Mistakes to Avoid in Influencer Marketing Strategy

Influencer marketing is a popular way of approaching audiences with your products and services. It allows you to connect with audiences that you don’t personally garner, but leverage those with a hefty following on the social sites.

However, picking the right influencer, brand voice, and much more is necessary for making a strong effort to create an influencer marketing strategy. And that is what you’re here to learn in this article.

With this post, we aim to educate you about the common mistakes brands make while doing influencer marketing. We’ll also show you how you can avoid the debacles and make a name for yourself in the industry. So, let’s get started soon.

Below, we’ll list some common mistakes to avoid while making up your influencer marketing strategy. We’ll also share tips on how to avoid these problems.

Selecting The Correct Platform For Influencer Marketing

Before picking an influencer, the first thing you need to do is to consider where you have to market your content. Today, many platforms can be used to spread the word. However, not each one of them might be suitable for your purpose.

For example, if your business is based on visual ideas like figurines, wall paintings, etc. Then, Instagram influencers or Any social media influencer might be a better bargain for you. 

However, LinkedIn can be a better option for selling a B2B service.

So, choose the platform wisely by considering the product/service you have to offer to the audience. Only then will you be able to find the right bunch of influencers for your brand’s marketing.

Picking The Right Influencer

You should be aware of who you’re picking for your influencer marketing. Are you aware of their past activities? Do they align with your brand value and resonate with the target audience?

These and many others are likely questions that you should ask yourself while deciding on your influencer.

For instance, if an influencer likes going to the gym, eating clean, and sleeping early, it’s highly unlikely that they’d endorse a fast food chain. People quickly catch inauthentic matches and your marketing strategy can quickly backfire.

So, consider choosing your influencer carefully and spend some time doing your research on their background checks, Here you can check a full detailed guide on ways to find instagram influencers, etc.

Writing For Collaborations

Writing to influencers for collaboration is a crucial part. You have to be clear and concise in your words in what are the objectives of the campaign and what you want them to do for your brand.

Don’t mince anything while outreachig Influencers, talk in an active voice, and always address the common questions first. Tell them what you do, how you do it, and what’s your vision for the company. Encourage them to join you by laying out the incentives and saying positive, powerful words.

Considering Analytics

In the modern world, data should be your best buddy. Consider analytics like, website traffic and conversion rates to see what’s working and what’s not.

Additionally, track engagement metrics. These may include (but are not limited to):

• Retention rate.
• Bounce rate.
• Page views.
• CTR (Click-Through Rate.)

Let’s define these metrics in simpler words for your convenience. Retention rate is the times you make the user revisit your website if they’re new to the platform. Bounce rate is the time a new user spends time on an application or webpage before exiting.

While page views, as the name implies, show the spread of your voice to the people. Finally, CTR is the percentage of customers who complied with a CTA (Call to Action) by clicking a link, subscribing to a service, etc.

Consider analytics and tailor your influencer marketing strategy. Refine your future influencer partnerships and get people who can truly improve your business.

Managing Creativity Levels

Influencers are people with free will and a mass fan-following on social media. The audiences love them because of their humor, personality, and the value that they bring to their people.

However, it’s necessary to keep an eye on the influencer’s “creativity levels.” By this, we don’t mean to stifle their imagination but to regulate what they’re doing on their channels representing your brand image.

Be a silent observer and give the influencers their room to create what their audience wants. But, intervene if you find something alarming, or going entirely against your guidelines. 

Look to communicate with the influencers openly and share your concerns with them in a peaceful manner to make settlements.

In a nutshell, influencers are human too and you can’t take their rights of freedom of speech away. However, you can talk to them and manage how your branding is done and your name said.

Building Long-Lasting Relationships

While making your influencer marketing strategies, you must consider people with long-term potential. This is necessary to depict brand stability to the public and appreciate people buying your products.

Furthermore, treat your influencers as promotional tools and your business partners. This is to ensure that they keep on selling your services to the people without any hiccups or hindrances.

Building long-lasting relationships with influencers requires time and effort. However, it’s worth it to build a sustainable business.

Associating some common faces with the brand can help increase your brand recognition among people. It can boost your sales, deeming your influencer marketing strategies as successful.

Choosing Micro-Influencers

Everything isn’t about just numbers. While mega-influencers may have more apparent followers, micro-influencers have more chance of growth. They often have a higher engagement rate and can be your gateway to enter niche audiences.

As a growing brand, your strategy should be to utilize as many marketing options as possible. And, considering micro influencers for the job can be a good way to get your business going.

However, you should define some KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) before you get a face for your company. These may include but are not limited to:

• Number of likes, shares, comments, and retweets.
• Average Watch Time.
• Average Revenue.

By defining some KPIs, you can determine if the influencer is good enough for your needs, regardless of their number of followers.

Examples of Good Influencer Marketing Strategies

Below, we’ll share some modern-day examples of brands making solid influencer marketing strategies to propel their brand name to the next level.

1. Gymshark

Launched in 2012, GymShark has quickly reached a whopping £1 Billion evaluation. The company leverages growing social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to grow its name in gym apparel. 

They hire both micro and macro-influencers to increase their reach and start cool trends to gain further traction.

For example, in January 2019, GymShark announced its ‘Change your life’ campaign in which it asked its users to upload a fitness goal. On 7^th March, they were asked to upload the final photo to show their gains.

The fans and influencers had to use the tag of @GymShark and #gymshark66. The winners with the best fit got to take a full year of GymShark’s supply home.

The best part about this campaign was that GymShark was able to gain 1.9 million likes, 12,576 comments, and 45.5 million views in just a few months. That’s the power of TikTok influencers that GymShark accurately harnessed to make a name for themselves.

2. Nordvpn

Unlike GymShark which started trends on TikTok, NordVPN took a little different route. They sponsored videos for social media content creators on YouTube, allowing them maximum creativity to market their VPN service.

This seemed to be a bad move initially, but influencers did get NordVPN going up and away.

A prime example would be the YouTube channel called ‘OverSimplified.’ The American content creator tells true historical recounts in a funny, easier-to-understand manner for his audiences.

The narrator on ‘OverSimplified’ naturally discusses their sponsor NordVPN with a bit of hysterical historical references, attracting more customers than ever.

Similar to this channel, the company provided special discount codes and coupons for every influencer they partnered up with. Such tactics allowed them great success in their marketing strategies.

In total, NordVPN sponsored 598 videos and got 5.7 million likes, 91.5 million views, and a reach of 2.2 billion. This is a massive increase in their brand worth and recognition, worldwide!

3. Hellofresh

HelloFresh is a home delivery meal-kit subscription service that encourages adults to make clean, healthy food in less time.

In 2019, the company launched the ‘Refresh with HelloFresh’ campaign in which they partnered up with celebrities like Davina McCall. They spread the message of eating healthy and staying in shape, especially for busy moms and young professionals.

Unlike NordVPN and GymShark, HelloFresh used Instagram as their marketing platform. Their efforts were very fruitful as they influenced many to try their product by partnering with familiar faces in the industry.

The refreshed campaign got 461 influencer posts, and 5.5 million impressions. Besides that, over 20% of the influencer’s followers mentioned HelloFresh on Instagram, with the hashtag #HelloFreshPics generating over 260,000 IG posts.

Case Study Ideas for Influencer Marketing

Case Study 1: Daniel Wellington – Micro-Influencer Success

Overview: Daniel Wellington, a watch brand, leveraged micro-influencers to boost brand awareness and sales.

Key Points:

• Identified micro-influencers with a strong following in the fashion and lifestyle niche.
• Provided influencers with free watches to create authentic and engaging content.   
• Encouraged user-generated content by offering incentives for sharing photos with the brand’s hashtag.   
• Measured campaign success through increased website traffic, social media engagement, and sales.

Results:

• Significant increase in brand awareness among the target demographic.
• Higher conversion rates compared to traditional advertising.
• Strong return on investment due to lower costs associated with micro-influencer partnerships.

Case Study 2: Gymshark – Building a Fitness Community

Overview: Gymshark, a fitness apparel brand, successfully created a loyal community through influencer marketing.   

Key Points:

• Partnered with fitness influencers who embody the brand’s values of athleticism and determination.
• Developed long-term relationships with influencers through exclusive partnerships and sponsored events.
• Encouraged user-generated content by hosting fitness challenges and contests.
• Leveraged influencer-generated content to create inspiring and aspirational campaigns.

Results:

• Strong brand loyalty and advocacy among fitness enthusiasts.   
• Increased brand visibility and reach through influencer-generated content.
• Higher customer engagement and retention rates.

Case Study 3: NordVPN – Educating Through Influencers

Overview: NordVPN, a VPN service, utilized influencers to educate consumers about online privacy and security.

Key Points:

• Collaborated with tech and travel influencers to create informative and engaging content.
• Provided influencers with in-depth product knowledge and training.
• Emphasized the importance of authenticity and transparency in influencer partnerships.
• Measured campaign success through increased website traffic, app downloads, and customer reviews.

Results:

• Enhanced brand reputation as a trusted provider of online security solutions.
• Increased consumer understanding of VPN benefits and features.
• Stronger customer acquisition and retention.

The case studies of Daniel Wellington, Gymshark, and NordVPN demonstrate the power of influencer marketing in achieving diverse business objectives. By carefully selecting influencers, fostering authentic relationships, and measuring campaign performance, these brands have successfully increased brand awareness, built loyal communities, and driven sales.

Final Words

In this post, we learned about the common mistakes that business owners make while making their influencer marketing strategy. These are to identify the wrong platforms or influencers to market their products. Or, to ignore the analytics of their sites.

Some other mistakes include ignoring micro-influencers for promotions and not making long-lasting relationships with the influencers. Also, it presents unclear campaign objectives, goals, etc., and does not effectively communicate with the content creators.

Finally, we looked at some great influencer marketing campaigns to help you get started with yours. 

That’s all from 𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕪𝔾𝕦𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕣 side! We hope you enjoyed reading our content!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is influencer marketing? 

Influencer marketing is a strategy where brands partner with popular online personalities (influencers) to promote their products or services. By leveraging the influencer’s credibility and audience, brands aim to increase awareness and drive sales through authentic content.

How to create an influencer marketing strategy

• Set Goals: Define your objectives (e.g., awareness, sales).
• Know Your Audience: Understand who you’re targeting.
• Choose Influencers: Find influencers aligned with your audience.
• Plan Content: Decide on content type and key messages.
• Set a Budget: Determine your spending.
• Provide Guidelines: Ensure branding and legal compliance.
• Launch & Monitor: Execute and track performance.
• Optimize: Use results to improve future campaigns.

what is the first step in creating a social media influencer marketing strategy?

Determine what you want to achieve with your campaign, such as increasing brand awareness, driving sales, growing your social media following, or generating user-generated content. Clear goals will guide the rest of your strategy, including influencer selection, content planning, and performance measurement.