Influencer marketing has become a powerful strategy for brands to reach and engage with their target audience. The industry is expected to grow to be worth $21.1 Billion in 2023. With the rise of social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, the opportunities for brands to collaborate with influencers have grown exponentially. However, it’s important to approach an influencer marketing strategy and avoid common influencer marketing mistakes that can hinder the success of your campaigns.
In this blog post, we will discuss some key mistakes to avoid when implementing influencer marketing strategies.
💡 Read Creating a Marketing Strategy that Works: Benefits, Steps, Tools
Failing to Define Your Target Audience
One of the influencer marketing mistakes is not clearly defining your target audience. Understanding who your audience is and what type of content they engage with is crucial for finding the right influencers. Take the time to build buyer personas for your brand, considering demographics, interests, and pain points. By knowing your audience well, you can identify influencers who resonate with them and create content that genuinely appeals to them.
Read Consumer Behavior Analysis 101: How to Learn More About Your Customers
Lack of Clear Goals
Another common mistake is not having clear goals when embarking on influencer marketing campaigns. Before starting any influencer collaboration, define what you want to achieve. Are you aiming for brand awareness, product promotion, or increased sales? Your goals will determine the type and size of influencers you should partner with and the strategies you need to implement. Having measurable goals will help you track the success of your campaigns and make adjustments as needed.
Influencers tiers by size:
Mega: >1 MILLION FOLLOWERS.
Think celebrities. These influencers have high reach, are incredibly expensive to book, and if they have more than 10M followers, their engagement is as low as 1.6%.
Macro: 500K TO 1 MILLION FOLLOWERS
Think public personalities, thought leaders. Their content is typically more professional-looking than what brands find with micro- or nano-influencers
Mid: 50K TO 500K FOLLOWERS
Likely spent years climbing the ranks from nano- to mid-tier. They are very experienced in terms of creating content and are more connected to their audience.
Micro: 10K TO 50K FOLLOWERS
Much more effective in terms of engagement and trust. 82% of people more likely to buy a product recommended by a micro-influencer.
Nano: 1K TO 10K FOLLOWERS
Highest engagement rate of any influencer type, at 8.8%. More cost-effective than their higher-ups, so brands with limited resources may want to start at this level.
Ignoring the Budget Considerations
Influencer marketing requires budget planning, and overlooking this aspect can harm your campaign’s success. Factors such as the influencer’s reach, engagement rate, and number of posts will influence the cost. Determine how much you are willing to invest in influencer collaborations and set realistic expectations based on your budget. Consider different compensation models, such as gifted collaborations, affiliate programs, or paid partnerships, and choose the one that aligns with your goals and resources.
Factors that affect influencer prices will include:
- Their reach
- Their engagement rate
- Your goals and expectations
- How much effort do you require of them
- Ad placement
- Agency fees (if applicable, US market most prone to have agencies)
- The number and type of posts
Read Optimizing Your PR Budget: 5 Ways Media Monitoring Tools Can Help
Not Researching and Choosing Influencers Carefully
Choosing the right influencers is crucial for the success of your influencer marketing campaigns. However, many brands make the mistake of not thoroughly researching and vetting influencers before collaborating. Ensure that the influencer’s audience and content align with your brand values, and that their engagement rate is consistently high. They should be seen as thought leaders in your industry or closely related fields. Use social listening tools like Determ to search for influencers already talking about topics relevant to your brand and track sentiment and reputation.
Here are some extra pro tips to keep in mind while “shopping” for relevant influencers for your business to round up all the info mentioned previously.
- The influencer’s audience and content should align with your brand and values.
- Your target audience should already engage with and trust the influencer.
- Their content should get high engagement consistently.
- Their content should directly or indirectly correlate with your business or niche.
- The influencer should be a thought leader in your industry (or in a closely related industry).
- Being active on more platforms can be a good sign.
Neglecting Long-Term Relationships
Building long-term relationships with influencers can be incredibly valuable for your brand. Unfortunately, some brands focus only on short-term collaborations and fail to nurture ongoing partnerships. By establishing a strong relationship with influencers, you can leverage their authenticity and credibility to create more impactful campaigns. Invest time and effort in building a genuine connection with influencers and consider how you can provide mutual value in the long run.
Read 4 Examples Of Innovative Brand Partnerships with Influencers
Lack of Authenticity and Creativity
Influencer marketing is most effective when the content feels authentic and creative. Avoid dictating every aspect of the influencer’s content or making it too promotional. Give influencers the freedom to express their unique style and voice while aligning with your brand’s values. Collaborate with influencers who are genuinely interested in your products or services, as their enthusiasm will resonate with their audience. Encourage creativity and allow influencers to showcase your brand in a natural and relatable way.
Neglecting Proper Measurement and Analysis
Measuring the success of your influencer marketing campaigns is essential for making data-driven decisions and optimizing future strategies. Many brands make the mistake of neglecting proper measurement and analysis. Track key metrics such as reach, engagement, click-through rates, and conversions to understand the impact of your campaigns. Use tools like Google Analytics, social media listening tools such as Determ, and affiliate tracking platforms to gather data and gain valuable insights.
Here’s a checklist for the entire influencer marketing process:
To sum up
In conclusion, influencer marketing can be a highly effective strategy for brands to connect with their target audience, increase brand awareness, and drive sales. However, to achieve success, avoiding common influencer marketing mistakes is essential. Define your target audience, set clear goals, allocate an appropriate budget, research and choose influencers carefully, focus on long-term relationships, prioritize authenticity and creativity, and measure the success of your campaigns. By avoiding these influencer marketing mistakes and implementing influencer marketing strategically, you can maximize the benefits and achieve your marketing objectives.