It is important to anticipate and address potential missteps when collaborating with influencers. Forbes Communications Council members discuss how influencer marketing can go wrong and how to avoid it in the future. Read their insights before launching your next influencer campaign.
1. Excessive Spending on Macro-Influencers
Spending excessively on macro-influencers may increase awareness, but focusing on the broad rather than the specific frequently results in a lack of meaningful conversion. Develop authentic, long-term relationships with micro- and nano-influencers who resonate with your target demographic and help you connect more meaningfully with your customers to ensure a higher return on investment.
2. Inconsistency with Your Brand
Not all media coverage is favorable! If your brand is not carefully aligned with the appropriate influencers, influencer marketing campaigns can backfire. You must develop a personal relationship with each influencer in order to minimize your brand’s risk when aligning with them. The influencer you choose to represent your brand can make or break your reputation based on their character, actions, and integrity.
3. Inadequate fit between product and influencer
An influencer’s market and audience are their sole defining characteristics. Marketers who fail to properly align their product with the influencer who most accurately represents their audience, brand, and values may suffer negative consequences from this form of “paid public relations.”
4. Influencer’s Lack of Business Acumen
Finally, influencers are individuals. Many of them lack business acumen and have no idea how to run a business. They are not always dependable when it comes to listening and meeting deadlines. Ascertain that the agreement is concise and clear in order for both parties to comprehend their respective responsibilities. As a result, a strong relationship will develop.
5. Failure To Lead With A Common Goal
To ensure the effectiveness of influencer campaigns, marketers must do more than define specific campaign objectives and identify appropriate influencers. Additionally, they must collaborate with their influencers to develop a shared purpose, so that everyone involved in the campaign shares not only the same “what” and values, but also the same “why.” Leading with a shared purpose is critical for influencer campaigns to succeed.
6. Concentrating Exclusively On Vanity Metrics
Additional research should be conducted beyond the “likes.” Occasionally, brands become hypnotized by the massive amount of likes and attention received by certain influencers and neglect to conduct due diligence on the individual. If an influencer holds potentially divisive or detrimental views to your brand, terminate the relationship and prepare a statement to address any concerns.
7. Imprecise Directions and Expectations
Brands and their agencies must establish more explicit guidelines and expectations for successful outcomes when working with influencers. Brands frequently approach influencer campaigns in the same way we approach other channels. While quantifying and anticipating a certain level of performance is necessary, the same metrics do not always have to be applied to a different outcome.
8. The Unpredictability of the Influencer
The difficulty with influencer marketing is that it is impossible to predict what an influencer will do or say in the future. They can endorse your brand one day and then make headlines the next for making an offensive remark. If this occurs, the entire campaign will backfire. If something similar occurs, immediately terminate the partnership and publicly denounce the influencer’s actions.
9. Influencers Posting Incorrect Information
Occasionally, an influencer will post incorrect or wrong information about a company in their caption, which users will notice and comment on. If this occurs, assign a member of your team to monitor the post and directly respond to any inquiries that require clarification or customer service. This effectively communicates to your customers that your brand is a part of the collaboration.
10. Not Building the Relationship
Maintain an emphasis on the relationship. While influencers are placements, they are also individuals. They are not large technology companies that rely on advertising revenue. To make your message sound authentic enough when delivered by influencers, they must also adore your product. They will feel more committed if you develop a relationship with them.
11. Too Much Creative Freedom for Influencers
When it comes to content creation, brands frequently give influencers a lot of leeway. If no clear guidelines are established in advance, this may conflict with your company’s vision. To avoid this, when working with influencers, create succinct, easy-to-follow instructions. If it’s too late, try contacting them to request minor changes to the copy or to see if you can spin it in a unique way.