Investing in influencer marketing is different compared to traditional advertising, and it requires attention to every aspect. With Halloween just around the corner, we take the opportunity to reveal four of the most common mistakes that can happen when collaborating with influencers – and of course, what to be aware of in order to avoid them.
Influencer collaboration mistakes
Influencer collaborations are crucial to providing results to your brand from influencer marketing, yet many mistakes can occur when you collaborate with an influencer. Here are four common mistakes that occur with influencer collaborations:
1. You base your decisions only on personal opinions
A common mistake when working with influencer marketing is to choose an influencer based entirely on your personal opinions or feelings. Many marketers choose influencer because they themselves follow them or have heard of other’s opinions – and which they instinctively think seems appropriate for their brand. It may be that you share the same interests as the influencer, or just like his or her pictures. But in fact, the influencer may reach the completely wrong people; people who are not even in the target audience of your campaign. Do not instinctively trust your gut feeling. Instead, do your research properly – and look at the target audience first!
2. You expect an outstanding result from day one
When the campaign has started, and the influencers you collaborate with have published a few posts, it is easy to believe it will be a mega success at once. You can imagine how the interactions are high and sales are insane from day 1. But it’s rare for such explosive results to occur at the first attempt – no matter the chosen medium. Long-term thinking and continuity are two of the keys to successful results. Avoid hoping for success right after you’ve started collaborating with influencers. Instead, have a 6-12 month plan for how to achieve success.
3. You’re not able to evaluate the campaign
If you don’t know which numbers to look at after a completed campaign, it is often difficult to see the impact of influencer marketing – and at not least evaluate the result. Was the goal to have a specific number of new members, to increase brand awareness, or to increase sales in your physical store? If you haven’t set up a clear goal and KPI’s from the start, in the end of the campaign, you don’t know what to evaluate. Be careful with this, so that you can avoid stopping at the finish line.
4. You control the influencer too much
Now you know you that shouldn’t choose influencer based on personal preference. In the same way, you shouldn’t control them too much in the content process. Because then you lose all the benefits of influencer marketing! Not only are you buying a sponsored post in their channels. You are also paying for their creative skills and ability to create content. Only the influencer alone knows how he or she engages the followers in the best way, and with what tonality it should have. If you control too much, the post will lose its credibility. Instead, lose your control and trust the influencer – it will pay off in the end for your brand.
Hopefully, these four examples have scared you off so that you make sure you avoid these mistakes when making your first influencer marketing activation! And remember, we’re always here to help you out.
If you want to get an even closer look at common mistakes you should avoid when you are to work with influencers? In the guide below, we reveal important factors to keep in mind for your campaign to be successful and generate great results.
