There is no perfect marketing method out there. How then do we maximise the impact of our marketing campaigns? Well, today’s article focuses on influencer marketing specifically.
While it is termed as the fastest growing marketing methodology, there still remains concerns regarding influencer marketing. After all, it is a relatively new industry where many questions are unanswered. Therefore today’s article hopes to help marketers out by pointing out how you can address the common concerns in the influencer marketing industry.
Influencer marketing common concerns: #1: Firstly, the problem of backlash
Backlash is an especially big problem in the influencer marketing industry. This is due to the speed at which things can be shared on social media. Bad news travels fast online.
For instance, we have Chriselle Lim and Volvo’s collaboration. For those of you that are not familiar, Chriselle Lim is a lifestyle, beauty and fashion blogger with a substantial following on social media. Lim uploaded a picture of her and her family posing with a Volvo as part of the collaboration.
However, as many of you might have guessed, the campaign did not go as well as it was criticized for seeming overly staged to her followers. This is an example of how influencer postings that seem too much like advertising can cause followers to lose trust in the brands they promote.
Other examples of backlash include Kim Kardashian’s anti-morning sickness drug campaign which was under fire for not disclosing necessary information to consumers. Therefore, do remember to plan your campaign well, and follow the regulations in place.
Combatting this concern:
A successful influencer marketing starts from a good strategy. Likewise to ensure a backlash free campaign, plan your campaign well. Ask yourself these questions. Is the content offensive or could it be seen as insensitive? Does the influencer posting look authentic? Have I disclosed the necessary information.
To add on, do not forget to check through your influencer campaign postings before they go live. Multiple rounds of brainstorming and checking are necessary to ensure a smooth sailing campaign. After all, you would not want to waste your marketing budget on something that ruins your brand reputation.
Influencer marketing common concerns: #2: Secondly, the rise of fake followers or fake accounts
It was previously reported that Influencer marketing fraud costs companies approximately $1.3 billion. Influencer fraud comes in many forms. From fake accounts, followers and likes to fake sponsored postings.
For instance, it was recently reported that there are users that have resorted to faking sponsored postings in a bid to look like reliable influencers. In econsultancy’s words, “influencers engaging in this dubious behavior are reportedly then using their fake sponsored posts to dupe brands into believing that they have a proven track record.”
Combatting this concern: You can always avoid wasting your marketing dollars on influencer fraud by fact checking. There are many third party apps such as social blade that helps to monitor key influencer statistics. (e.g. followers and likes)
If you are a gradual growth in likes and followers, chances are that influencer can be trusted. However, sudden spikes and falls in numbers might be linked tampered data. Therefore it would be best to avoid working with such influencers.
Influencer marketing common concerns: #3: Thirdly, the constant changes on social media
Social media is constantly evolving. Be it the algorithms, introduction of new features and updates, things are always changing. This can therefore be overwhelming to marketers. How do we keep up with the ever changing social media platforms?
For instance, as of this year Instagram has announced a trial where the number of likes will be hidden. This threw marketers off, as likes are an important indicator in influencer marketing. How successful a campaign is, how well can an influencer capture the attention of their followers is often captured in the likes.
Combatting this concern:
The constant changes in social media should not be feared. Instead, keeping up to date about new features can help improve the results of an influencer marketing campaign. For example, the introduction of new features such as live streams on Facebook and Instagram has provided a new avenue for marketers to reach their consumers.
To add on, tweaks to the system like the removal of visible likes might be beneficial to marketers too. This is because of multiple reasons. Firstly, the reduction in fake likes. Secondly, influencers are able to focus on quality content instead of posting only content that garners likes.
Influencer marketing common concerns: #4: Difficulty in measuring ROI
You might think it is hard to measure the results of an influencer marketing campaign. After all, unlike your newspaper advertisements (where readership can be measured), there are no set indicators for influencer marketing.
Combatting this concern: There are actually numerous ROI indicators you can look at. The most common ones include reach and engagement rate. Reach refers to the total number of people that have seen your postings. It can be calculated by summing the total number of followers each influencer has. Engagement refers to the total likes, comments and shares your campaign postings receives.
Influencer marketing common concerns: #5: Difficulty in finding a relevant influencer
There is always the danger of the wrong influencer. For example, a fashion brand engaging an influencer that only posts about food might come of as fake and too “advertisement like’’. Even if that influencer is extremely popular, the campaign would likely be unimpactful. This is because the postings do not look genuine and consumers are therefore less likely to be convinced.
Combatting this concern:
Do not always go for influencer with the biggest numbers. What is more important is the relevance of the particular influencer. Is the influencer’s content highly related to your brand, have they mentioned your brand previously? If your answer is yes, the influencer would likely be a suitable candidate to work with.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, influencer marketing might not be a full proof marketing solution. However, many of the concerns surrounding this industry can be addressed with proper research. Therefore, start experimenting with influencer marketing today!
Sources
Sparktoro.com, 10-problems-plaguing-influencer-marketing/
Izea.com, influencer-marketing-gone-wrong/
Econsultancy.com, five-influencer-marketing-issues-that-will-dominate-2019-trends/
