Influencer marketing is a widely-used marketing tool everyone is looking to experiment with. There’s a lot to discuss before deciding if influencer marketing is the right path for you and your organization to pursue – and a lot of myths to debunk along the way.
Influencer marketing can be a great strategy for you and your team to explore – 84% of marketing and communication professionals said they’re are currently working on Influencer Engagement strategies according to the State of Influencer Engagement 2015.
Don’t think it’s for you? Here are some 5 common misconceptions about the strategy that might change your opinion:
In this article you’ll learn…
1. You have to spend large amounts to get results
There is a common belief that in order to get the most out of influencer marketing, you need to be spending like a huge company. The reality is that a lot of businesses don’t have those resources – and that’s okay! There are influencers all over the price spectrum and as long as you are giving the influencer something in return, there is a lot of room for flexibility.
2. They’re hard to get a hold of
Many people think that because some influencers have such a massive following, they’re unreachable. For the most part, that’s not true – sure, the top 1% or 5% might be difficult to get ahold of, but most influencers are very on top of their emails and phone calls – you should expect a fairly quick response if they’re interested.
3. The influencer has to have a certain number of followers to be effective
When it comes to influencer marketing, you want to go for quality over quantity – it’s not all about the follower count. You want to make sure the influencer you choose to work with is the highest quality you need for your business. Take some time, do some digging and don’t put as much emphasis on the number of followers. You’d be surprised how much you can achieve with an influencer who is of great quality and really gets your brand.
4. There aren’t any influencers in your market
Just like every business is different, so is every influencer. You don’t want to go after an influencer just because they’re seemingly everywhere – think about if they really fit in with your brand. Would they be the best possible person to help your business and spread the word? Do they understand your vision and jive with your overall message? If yes, then that’s already a better relationship than with an influencer who may seemingly “be everywhere” but not understand your brand or your vision.
5. You need an influencer marketing expert on hand
There are great experts and tools out there to help you with influencer marketing. Start with something as easy as a keywords search for the type of influencer you’re looking for. Once you’ve found some key people for your brand or campaign, make sure to keep monitoring their activity, create a posting schedule and share their content.
Influencer marketing is both a collaborative and fun strategy to dive into – and it can really boost your market presence. If you haven’t already, join Fashion GPS Radar, the curated community where brands can connect with influencers. It could be the start of a great new strategy for your team!