Most of the buzz is positive, but I’ll be the first person to say that influencer marketing isn’t for every brand. Influencers don’t want to put the relationship with their followers in jeopardy, so many -- the effective ones, at least -- will only entertain partnerships with brands that closely align with what their audience is likely to be interested in. It just isn’t something their audience is going to be interested in. Influencer marketing needs to be just one component of your overall marketing campaign. You have complete creative control when it comes to Facebook advertising or any other traditional digital ad buy, but influencer marketing is a different animal. Many brands want to control the creative direction, but often times that results in posts that don’t feel natural at all. If you really want quality engagement with your brand, give the influencer your product and let them do whatever they want with it. They will introduce your brand and product to their audience in the best way they see fit, giving you the highest quality engagement. Now, when an influencer posts a picture of his or her car being washed and mentions our app, it’s a more natural 'advertisement' and the response is much better." It all comes down to targeting the right audience.
There hasn’t been a shortage of influencer marketing buzz in 2017, and with the holiday season fast-approaching, it’s only going to increase. Most of the buzz is positive, but I’ll be the first person to say that influencer marketing isn’t for every brand.
I’ve been knee-deep in the influencer space since before it became mainstream, which eventually led me to spin off a sister company that is a stand-alone influencer marketing agency. When you pair the correct product with influencers and a well-executed campaign, it can be lucrative. When you don’t, it can be a complete waste of marketing dollars. Here are five things you need to understand before you spend money on an influencer marketing campaign.
1. The relationship must be authentic.
People follow influencers on social media because they have similar interests. The influencers with the strongest personal brands have followers that are very in-tune with their day-to-day life, and if something reeks of an overly promotional post, they risk major backlash.
Influencers don’t want to put the relationship with their followers in jeopardy, so many — the effective ones, at least — will only entertain partnerships with brands that closely align with what their audience is likely to be interested in.
A fitness influencer is going to consider working with a supplement brand but highly unlikely to consider partnering with a junk-food brand. It just isn’t something their audience is going to be interested in. The wrong influencer and brand pairing can lead to mass-unfollowing and low or no positive engagement.
2. Influencer marketing is a long-term play for most brands.
If you are in desperation mode and think a few sponsored posts are going to be the life preserver your business needs, you will be greatly disappointed, and probably end up worse off. Yes, a single mention by a mega-influencer can be extremely rewarding, but these occurrences are rare — and expensive. A sponsored post from a member of the Kardashian clan will cost you six figures. They are the unicorns of the influencer marketing world.
In most cases, long-term partnerships are necessary –…
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