We speak much about the various aspects, types, trends, and potential of influencer marketing. But in all fairness, just as with anything, there are different mistakes when it comes to influencer marketing. This is quite normal, considering that influencer marketing is relatively a newbie around the block. And some mistakes made by marketers can be virtually destructive for their business, both financially and in terms of losing the trust of their audience and their authority.
So what are some of the most common mistakes made in influencer marketing?
- Not doing thorough research.
As the "employer," a brand/company should do their due research to make sure they don't come across as unprofessional by hiring content creators who have previously collaborated with their competitors. As per the influencer, they should also dig deeper into the brands that approach them and understand if they're the right fit.
- Underestimating and undervaluing the importance of relationships with influencers.
Marketing campaigns end, but how an employer treats the influencer they worked with says much about how they will treat their employees, and this can make or break their authority. Campaigns can be short-term but the goal is to build lasting relationships with content creators.
- Opting to gather fake followers for the sake of numbers.
Quality over quantity should be one of the most important principles of brands and their campaign creation process. Steady growth will ensure quality followers, compared to a quick increase in follower numbers through fake accounts. Sooner or later, the algorithms will clear out the bots.
- Publishing poor copy, inaccurate hashtags, and low-quality visuals.
Content and aesthetics, as well as optimizing the way content show up in users' feed, is important. Not investing properly in these aspects and creating a brand voice will immediately make both brands and creators come across as unprofessional.
- Violating consumer rights.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) protects consumers' rights, which were intensively violated over the past few years when influencer marketing and creators started to become popular by the day. Any paid partnership and/or sponsored collaboration must be clearly stated in the description of the published content.
Making mistakes is part of the job: you try, you fail, you try again until you master it. But it's much better to learn from others' mistakes and gain some retrospective knowledge and insight. Make sure you invest the necessary effort to avoid these common influencer marketing mistakes.
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