Don’t ruin a good thing by making these common mistakes.
Avoid common mistakes that you and many others who dabble in the exciting world of influencer marketing are making.
Influencer marketing is growing in popularity, and for good reason. With the right spokesperson for your brand, you could be looking at some major upshifts in business. If you are new to influencer marketing, you’re likely not an expert at it yet, and won’t be for some time. It’s important to consider the most common mistakes you’re making with influencer marketing so you can improve your strategy. When influencer marketing is done correctly, it can do some exciting things for your brand.
Marketers are moving into the social media game more boldly than ever before, and it’s working because that’s how people are choosing to communicate. Most people who follow celebrities of all backgrounds can’t wait to see what their favorite TV doctor is having for lunch, or what that hilariously popular YouTube celebrity has come up with today to make them laugh. Well, what if the dish that shows up in their newsfeed was prepared using ingredients from your home meal delivery service? What if that YouTube star’s video with well over a million views featured an amusing yet informative and positive endorsement of your product? That is influencer marketing at its finest, but it takes a great deal of planning on your part to make it a success.
Things to Avoid When Creating an Influencer Marketing Strategy
Choosing the right influencer needs to be at the very top of your to-do list, which means you should do your research. Don’t just pick your favorite celebrity and think they’ll want to endorse your product and be a good fit. Think of it this way: you wouldn’t expect an avid PETA sponsor and vegan to support your brand of chicken nuggets. Not only would that particular star laugh in your face, but if they were money-hungry enough to post an ad talking up your chicken, they’re going to take a pretty hard hit from those who know about their outspoken aversion to animal products, and your brand will definitely suffer in the process.
Research. Research. Research.
One of the biggest influencer marketing mistakes you can make is to not take the time to get to know the person you are paying to recommend your brand. Learn about their publicly known hobbies, what it was that made them famous, and how they’re perceived by your chosen demographic. More importantly, get to know their audience. Choosing the right influencer is all about knowing their fans. For example, you’re not going to sell tires to a pre-teen male pop star’s fans. For one thing, most of them wouldn’t be old enough to drive, nor would they care about tires. It simply wouldn’t be a good fit. You’ve got to find an influencer who works for what it is you’re trying to sell.
Another very common mistake that you may have already made with influencer marketing is the “one and done.” This entails hooking up a great endorsement for your product, but then never making contact with that person again. It is not only rude and inconsiderate, but it could affect your future influencer relationships. Word travels, and you should continue dialogue with your influencer, so you can continue to help each other out. Maybe you know of someone else they could endorse, or maybe they know of another person with the right fanbase to post something on your brand’s behalf. Keep open lines of communication with your influencers, and it could benefit you both in the future.
One of the most common mistakes made with influencer marketing is not continuing to branch out once you’ve tried one influencer marketing experience. There are so many social networking options now that once you’ve tried one and experienced great results, the obvious next step should be to continue to expand on that success and try another avenue. For example, if Instagram was a success for your brand, take a stab at Twitter or give a popular blogger a chance. Social media is where your potential customers are getting their news, reviews, and information. Use that to your advantage with the positive power of influencer marketing.
The best possible way to cure the most common mistakes made with influencer marketing is to know what to watch out for so you know what to avoid. If you take the time to find the right influencer by learning all you can about your prospects and their following, continuing to have a professional relationship with them, and not being afraid to try new marketing methods, you’re sure to see positive things happen for your products and brand.
