5 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Building Your Influencer Strategy

While it is evident that Influencer Marketing can reap various benefits for a business, it is imperative to consider the potential mistakes brands make when utilizing this tool.

Influencer marketing is not as simple as choosing a popular Instagram account and throwing money at them. If used incorrectly, this approach can cost you thousands of dollars, however, if you avoid these common mistakes, Influencer Marketing can skyrocket your brand.

A recent study by Tomoson reported that businesses are making $6.50 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing.

Avoid these 5 common mistakes to be among the businesses reaping these enormous benefits:

1. Choosing the wrong influencer:

Brands will often select influencers based on their follower count. While in some cases, more followers means more engagement, this is not always true. The influencer should be chosen based on their values, personality and fittingness for the brand. Researching different influencers in the same niche will give you a better idea of who you should choose for your brand.

2. Focusing on one social media platform:

Focusing solely on a single social media platform will hold your brand back from reaching a new audience. While it is natural to place greater emphasis on the platform where you have built the greatest presence, you are restricting your brand from reaching an entirely new demographic. Using influencers to direct attention towards platforms where your presence is lacking can be a good strategy to connect with new people.

3. Making short-term collaborations:

It takes time to build trust with your consumers; don’t expect too much too soon. While you may experience some short-term gains, steady progress will often yield the best results. If the influencer campaign has achieved favourable returns in the short-term, focus on building a long-term relationship to achieve sustainable growth.

4. Lacking authentic communication:

Cliché statements and captions will appear unauthentic. Using personalised messages and giving influencers an opportunity to voice their personal thoughts on the product will be perceived as more authentic and trustworthy by the audience. Finding an influencer that truly believes in the product will make this process significantly easier.

5. Not having a proper strategy in place:

Implementing an influencer campaign because it is the ‘in-thing’ is the wrong approach to be taking. Before reaching out to an influencer, it is vital that you have a well-developed plan in place. To keep your brand on track, outline the end-goal of the campaign, whether it be more impressions or followers, then formulate a strategy to reach these goals. This will help determine which areas were effective and which areas need work for the next campaign.

While influencer marketing campaigns can reap various benefits for your business, it is vital that you avoid these basic errors to achieve the results you are seeking.