your business? If so, it’s essential to create a written agreement that clearly defines the terms of the relationship.

It’s equally important that both parties understand their respective obligations and rights, which is why writing an influencer contract is essential. This is why you should learn the basics of how to write an influencer contract.

This blog provides a comprehensive guide on how to write an effective and enforceable influencer contract. We’ll cover the topics of compensation, creative control, duration of the agreement, legal protections, and more.

With this information in hand, you can draft a legally binding document that meets your needs. Read on for more on how to write an influencer contract.

What Is an Influencer Contract?

An influencer contract is a legal agreement between the business and the Influencer that specifies the terms of their relationship. It covers compensation, duration of services, creative control over the content, privacy issues, and other legal protections.

A comprehensive influencer contract also includes a termination clause that outlines the conditions under which either party can terminate the agreement.

Why You Need an Influencer Contract

1. Establish Expectations

An influencer contract sets clear expectations between the business and the Influencer. It ensures that both parties understand their obligations and rights. There’s clarity regarding what they need to do or who is responsible for what tasks. 

2. Protect Your Rights and Interests

A written agreement protects your legal rights in a dispute or disagreement with the Influencer. As such, it should include provisions that specify how you will handle any disputes and measures to protect your intellectual property rights. 

3. Manage Risks

By writing an effective contract, you can mitigate potential risks associated with working with an influencer. This includes plagiarism, unauthorized use of the content, or violation of copyright laws. 

4. Set and Monitor Performance

A well-drafted influencer contract also helps you to set performance criteria for the Influencer and measure their progress. This makes it easier to determine whether the Influencer meets your expectations or you need to replace them. You can go with someone else who can do a better job. 

5. Show Your Professionalism

Lastly, having an official agreement with your Influencer shows that you take your business seriously. It demonstrates that you have taken steps to protect yourself and the Influencer from any legal action. This is in case something goes wrong during working together. 

What Should Be in an Influencer Contract?

Compensation

 An effective influencer contract should clearly define how much you will pay the Influencer and any bonuses, incentives, or royalties they will receive. It should also state when and how payment will be made. 

Types, Forms, and Duration of Compensation

An influencer contract should explain how much money the Influencer will get. Here are five types of payment, when it will be given, and for how long:

• Lump sum payment – A one-time payment at the start or end of a project. 
• Royalty payments – The Influencer gets a percentage of sales from products they promote in their content. 
• Performance-based bonuses – The Influencer receives compensation if they reach specific goals or benchmarks the business sets. 
• Equity shares – The Influencer receives equity in exchange for their services. This may include stock options or other forms of ownership interest in the company/product they are promoting. 
• Incentive payments- These are payments made to incentivize or reward specific performance levels. Payments like achieving a certain number of followers or likes on social media posts associated with your product/brand/service. 

Duration of Agreement

The contract should specify the length of time for which services are to be provided by the Influencer. This helps to ensure that both parties have a clear understanding of expectations during this period. 

Content Ownership

 Your contract must include information about who owns the rights to content created by the Influencer, such as photos and videos. This ensures you retain ownership over any content produced during your relationship with the Influencer. 

Creative Control

 Consider including provisions in the contract allowing you to review and approve any content created by the Influencer before publication. This ensures the content meets your expectations and aligns with your brand’s message. 

Termination

 A termination clause should be included in the agreement, which specifies under what conditions either party may terminate the relationship. This prevents surprises if either of you decides to end things prematurely. 

Privacy Policies

Your contract should also address privacy issues, such as how both parties will collect, use, and store personal data. This helps to ensure that no one’s rights are violated during working together. 

Legal Protections

 Lastly, ensure that your contract includes legal provisions to protect you and the Influencer from any potential lawsuits. This could consist of clauses such as non-disclosure agreements, indemnification, or liability waivers.

Types of Influencer Content to Own

Photos

 Photos are a great form of content to own as they can be used in multiple ways, from blog posts to marketing material. By holding the rights to photos taken by your influencers, you can ensure complete control over how the images are used and distributed. 

Videos

Similar to photos, videos are engaging content that can be used for multiple purposes. Owning the rights to these videos gives you greater control over where they’re featured and how they’re shared with audiences. 

Sponsored Posts

Owning sponsored posts created by influencers is an effective way to reach new audiences while promoting your product or service. Having the rights to sponsored posts gives you control over how they’re used and where they’re distributed. This way, you can maximize your return on investment (ROI). 

Branded Content

 When you own branded content created by influencers, you can leverage their expertise and audience to craft content that resonates with your target market. It also ensures that any content featuring your brand aligns with your company values. 

Social Media Posts

 By owning the rights to social media posts created by influencers, you can reach a wider audience. You can also be controlling how your message is presented online. This helps to ensure that any post associated with your brand maintains its integrity and aligns with your company’s message.

Owning the rights to social media posts can also help you identify which influencers are driving the most engagement and conversions. This way, you can focus on working with those who have proven success.

Tips on How to Write an Influencer Contract

1. Hire an Attorney

To ensure that your influencer contract is legally binding and enforceable, hire an experienced attorney. An attorney will help you write the agreement. They can provide valuable insight into the legal issues that must be addressed in the contract. 

2. Use Plain Language

Make sure your contract is written in plain language, so both parties can understand their agreement. This will help foster trust between you and the Influencer and increase transparency between both of you should any disputes arise during working together. 

3. Be Specific

When drafting your influencer contract, make sure that all terms and conditions are specific and clearly defined. This will help prevent misunderstandings between you and the Influencer and provide legal clarity should any disputes arise. 

4. Negotiate

Before signing an agreement, it’s essential to negotiate the terms of the contract. Ensure that both parties are happy with the outcome. There will be no confusion or disagreement when it comes time to sign on the dotted line. 

Example of an Influencer Contract Template

While all businesses will have different needs, here is an example of a basic influencer contract template you can use as a sample. 

This agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into by and between , located at

1. Engagement

Company hereby engages Influencer in connection with the promotion of company’s products/services on social media. 

2. Compensation

In consideration for services rendered, the company agrees to pay Influencer the sum of (the “Compensation”) in accordance with the following payment schedule: . 

3. Ownership of Content

All content created by Influencer in connection with this agreement, including photos and videos, shall be the exclusive property of the company. They shall retain all rights thereto free from any claims whatsoever on the part of Influencer. 

4. Term and Termination

This Agreement shall remain in effect for a period of , after which time it may be renewed or terminated at either party’s discretion. 

5. Legal Protections

Both parties hereby agree to indemnify and hold harmless each other from any legal action arising out of their respective performance under this agreement.

Conclusion

Creating a comprehensive influencer contract is essential for any business looking to work with an influencer. Having a written agreement in place provides clarity, transparency, and legal protection for both parties involved.

With this guideline in hand, you’ll be able to draft an effective contract that meets your needs and objectives. At the same time, still protecting your rights and interests.