Working with influencers in the age of digital detox

Influencer marketing plays a key role in many PR and marketing strategies, helping to raise brand awareness and boost sales in a targeted way. Content creators can latch onto trends almost instantly, reaching their target audience with relevant and topical content. But how can they continue to do this when a key emerging trend is all about switching off and going on a digital detox? 

Navigating burnout

The decision to spend less time online is a personal one, but there are common contributing factors. Many of the influencers that I work with are simply overwhelmed by huge demand for their services and the expectation that they will be online and available 24/7. Creating content is a lengthy process, from ideation to shooting, editing and tailoring content. And there are many stages involved to creating a successful output that meets the needs of the brand while remaining true to the creator.

At the same time, their audience is faced with a near constant stream of content from social media channels and the digitalisation of services. Add in hybrid working and screen time is creeping up to record levels. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that consumers and creators alike are looking for ways to reduce the amount of time they spend on digital devices and disconnect – at least temporarily. 

A chance to reconnect

While the disconnect may pose a temporary problem for your PR and marketing strategy, it also presents a chance to look at things in a new light. Brands that can produce impactful in-person events and offline experiences stand a real chance of success. Hosting a ‘no phone’ event for influencers could feel counterintuitive but it presents an opportunity for them to connect with brands on a deeper level, resulting in a more meaningful relationship with the brand and therefore stronger content in the long run. 

Examples such as workshops, brand showcases, fashion shows, product demonstrations, behind-the-scenes tours and networking dinners can all be brilliantly executed without the need for influencers to capture content in the moment. This allows them to be truly present and actively engaged, enabling them to produce content later. PR and marketing teams in charge of these events must ensure high-quality content is captured by a professional photographer and videographer, including candid shots of the influencers that they wouldn’t be able to get if they were shooting it themselves. This should be shared in a timely manner afterwards, so attendees are able to work it into assets to be posted at an agreed later date. The ‘no phone’ rule also adds an element of exclusivity to the event, as well as giving you greater control and consistency over the outputs. 

Better boundaries

While digital detoxes and disconnects might be temporary, they can teach us a number of lessons for longer term success when it comes to working with content creators, mainly around the importance of boundaries. From the start of your relationship with a content creator, it’s a good idea to check their working hours and agree on an approvals process that allows plenty of time for both parties to review, amend and feedback. I often encourage the influencers I work with to take at least one full day each week away from social media and to set times for responding to comments, enquiries and DMs [direct messages], so that it doesn’t become overwhelming.

There has also been a shift in creators communicating these boundaries to their followers, with many influencers now announcing a break from their social channels over the weekend, providing a recap on a Monday morning to catch them up. Similarly, followers themselves are switching off more at weekends, some to enjoy uninterrupted family time and others to simply be more present in the moment. 

In light of this shift, it is more important than ever for PR and marketing teams to collaborate with content creators and allow them to take the lead. They have a better insight than anyone into the habits of their followers and the type of content that will resonate and produce results. Keeping your brief flexible and allowing influences to adapt it to suit their channels will bring the best rewards for all involved.

Izzy Field is head of engage and talent at IPOS, where she works with brands to give them direct access to an extensive roster of strong and influential voices across Instagram and TikTok to put their products in front of millions of users, as well as offering a complete management service for talent, supporting their growth and individual career goals and aspirations. Having worked in social media since 2016, she started developing Field Management in 2020 which was then acquired by IPOS in 2024.