How do you get started with influencer marketing? And how do you get noticed as a brand, not waste money, and develop meaningful partnerships with the right influencers?  Meg Hailey is the Founder of Wellness Influence and an expert in the wellness market for direct-to-consumer brands, bringing together wellness brands and influencers to drive business growth.  She has had an impressive career as an influencer herself (she's even a PickleBall Ambassador!) and also worked with our host, Joey Vaillancourt, in the early days of her career, creating an influencer marketing program that started generating six figures in six short months! Today's candid conversation gives an honest overview of influencer marketing from the ground up, addressing everything from how you should approach an influencer (there's AI software to personalize your gifts) to the importance of building a brand through powerful brand association and the 'Halo Effect'. Learn about the difference between transactional and mission-based influencers, the importance of growing your own community (and even naming it), and the value of creating authentic, meaningful partnerships.   The goal is to make things as easy and compliant as possible for your partners so that you're not just wasting money on sponsored posts without a more comprehensive, complimentary marketing plan.  The ins and outs of influencer marketing are all covered in this absorbing episode that shines a light on the future of marketing where collaboration, community, and creative thinking are the cornerstones of taking your product and then building it into an engaging brand.  "The real value behind influencer marketing for brands is the brand association: the mental connection that now your product has with that individual and all of their positive characteristics." ~ Meg Hailey In This episode we cover: 10:35 How to see influencer marketing as creating a brand (evolving from just being a product) 11:08 The Halo Effect (the power of brand association and creating an easier pathway to decision-making) 12:25 How do you know if influencer marketing is right for your business? 13:45 What should you avoid doing when you're starting out with influencer marketing? 15:40 What are the right starting points (and the right mindset to have) when working with an influencer? 18:05 Starting with the end in mind: having an influencer marketing strategy (and playbook) 19:10 How should you approach an influencer? Meeting them where they're at with a personalized message 22:37 How to be authentic without hiding your intention to connect with the influencer 25:10 Check out hyperise.com to double your outreach engagement with personalized images 26:33 How do you not lose money with influencers? 31:55 Making things as easy and as compliant for your partners to avoid creating friction 34:15 How do you get an influencer to go to revenue share (if you have no other options)? 36:03 Why influencers want to work with the right mission-focused brands  37:33 Transactional influencers versus mission-based influencers 39:20 How do you grow and nurture your community? Giving your community a name and identity 44:10 The power of live events (and inviting your community) to create meaningful exchange 45:10 Surprise and delight gifting as a way to surprise an influencer or community member 49:03 Case study: an out-the-box partnership idea (energy drink collaboration with a TikTok star) 51:03 What is Wellness Influence and who can benefit? 53:40 How would Meg get hold of someone? (an influencer power move) 56:15 Quickfire round with Meg Hailey!     Connect with Meg! Meg Hailey ? biohacking | wellness | pickleball (@meghailey_) • https://www.instagram.com/meghailey_/?hl=en Wellness Influence - https://www.wellnessinfluence.com/   Connect with Joey! https://www.instagram.com/joeyvaillancourt/  https://www.facebook.com/joey.vaillancourt.9/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-vaillancourt/  https://www.youtube.com/@partnerupp