Before we jump into what you really came here for, we need to understand what influencer marketing is. In today’s digital age, social media has become an integral aspect of our daily lives. From scrolling through Instagram to watching funny videos on TikTok, social media has become a part of our routine.
But, contrary to popular belief, social media isn’t just for entertainment! It’s a powerful tool for businesses looking to promote their products and services. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through social media marketing through influencers.
What is Influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing is a strategy that can help brands reach their target audience in an authentic and engaging way. Influencer marketing allows marketers to promote a product or service and establish engagement with the viewers through the connection and fame of an influencer.
Influencer marketing is one of the top-rated marketing strategies in today’s digital time. It has a high ROI and has so many benefits for the company through a campaign. However, it’s also important to understand the mistakes that should be avoided in order to make this campaign strategy successful.
It all begins with planning! We often make mistakes before the campaign is even built.
So with this being said, join us on a digital journey where we can find the best advice for your next influencer marketing strategy and campaign.
Common influencer marketing mistakes
1. Ruling out Micro-influencers
It tends to be human nature to choose the bigger and better options. When a person hears “micro” they usually associate it with smaller and perhaps the lesser option. Yes, it’s small, but it is by no means the worst option.
Micro-influencers have one of the best engagement rates ever! This means they have more interaction with the audience. From likes to shares and comments, consumers have a deeper connection with the micro-influencer.
These niche interests make it easier for the marketer to set a campaign straight in the middle of the best-captivated audience. It ensures that the product or service is being advertised to the right people. This audience will also have better engagement with the service or product, which allows you to create social proof and trust.
2. Transparency
When advertising, honesty means everything. Many influencers in today’s time are affected by untruthful ads about a product or service they are collaborating with. The fans generate a negative response to them and even more so for the company.
Media is everywhere, which means the truth won’t go untold. It would spread around the internet with just 1 word from another content creator or influencer. Ensuring ethics by not lying establishes trust and loyalty between consumers and your brand.
3. Not creating a variety in types of content
Creating different types of content when advertising online is of great importance for many reasons:
- Firstly, it helps to capture the attention of a wider range of audiences. By diversifying content, businesses can effectively target different demographics, interests, and preferences. This enables them to reach a larger audience and increase the chances of attracting new customers.
- Creating different types of content allows businesses to convey their message in various formats, such as videos, blog posts, infographics, podcasts, and social media posts. Each format appeals to different types of consumers, and by utilizing a mix of content, businesses can engage with their audience in multiple ways, ensuring a stronger connection and better engagement.
- Creating different types of content helps to keep campaigns fresh and interesting. Audiences appreciate variety and novelty, and constantly producing new and unique content ensures that businesses stay relevant and avoid becoming stale or predictable. This keeps consumers engaged and interested in what the brand has to offer.
- Diversifying content helps businesses optimize their online presence. Different types of content can be tailored to specific platforms and channels, allowing businesses to effectively utilize each medium’s unique strengths.
For example, visually appealing content like videos and images perform well on social media platforms, while informative blog posts or articles can drive organic traffic to a website. This strategic approach enables brands to maximize their reach and impact across various online platforms.
Creating different types of content when advertising online is crucial for expanding reach, engaging with audiences, maintaining freshness, and optimizing online presence. By diversifying content, businesses can effectively deliver their message, capture the attention of a wider audience, and ultimately achieve better marketing results.
4. Limiting your influencer’s campaign through social media
The choice of an influencer for your brand will likely depend on the specific niche you operate in. It would be ideal to have an influencer who is active on multiple prominent social media platforms. Remember that their follower counts may vary across each platform. This can offer advantages in terms of targeted communities or broader exposure.
Nevertheless, it’s important to note that influencers can promote your product beyond just social media networks. Depending on your industry, you might also explore opportunities to collaborate with influencers on email marketing campaigns, in-person events, podcasts, and other marketing initiatives while compensating them accordingly.
Let the influencer’s creativity spark more, it captures the media’s attention better. The followers and audience will feel more comfortable this way as well.
5. Missing a Call-To-Action (CTA)
When hiring an influencer, they’re vital in helping your company achieve specific goals. By incorporating a Call-to-Action (CTA), you provide a clear direction for your target audience. You’re guiding them toward the desired destination and compelling them to take the desired action, whether it’s making a purchase, subscribing to a service, or engaging in any other intended behavior. The CTA plays a crucial role in driving conversions and maximizing the impact of your influencer marketing campaign.
While crafting CTAs, you need to consider the platform being used. Each platform may require a slightly different approach to achieve optimal results. For instance, on social media platforms, users are often scrolling rapidly. CTAs should focus on catching attention quickly and catering to top-of-the-funnel objectives. On the other hand, longer-form content such as blog posts or videos may allow for more detailed CTAs that target audience members who are already engaged with the brand.
In some instances, influencers may choose to amplify the effectiveness of the CTA by adding exclamation points. This can create a sense of urgency and prompt immediate action from the audience. However, when incorporating these elements, marketers need to strike a balance and allow influencers to maintain their authentic voice. Make sure that the CTA sounds genuine and aligns with the influencer’s style and tone, as forced or contrived messaging may erode trust and authenticity.
By carefully considering the goals, platforms, and influencer’s voice, the well-crafted CTA can serve as a powerful tool. It’ll help drive conversions, engagement, and the overall success of your influencer marketing strategy.
6. Not Maintaining a Post-Campaign Relationship
After completing your campaign, you may think that your interaction with the influencer is over. However, it’s best not to end the relationship there. As a brand, it’s important to cultivate a connection with influencers. We recommend staying in touch, especially if the promotion was successful. If you believe that you and the influencer have a good working dynamic, you should absolutely make an effort to keep them close.
The goal is to maintain a mutually beneficial long-term relationship, especially if you’ve seen positive outcomes. This is where an Influencer Marketing CRM Platform, like Lit.so, can be advantageous. It allows you to revisit past campaigns and effectively manage relationships with influencers who have already collaborated successfully with your brand.
On the other hand, if the results weren’t what you were hoping for or expecting, you may need to look for another influencer who may be a better fit. Remember that you want to maintain connections with the top influencers in your field. Finding the perfect influencer can be a challenging task without proper guidance.
By utilizing the right tools, processes, and briefs, you can avoid common mistakes in influencer marketing.
So, let’s review what we’ve learned…
Mistakes made with influencer marketing create stress in the work environment as well as frustration among the audiences. Winning the audience and target means winning the influencer that has a relationship with them already.
Always stay truthful when advertising your product or service. Let your influencer explore creativity and reach the target through their own experience.
Clear communication and understanding of the niche environment through micro-influencers is key to a successful campaign. Keep them updated and they will have the same clear communication through a CTA.
Just because a live campaign ends, doesn’t mean the relationship should. Maintain a relationship with successful influencers. It could help you ensure the success of future marketing strategies that you have planned for your business.