10 Common Influencer Marketing Mistakes and How to Fix Them

No one would deny that influencer marketing has become very popular. It is predicted that influencer marketing will be a business sector worth ten billion dollars by the time 2020 arrives. It appears that a great number of firms, including your rivals, are probably already utilizing influencer marketing. Considering the market is already crowded, your brand must stand apart in order for your influencer program to be successful. It is possible to be successful in influencer marketing, however this will not happen if one continues to commit the many errors that I have observed occurring often.

Does your brand earn $6.50 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing, like some other companies do? It might be possible that you’re making one or more typical errors when it comes to influencer marketing. Have no fear, to make sure your influencer marketing is successful, I’ve noted some of the most common influencer marketing mistakes I have come across during my years in the field. If any of these ring a bell, I’ll explain how you can mend them.

1. Mistaking Celebrity Endorsements As the Only Type of Influencer Marketing

While famous people are one type of influencer, they aren’t the only ones that dominate the creator community. In fact, they only make up a small portion. No matter how big or small their following is, creators can be amazing collaborators with your business. Here’s a breakdown of the types:

It’s totally acceptable if some brands, particularly those that are first starting out, lack the money to collaborate with famous people! Indeed, although huge social personality are advantageous for increasing a huge level of brand recognition, they usually do not possess the same degree of genuine involvement as smaller creators, which is crucial for developing customer loyalty and boosting sales.

Furthermore, since mega influencers have such a large following, not all of them will be within your desired demographic, so you have to pay to reach a wider crowd that may not be relevant to you. Instead, a smaller influencer will charge less and assist firms in connecting with the right prospects.

To repair it: As there is not much that can be accomplished after settling arrangements with influencers, keep this in mind when making advertisements in the future.

2. Skipping Over Nano and Micro Influencers

Solo creators are able to devote more energy to developing genuine connections with their admirers, which can frequently represent greater trustworthiness and influence when it comes to making purchases.

Also, numerous nano and micro influencers specialize in a particular theme, and their viewers typically have a strong investment in it. If you provide goods or services that will appeal to the desired market, you can reach out to a very specific group of people.

If your finances are generous enough to allow for certain posts from nano- and micro- influencers, consider asking a few of them to be a part of your promotional effort. If you are currently out of money, begin your next effort with the purpose of collaborating with lesser known creators.

3. Not Researching Influencers Before Reaching Out

Marketers typically begin by looking at the amount of followers a person or business has, however relying solely on this metric when making decisions can lead to unsatisfactory outcomes.

When you’ve come across some intriguing creators, the next step is to carry out an exhaustive investigation. We encourage you to look at the following metrics:

In order to rectify the issue, if you have yet to sign agreements with the producers, investigate them further. If their metrics are ideal, that’s great news! However, if the results are not up to your preferences, it is possible to inform them that you have made the decision to change the direction of the campaign. Carry out this action delicately so as not to disturb the producers.

4. Not Personalizing Outreach Messages

Sending identical, pre-written messages to content makers will make them feel like a business arrangement instead of a possible collaborator. Even so, they usually react favorably when they sense that your intention to collaborate is sincere and motivated by your admiration for their work.

In your communication with potential partners, make sure to personalize each message to them by including their name, as well as pointing out what specifically drew you to their work and why it would be beneficial for your brand to collaborate.

Include info on payment methods in the subject line of emails to increase their appeal. This can show creators you mean business.

If you have already sent an email composed of pre-existing material but not heard back from the maker, attempt to reach out again with a more tailored message. You can put the person’s name or any specific details in the subject line to draw their focus.

5. Measuring Success Solely Through Sales

Influencer marketing can bring in sales, but that is not its only benefit. Other widely popular campaign foals include:

Take the time to brainstorm a list of objectives your program can accomplish. What is most valuable for your business? Once you have set your objective, think of several measurable indicators that you can follow to track the progress of your endeavor, and assess these on a regular basis throughout your project.

6. Not Experimenting with Verticals

There will be some clear types of influencers to collaborate with that fit your brand. For instance, an athletic clothing brand would naturally collaborate with fitness influencers; however, they may also see positive results if they join forces with travel influencers to demonstrate how adaptable their clothing is.

It is beneficial to try different platforms and influencers to evaluate the success of your influencer marketing campaign. Measure the data and work out which channels and people are having the most positive effects for your business, enabling you to improve your program every month, thus magnifying its strength.

7. Having a Campaign Mentality

Brands that are unsuccessful with influencer marketing tend to treat it as a single initiative instead of making it an integral part of their strategy. The most prosperous influencer campaigns, however, leverage influencers on an enduring basis. As a consumer hears a brand suggested by an influencer more often, their faith in it will enlarge.

Developing an agenda to collaborate with influencers on either a monthly or quarterly basis could help resolve the issue. I did influencer marketing for a crafting company that coordinated with different influencers over a 12 month period. Every three months they sent out instructions and resources for art-based projects they wanted to promote. The outcomes were remarkable because the supporters’ crowd encountered numerous references to the same brand.

8. Not Planning Out Themes

Brands that want to achieve high quality content should provide influencers with a concept for their marketing efforts. Having an imaginative concept results in more impressive content than just giving a plain product evaluation.

Ensure that the topics you discuss align with the messaging and goods you are attempting to promote. As an illustration, I collaborated with a clothing firm to push a line of organic cotton apparel. To help do this, I gave influencers understanding about why people should wear organic cotton and constructed our promotional plan based on that idea. The outcome was extremely informative material regarding current views and trends from the influencers.

9. Prioritizing Reach Over Context

Using influencer marketing does not solely involve collaborating with content creators who have a large following. Some companies incorrectly partner with influencers because of the size of their following and jeopardize content fit and engagement rates.

Brands often look to collaborate with influencers who have a modest follower count in the range of 10,000-100,000 or have monthly blog traffic. These influencers possess an audience that is not too big to allow them to still be able to engage with their fans and reply to inquiries. Brands can save money on their promotional campaigns by tapping into the services of mid-level influencers, who don’t expend as much of their budget as the more renowned “A-list” influencers.

Do not base your choice of influencer only on the amount of followers they have; consider their whole profile before making a decision. See how many comments are made on their blog posts and observe their engagement on social media to measure their involvement.

Also, a context fit is everything. If the message your business promotes does not align with the content of an influencer, it will not be received well by their followers, no matter how many are present.

10. Choosing the Wrong Social Media Platform

Having a well-established presence on social media can have a very positive impact on your company. Nevertheless, numerous organizations are not taking full advantage of the opportunities that social media includes. They make an incorrect selection of the social media channels to contact their customers.

In today’s highly competitive market, social media has become an essential tool for businesses when it comes to marketing. Small companies have begun to keep up their own Facebook and Instagram accounts.

When deciding to initiate a campaign of influencer marketing, it is critical to pick the correct social media site. By doing this, you will be able to link up with the perfect intended audience you require for your brand to expand.

Once you have determined the age, gender, location, etc. of the people you are targeting, as well as their buying behavior, interests, and values, investigate the different media outlets. A quick Google search can provide you with insight into the demographic of people who typically use social media platforms. Figure out where your public spends their energy and concentrate on those areas.

If you discover you have aimed your creatives at the wrong websites after already binding them, explore if they are busy on divergent outlets that may be better for your business. Discuss with the originator altering the system requirements for their work, articulate the motive why you wish to institute that transformation, and find out if they would be accepting of it.