At first glance, the internet can seem like a whirlwind of chaos. We see advertisements when we awake, we dream about them when we sleep, we even see those small clues of Product Placement In Movies!
Let’s use an example. For all the Transformers fans out there (ourselves included) – We’d like to highlight the iconic scene where Bumblebee has his own screen time with the Chevy.
You guessed it, our favorite character is a walking advertisement for the Chevrolet Camaro.
But what does this have to do with using influencers to advertise your brand?
For starters, think of the target audience. Many people watch their favorite influencers for hours on end. They enjoy the content these influencers produce. Many people watch these influencers for one of three key reasons:
- They can relate to the influencers .
- They like their personalities.
- They admire their work.
Influencers are like their own walking marketing boards. They use themselves as an advertising space for brands or even their own products. This is because, like movies, their videos are there for enjoyment to their followers.
How about we get into the hidden corners of using influencers for your brand? Let’s get the bad news out of the way first, shall we?
Cons: The bad news
Interrupted viewing
When was the last time you enjoyed watching an ad or reading a product review? If you are currently thinking about that time you watched controversial ads for fun, that’s not what I am talking about and you know it!
Studies have shown that many people dislike advertisements due to them interfering with the experience of the video. At times, they may also appear repetitive and too authentic for the situation.
Consider the time you searched, could I possibly be expecting a baby? Or, what strategies can I adopt to steer lactose-infused food at a wedding? Now your search history is filled with triggers for marketing and in the middle of your youtube video binge, an ad pops up for pregnancy tests. Maybe even diarrhea medication. If you ask me, it could definitely ruin my whole experience of the video.
Unpredictability
Influencers are also very unpredictable. In 2023, Try Guys was a popular influencer before being canceled due to an unpredicted personal drama being made public. The same thing happened to Rachel Hollis, Shane Dawson, and to Tana Mongeau… starting to see a pattern?
Many influencers may start out original, but because they are watched 24/7, they often have huge mental health struggles related to their rise in fame. This is because unlike celebrities, they make a living on peoples opinions about them. This can affect your brand, as they essentially become the face of what you’re trying to sell. What they stand for reflects your ideals and your brand as a whole.
So, if an influencer has a change of heart, your customers may too.
Costly
The other con is the fact that they are expensive. You practically have to pay an arm and a leg to get the coverage they have.
Check out these findings:
YouTube influencer pricing
- Per 1,000 subscribers: $20
- Per 1M subscribers: $20,000
- $100 for every 1,000 views
- $2,000 per 100,000 followers
Instagram influencer pricing
- 1-10k followers: $10-100
- 10-100k followers: $100-500
- 100-500k follower: $500-$5k
- 500k-1m followers: $5-$10k
- 1m+ followers: $10k+
Note that this is just the average. Depending on the influencer’s page views and engagement rates, prices can increase or decrease. Each influencer can also choose to charge by the minute or the second and even based on a permanent post or just a mention in their story.
Facebook influencer marketing pricing
- 1,000-5,000 followers : $500
- 5,000-10,000 followers: $1,000-3,000
- 10,000-20,000 followers: $3,000-5,000
- 30,000-50,000 followers: $5,000-10,000
- 50,000-100,000 followers: $10,000-$30,000
TikTok influencer marketing pricing
- Nano: $5-$25
- Micro: $25-$125
- Mid: $125-$1,250
- Macro: $1,250-$2,500
- Mega: $2,500+
As you can see, the price changes according to factors such as follower, retention rates, how specific the niche is and even the length of coverage time.
So basically, an arm and a leg – with risk!
Pros: Finally…
Ok I admit, the bad news seems very discouraging.
However, let us provide some clarity on the issue.
Although many people dislike advertising, it helps that influencers are well aware of this. They’ll help advertise your brand in the best way possible so that the target audience is left satisfied rather than annoyed. They’ll also position your ad in the best place of the video, ensure they deliver it properly, and be able to keep it light and fun for the viewers.
Recently, Paris Hilton released a ten minute tiktok advertising for the Hilton Hotels. TikTok is a platform for short-duration videos that are extremely entertaining and attention-grabbing right from the start. Ever notice opening TikTok and being on the FYP instead of your following page?
Against all odds, the marketing campaign was successful and had half a million likes and 35.7 million views. It was so successful because they understood the need to keep the video interesting and give the audience a video worth watching to the end. They used countless influencers who each played a part in ensuring this video’s success.
Influencers Can Yield Better ROI
Many influencers work independently, meaning there are no extra expenses of working with agencies or a middle man. This can assist in cutting down costs between the influencer and the brand.
You also have the chance to give influencers the opportunity to become customers themselves. If they find the product or services you offer are of value to them, they become long-term advocates for your brand overall. In fact, many influencers have been found to start using brands they market for.
It has also been seen that influencers have a voice in your marketing strategies. Many influencers have given advice to brands on how they can better their product line and improve on details.
Better advertising
Influencers understand the marketing space better than most. This is because in order for them to achieve such a high level of following, they needed to learn the app’s algorithms. This is what makes influences an asset to a company. They will give you your money’s worth just by using their own techniques for your brand. In fact, many influencers who became successful by pure luck have been forced to learn the algorithm and keep up with the updates of social media as a whole.
They spend countless hours researching and improving on their own brand to ensure that they remain relevant to their niche. This means they also spend time finding the right influencer for their brand. This level of dedication to the target audience can drastically improve your brand’s advertising effectiveness. Basically, they often know and understand your customers better than you do. Take advantage of their knowledge, and try not to dismiss their ideas to improve your brand. They can be a huge asset to increasing revenue as a whole.
Cinematic, beautiful and emotional
Influencers are in the entertainment industry. At the end of the day, their job is based on people’s perspective and willingness to watch, share and like their content.
In order to keep their followers impressed and interested, they have to carefully craft each video, message and content to suit their personal brand. This level of perfection will not be any different when they advertise on behalf of your brand. Your brand becomes a depiction of themselves. If they want followers to love all their content, your advertisements will get the same level of care and attention as their content. In fact, according to Travel mindset, the most successful marketing campaigns reflect the influencers’ ideals.
Relationship building
When influencers review a brand, they attract a lot of attention. Chances are, you might be able to start a trend of reviewing your brand with other influencers or even your target audience themselves.
The better the quality product you release, the better the relationships you’ll build with the community in that niche. This is where you’ll need to carefully ensure that your product will promote loyalty in your brand. It’ll help you increase sales, and achieve new levels of reach that will hopefully remain constant.
Wrapping it up…
We started out talking about how bad advertising is and why people hate it.
We then looked at why influencers are so good at it. Influencers may be incredibly expensive and risky, but they also know what they are doing. They’ve established trust with their followers already, and they can ensure your marketing campaign is successful.
Is it worth an arm and a leg?
Well… yes!
Think of all the costs involved in training your team and researching the market. The expenses can balance out and you can justify using top influencers by ensuring you know that they will represent your brand well.
Social media is part of our daily lives and routine. With this growth comes the expansion of the influencer marketing industry. If marketers want to keep up and give competitors a run for their money, it’s time to consider partnering up with these powerhouses. It’s all about finding ways to use their voice to improve your brand’s image.