Not all that twitters is gold.
In 2017, influencer marketing has experienced global peaks and troughs. Adopting an influencer marketing strategy can offer big wins, however it can prove risky and in some cases very damaging. We explore the pitfalls of the so-called science of influencer marketing so you can make some educated decisions about whether or not it’s right for your brand.
Who?
Selecting an influencer can be difficult, especially when trying to manage a business and finding time to research.
Research is vital, if you fail to research your chosen influencer, the web will do it for you. Trial by web will be unforgiving and your brand may find itself in the line of fire. It is imperative that you view influencer selection as a business partnership. Ask yourself, do they fall in line with your brand vision and ethics?
Be wary of who comes knocking
Influencers are by and large self-employed individuals, and accordingly they source their own income streams. Like an actor who sees a suitable role, an influencer may be drawn to your business because it’s good fit. Their portfolio could be a good match and the result is a genuine partnership.
The increasingly common reality is that those who are trying to forge careers as influencers are contacting brands indiscriminately. Their stats do not add up and their promised methods are untested.
It is a well known fact that people pay for followers and engagement, but some agencies have taken this to another level. Influencer agencies have unscrupulously encouraged their clients to buy followers and created comment pods and feeds. The pods of course like, share and comment on posts however the incestuous practice was never going to deliver a business ROI objective.
What are they famous for?
You’re satisfied your new partner’s credentials stand up. Let’s say you identify an influencer who you are certain will reach your target audience. You have evidence that they delivered for another brand and you want to target similar customers. Is there a chance that they are too closely linked to the original brand? Search engine marketing is of vital importance, and remember – don’t associate with a phrase that will pull traffic away from your online business. Try searching their name with non-branded keywords for your products.
Where will your campaign be seen?
Modern influencer marketing goes hand-in-hand with the notion of hiring someone who is ‘instafamous’. While Instagram is no doubt a powerful channel, you must consider where your audience is. Always try to go beyond the first profile of an influencer, as your campaign’s success depends on creating as many quality touch points as possible. Often when you reach out to a blogger they will send you their cumulative reach, Twitter followers, blog subscribers, Facebook friends – stats to try and impress you. The numbers may be heavily weighted in favour of one channel, so make sure it is the correct channel for you. A good rule of thumb is to remember to focus on the channel where they receive the most engagement, not the one with the greatest following.
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