No marketing trend has come up so fast in the forefront in the recent years like influencer marketing. It is definitely a very popular tool for marketers and research indicates that 92 percent of the consumers pay importance to the opinions of the people who they know for making a choice. At the same time, collaborating with the wrong influencer or a celebrity can do more harm to the brand than good.
So before picking up an influencer, it will be a good idea to look through some of the pitfalls of influencer marketing. Read on to learn about some factors about the subject before you start adopting it.
The money factor
While some of the influencers are genuinely connected with a brand, others are only in it for the money. One such example was the case of Oprah Winfrey who promoted the Microsoft Surface tablet in Tweeter but the tweet actually came for an iPad. So for any brand ambassador, the right amount of personal and emotional connection is necessary to provide the right background. While payment is definitely a part of the process, collaborating with an admirer of the brand or with someone who cares about a product is definitely a more organic involvement.
An overflow of influencers
It is a fact that social media has become saturated with influencers which is making it hard for consumers to keep track of the various sponsored content that are coming their way from the influencers that they follow. In this scenario, it is normal for audiences to disengage from the influencers. Recent statistics is showing the same trend in Instagram with the engagement rates of sponsored posts falling to 2.4 percent in Q1 2019 from the higher values in the previous years.
In this scenario, the role of “nano-influencers” are being focussed upon. An article in Mobile Marketer reports that Instagram influencers with a following of 1000 to 5000 have the highest engagement rate of 8.8 percent. So the choice of influencers should be guided by facts and figures rather than the brand value.
Influencers and content strategy
It is extremely important that the influencer whom you engage with is aware of your content strategy and the basic polices of the business. A gap in communication in this respect can lead to embarrassing scenarios for the brand in the social media platform. Having some form of creative control over the posts, pictures and videos of the influencer can be the right way to keep your brand values intact. Proofreading and checking each post before they are published is an important step that needs to be taken.
Influencer marketing versus traditional marketing
Influencer marketing should fit into the existing marketing strategies of the business and compliment them to the fullest. Since influencer marketing has many variables that cannot be controlled directly, direct methods of advertising are definitely a reliable method for reaching the marketing targets. Influencer marketing is more versatile and focus more effectively on a particular demographic but when it comes to enhancing factors like leads, sales, and revenue, traditional methods can still bring in the right results.
Influencers can have a negative effect
Conflicts about various issues related to morality and ethics can be one of the dangers of influencer marketing. Certain influencers come with religious or political ideologies that can have a negative impact on some customers. This is an inherent risk of influencer marketing that many brands have faced with various celebrities. So before partnering with certain individuals, make sure that the result will not alienate some of your loyal customers. It is best to steer clear of influencers who can have a divisive effect on the customers.
Influencers and frauds
Content marketing strategies can fall prey to the shady aspects of social media. Reports have established that 15 percent of Twitter users were likely to have automated accounts which simulate real people. There are also influencers who pay to gather followers or use other dishonest means to enhance their rankings. Make sure to engage influencers whose social personalities match close with the image of your brand.
So these are some aspects of influencer marketing that a brand needs to make note of, in order to use it as an effective tool.
