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Compared to 2016 where the influencer marketing industry earned 1.7 billion in revenue, the industry is estimated to reach 13.8 billion by the end of 2021. As a potential player in the marketing industry, you’ll want to know some influencer marketing mistakes so your campaign can flourish.
Influencer Marketing Hub reported that smaller influencers have better engagement rates than popular mega-influencers on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Given the increased revenue earned in the industry these past few years, what better time is there to start your own campaign than right now?
If you’re interested in learning more about these marketing blunders, look no further. This article will help newcomers sink their teeth into what the influencer marketing industry has to offer and how they can be successful.
Not Having Clear Goals
Setting goals for your campaign should be one of the first things you consider because it helps with the development of your campaign, and it also helps the influencer understand what they will need to do to help with your success. Without goals, you won’t know what your campaign excels in and what it needs to work on.
Do you want to reach a certain number of followers on social media? Do you want to become more active on social media? Do you have a list of potential influencers you want to partner with? Are there any setbacks that might prevent you from reaching your goals, and can you fix them?
Make a list of some goals you’d like to accomplish and keep them for whenever you want to reflect on your progress. If there’s a goal that hasn’t been reached yet, analyze possible solutions with your company and the influencer.
Interested in getting into the influencer market and don’t know where to start? Check out this blog for more information on how you can be successful.
Having a One-Size-Fits-All Approach
There are dozens of influencer marketing mistakes that can make your brand flop, and having a one-size-fits-all approach will enable that because influencer marketing can only be successful through proper engagement and advertising.
Unlike digital advertising on a website or social media platform, the influencer is meant to directly connect with their audience and make your brand worth purchasing. Direct connection makes influencer marketing more powerful because the promotion feels more genuine to the influencer.
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The influencer is a human with a unique voice and opinions that separate themselves from others, and a lack of creativity and authenticity in an advertisement will not attract any new patrons. Influencer marketing is meant to feel genuine and not forced, and if you find the right influencer, they will encourage their fanbase to follow your brand.
Working with the Wrong Influencer
When working with an influencer, you’ll want to do extensive research on the person to make sure their content and talent align with your brand. Picking the most popular influencer is not always beneficial because if that influencer doesn’t have an audience that’s interested in your product or service, you won’t garner any attention.
When looking for an influencer to partner with, consider the influencer’s reputation online and with their fanbase. Are they known for getting into controversial debates and scandals? Do they treat their audience with respect? Does the influencer post authentic content? Is their online presence seen as a positive one?
Never force an influencer to work with you if they don’t seem to be the right match for your brand. Sometimes there will be influencers that don’t cater to your demographics or niche, but don’t stress yourself out. There are a plethora of influencers online, and you’ll be bound to find the right one with time, patience, and dedication to your research.
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Not Being Transparent with your Audience
Being transparent helps the audience gain trust in your campaign, which is extremely important if you want to be successful. Not only do you want to be transparent with your influencer on what they are sponsoring, but you’ll also want to provide accurate information about your campaign.
Influencers must also clarify to their audience that they are sponsoring your product. Failure to acknowledge this may result in legal trouble with the Federal Trade Commission. You never want your audience to be confused, so remember to be transparent and resolve any unanswered questions your audience may have.
Using Fake Followers on Social Media
Never ever consider purchasing fake followers to boost your presence on social media. Not only does purchasing fake followers and interactions on social media skew your engagement rates, but they also damage your reputation as a company. Damage to your reputation will also drive away potential influencers to advertise your brand.
Your campaign should be genuine because your audience expects that from you. The purpose of becoming an influencer is not just to achieve popularity, it’s also to influence your audience. Fake followers do not interact with your content nor do they purchase your goods and services, so don’t resort to buying followers if you’re looking for increased engagement.
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Not Having a Relationship with the Audience
The point of influencer marketing is that you have the opportunity to connect with your audience. Establish an active presence on several social media platforms, and try to interact with as many followers as you can. Whenever someone comments on your post, be sure to respond and thank them for their engagement.
Engagement is crucial if you want your campaign to gain publicity. Constantly ignoring your followers will make them feel disconnected or unimportant, and you never want a customer to go away unhappy if there’s a way you can fix it.
Not Giving the Influencer Creative Control
The influencer marketing industry is extremely competitive, and in order to stand out, you need to be authentic. Many influencers you may want to connect with are popular because they have unique ways of connecting to their audience, and the benefit of being an influencer is that you have freedom over your own decisions.
Stripping your influencer of their creative freedom is one of the many detrimental influencer marketing mistakes because it forces your influencer out of character and takes away what makes them unique.
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If an influencer’s audience notices the influencer acting differently, the fanbase may suspect that your brand is limiting their creative freedom when sponsoring their content. This outcome alone will result in the influencer’s audience not having an interest in your campaign.
Remember to give your influencer creative freedom as this will attract new followers and prevent any tension between you and the influencer.
How to Prevent Influencer Marketing Mistakes
There are many ways you can prevent making these influencer marketing mistakes, and here’s a brief summary on how to make your campaign successful:
- Establish goals early on. Feel free to reevaluate your goals or change them up as time goes on.
- Do research on some potential influencers.
- Don’t choose an influencer with the highest number of followers. Find an influencer that fits with your campaign.
- Have a strong presence on social media. Remember to post often and engage with your audience.
- Never use fake followers. Engagement numbers will always be more important than the number of followers you have.
- Be transparent and honest with your audience and the influencer.
- Let your influencer be themselves when they sponsor your content. Remember to give them creative freedom.
- Never use a one-size-fits-all approach. Cater to your demographics and make them feel connected with your campaign.
