Potential Pitfalls for influencer marketing

 

For any business, marketing is the key to survival. Yet, marketing is no longer like it was in your grandfather’s day. With the rise of technology, there are many more ways to get the word out. One of those strategies is using influencer marketing. Do read this article to prevent influencer marketing disasters.

 

Though nothing is perfect in this world and even influencer marketing comes with its pitfalls. Here is a look at those pitfalls and how to avoid them.

To start off, let us look at influencer marketing bad example (s).

 

case study – influencer marketing bad example

influencer marketing bad example #1.

Logan Paul- he had over 145 million YouTube followers. Many different brands wanted to hire him to get access to his large audience. Unfortunately for those brands, Mr. Paul posted an unacceptable video that exploited a suicide victim. The backlash was immense and brands lost access to a large audience.

influencer marketing bad example #2.

Frye Festival tried to use influencer marketing to promote their lavish festival. Unfortunately for the influencers, the Frye festival founders did not hold up their end of the bargain damaging theirs and many influencer’s reputation.

influencer marketing bad example #3.

Pepsi used Kendall Jenner and told the world that its drinks could solve the world’s problems. This did not go over well with Black Lives Matter and other activists

Now that you have read about influencer marketing bad example (s), we would move on to the mistakes you can avoid to prevent these cases from happening.

5 influencer pitfalls to avoid

 

As you progress in your influencer marketing strategy, there are pitfalls that come which may derail the campaign. Here are some to watch out for and avoid:

 

1. Selecting the wrong influencer– this is not to mean you chose a fake influencer, instead, you have chosen a non-relevant influencer. The influencer is strong in a market that is not compatible with your products. Or they are not that engaged with their audience, which makes their influence less strong.

2. Lack of loyalty– many companies do get relevant and engaged influencers but for some reason, they let them go. Losing a good influencer means you are losing their audience.

3. Misusing an influencer– this can be just as bad as having no loyalty. Good influencers are not advertising agencies. They do not create ads, etc but create content for their social media posts. The two options are very different from each other.

4. Failure to set boundaries– influencers may want and demand creative control over their content but without set boundaries, creative genius may cross boundaries and harm your business’s reputation. You need to draw clear lines, set expectations, and get clear call to actions. Boundaries are a good thing

5. Forgetting the government– the government publishes rules, regulations, and guidelines that cover influencer marketing. Failing to read those and keep up with the changes can cause you a lot of problems in the long run, including paying financial penalties

 

 

Ways to avoid influencer marketing pitfalls

 

For every pitfall, there is a solution. You can avoid influencer marketing pitfalls by doing some hard work and making sure your bases are covered. Here are some solutions for you:

 

1. Working with the wrong influencer– you can avoid this pitfall by making sure you do your research on potential candidates. Make sure you dig deep enough to make sure they are relevant to your product lines, they are engaged with their audience and more. Vetting thoroughly saves you from future problems

 

2. Firing the good influencer– to avoid this issue, look at what your influencer is doing. If they are doing their job well, influencing people to buy your products, then don’t kill the goose that is laying the golden egg. Stay loyal and you keep an audience

 

3. Stop misusing an influencer– get the right picture of what an influencer is. Influencers are not button-down advertising executives on a salary. Instead, they are out of the box innovators who help spread the word about your products. They do not create your ads but are the messenger to their audiences using the ads created by your ad agency

 

4. Be clear, be concise, be detailed– make sure your influencers know their boundaries and what you consider to be in good taste. Make sure your influencers also know what is expected of them and what you consider damaging to your business’ reputation. Create a clear call to action for them as well

 

5. Monitor their actions– make sure you monitor what your influencers are doing as well as keep up on the every changing guidelines the government sends out. Keeping tabs can help you avoid mistakes, avoid paying fines and avoid having the wrong thing said about your products

 

 

2 honorable mentions

 

Not every pitfall or solution can be put in a list. Here are two good ones you need to think about as well as their solution:

 

• Thinking you are buying an influencer– Influencers are not a commodity to be bought and sold. They build relationships and the two are not the same. Learn and apply the difference to make the most out of your influencer marketing strategy

 

• Lack of flexibility– some businesses tend to stick to outdated social media outlets or they just go with one outlet. You need to be flexible and diversify. Use as many relevant outlets as you can.

Some final comments

The world changes and with those changes come new marketing strategies. Because of the influence technology has in civilization today, marketing strategies need to change to keep pace.

 

Right now that means exploring the influencer marketing strategy. These people have large audiences and can influence them to buy or not buy your products. It is a good way to boost your ROI.

 

But like other marketing strategies, influencer marketing is not without its pitfalls, traps, and mistakes. If you can learn how to avoid those, then you may reach your ROI and advertising targets and boost your sales.

 

Success comes from learning how to do influencer marketing the right way.

 

References

 

www.falcon.io/insights-hub/topics/social-media-strategy/15-brands-most-embarrassing-instagram-marketing-mistakes/

communicatto.com, influencer marketing fails

blog.hollywoodbranded.com/3-examples-of-influencer-marketing-gone-wrong

vamp-brands.com, How to avoid pitfalls of influencer marketing

www.forbes.com/sites/keenanbeasley/2016/06/05/four-common-pitfalls-of-influencer-marketing-and-how-to-avoid-them/#4a081cc16279