4 questions to ask before buying a homeschool influencer campaign

The best influencers are funny, inspiring, or educational and have a big sway with their audiences. It’s one of the reasons why, when carefully vetted and paid fairly, these professionals can help spark the next big fad in literature, movies, and even protein shakes.

But what about the homeschooling niche? Yes, these influencers also work there. And while it’s tempting to think that the more popular channels are bringing in big bucks, the truth is that most influencers still work for small honorariums or free product. Reviewing or promoting products is a way to generate content, get clout in the sphere, and – in most cases – genuinely help their audiences find the best solutions for their unique educational needs.

What you may not know is that I used to be one of those influencers. I was, at one point, jetting off to all-expenses-paid movie screenings, shopping mall openings, and toy launches. I sat in boardrooms with executives from big-box retailers, offering insights on the challenges of motherhood and helping them refine their store experiences to better meet the needs of their consumers.

Between those exciting yet exhausting trips, I was also a homeschooling mom who worked with a few review teams to promote curriculum, software, and books. For the most part, I loved the homeschool aspect of my influencer life and continued doing reviews long after I stopped attending press junkets. 

Why? I genuinely enjoyed the journalistic aspect of product reviews and thought I was helping my audience. I also really liked learning about the new products available every school year. Helping the best of these companies get some exposure and (hopefully) grow made me feel like I was part of something important.

But there’s another part to homeschool marketing that doesn’t get talked about: being fair to influencers for time and talents. 

This isn’t a gripe on the industry or what other agencies or companies do, but rather a challenge for you to think about what you’re asking when you hire an influencer or buy a sponsored campaign. Because as much as we think it’s a transactional event (I pay $5,000 and get 12 reviews and 10 TikToks), there’s more to consider here.

Use these questions to vet your next homeschool marketing program and get a better understanding of what you’re truly paying for.

1. Do influencers get the final say?

Most bloggers and influencers do the work because they love the flexibility and want some control over their content. They should always have the right to say “yes” or “no” to an offered product or service, even if they first receive it and then decide it’s not right for them.

There’s nothing worse than getting a product and figuring out it’s not right for your family, or even that it doesn’t fit at all with your values, educational goals, or platform. Even if an influencer has to return the product and decline the fee, they should always be able to say, “No.”

• Ask if the campaign assigns products to bloggers or if they opt in. You should want the most enthusiastic influencers to learn about and share your products. 

• If you’re new, and few people would “opt-in” because they’re unfamiliar with what you offer, make sure the agency at least gets volunteers for your mission and product promises. Provide as much information as possible to ensure a good fit.

Bottom line: Campaigns that don’t let influencers opt out put you at risk of receiving a false or negative testimonial. It also doesn’t foster goodwill with the influencer. The agency should be able to swap out an influencer if needed to ensure enthusiastic participation at all times. 

1. How many campaigns is the influencer participating in?

It’s easy for homeschool parents to be stretched thin, and too many campaigns at once can make it difficult for them to give the product their full attention.

No one can really know how many different brand deals or reviews an influencer has going on at once. But each agency should know the number for its own clients. 

For example, it’s pretty much impossible for an influencer to try three, 3rd-grade math curricula at once – especially with the promise of their own kid actually trying it. Not only would it take many months to assess the program's pros and cons, but it would also be very stressful for the third-grader to try out so many different programs.

Bottom line: Agencies don’t have to tell you what other campaigns their influencers have in the pipeline. You can, however, ask that your product or service not be given to an influencer working on a competing product or service for the same grade level or need.

If you don’t feel a truly honest review is possible given the circumstances, ask for a shout-out, summary review, or collab campaign instead.

1. How much of the campaign fee is the influencer getting?

While getting free product may be enough to get an honest review or some channel coverage, it’s not enough to demand a certain number of tweets or Reels. It doesn’t give you the right to require hashtags, URLs, or the ability to review their content before it goes out.

Why? It’s a lot of work to try a product, write a blog post, record a video, and edit everything. While it may seem worthwhile to try out a $300 dyslexia product or an outing at an educational center, it’s not always worth it for the influencer for a $3.99 self-published e-book. 

(And yes, when money changes hands, it’s no longer journalism, it’s promotion. But isn’t that what you’re buying when you purchase an influencer campaign??)

Free product is the minimum required to be able to put your product or service to the test. That is all. Agencies that charge a large up-front fee for a campaign and promise XYZ deliverables to their clients should be paying influencers for those deliverables. Period.

If an influencer feels taken advantage of, they will stop working with an agency (and their clients).

Bottom line: While you may not know exactly how much each influencer gets from the campaign fee, you should at least know that they get paid. Affiliate commissions are fine, but those come out of your pocket, and they shouldn’t fully replace influencer compensation. The agency should have skin in the game, as well, giving flat fees to influencers for their participation.  

1. Does the agency practice proper disclosure?

Yes, some of the bigger influencers rarely state when they are getting paid to push the latest diet smoothie or stay in an exotic resort. They may not even share that they got the experience for free.

But just because big influencers aren’t following the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines for disclosure, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to. Influencers who get cash, gift cards, or even free products really need to tell their audience. It can be as simple as saying, “Thanks to XYZ for sending me this cool new math workbook!” It doesn’t have to take away from artistic license or the vibe of the post.

Bottom line: Ask your agency how they encourage disclosure and if they follow through after the influencer has posted. Look at other campaigns they’ve done to make sure their influencers really do follow the rules. It’s the best way to protect yourself (and them) from civil lawsuits, but it’s also the best way to establish trust within the homeschool community.

Homeschool influencer campaigns: Worthwhile when done right

In the end, the very thing that makes an influencer effective (their personality, goals, and lifestyle) is what gives them the right to choose what they promote, how they promote, and what they charge for brand partnerships.

And yes, you can set some boundaries on the type of content they make (like no vulgarity or politics), but your chosen agency should promote influencer autonomy and proper compensation whenever possible.

Because when influencers feel respected by you, they can grow into authentic fans who tell other parents about you in their real lives, too.

Have questions on the right way to work with homeschool influencers? Talk to someone who knows that world inside and out! Set up a 30-minute, no-obligation call with Linsey to learn how influencer marketing can be an authentic part of your homeschool story.