The Dos and Don'ts of Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has become a buzzword in the world of digital marketing. Brands are increasingly turning to influencers to reach their target audience and boost sales, but so frequently missing the mark due to a few simple reasons. However, navigating the world of influencer marketing can be tricky, especially for those new to it. With so many dos and don'ts to keep in mind, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That's why we've put together this simple guide that covers everything you need to know about the basics of influencer marketing.

From finding the right influencers to creating effective campaigns, we'll take you through our key dos and don'ts so that the next campaign you run is an absolute success. So, whether you're a small business owner or a seasoned marketer, this guide is for you. Let's dive into the world of influencer marketing and discover how you can use it to grow your brand.

The benefits of influencer marketing

Influencer marketing has several benefits for brands. One of the most significant benefits is that it allows brands to reach their target audience effectively. Influencers have a dedicated following, which comes with a degree of trust and credibility from their audience. When an influencer promotes a product or service, their followers are more likely to trust and purchase it, leading to increased sales.

Another benefit of influencer marketing is that it helps brands in creating authentic and relatable content. Sure, it’s not a cinematic advert for the latest Aston Martin, but influencers are experts in creating content that means something to their audience, and that’s worth a whole lot more than a shiny brand-centric ad. By collaborating with influencers, brands create content that is more authentic and relatable to their target audience, leading to increased engagement and a stronger brand connection.

Finally, influencer marketing is a cost-effective way to promote products or services. Traditional advertising can be expensive, and it may not necessarily reach the target audience. Influencer marketing, on the other hand, is relatively inexpensive, and it allows brands to reach a highly engaged audience.

Common mistakes in influencer marketing

While influencer marketing can be highly effective, there are several common mistakes that brands should avoid. One of the most significant mistakes is working with influencers who do not align with your brand values. It is essential to research and check influencers before collaborating with them to ensure that their values and content align with your brand.

Another common mistake is not setting clear goals and objectives for the campaign. Brands should have a clear vision of what they want to achieve through influencers, whether it is increased brand awareness, engagement, or sales. Without clear objectives, it can be challenging to measure the success of the campaign. However, a quality influencer marketing agency (*cough cough*) will always ensure that the people representing your brand align with all of your values, objectives and mission.

Brands should also avoid being too promotional in their influencer campaigns. Influencer marketing is about creating authentic content that resonates with the audience. Creating content that is too promotional may come across as inauthentic, which can lead to a lack of engagement and trust from the audience. As with all advertising, play it cool.

Dos of influencer marketing

Now that we've covered some of the common mistakes to avoid, let's look at what people should always do when running an influencer marketing campaign.

Do analyse influencer statistics pre-campaign

The first step in influencer marketing is identifying the right influencers for your brand, and by that, we mean looking at their engagement rate, comments, previous campaigns, and more. It is essential to choose influencers who you can depend on for making quality content that generates genuine engagement, and by looking at their data, you can see which influencers are performing well when it comes to campaign time. We use this handy engagement rate checker from HypeAuditor.

Do craft an effective brief

The next step is crafting an effective influencer campaign. Brands should have a clear mental image of what they want to achieve through the campaign and create a brief for the influencer that outlines the campaign's goals, messaging, and style. It’s often worth sharing a mood board or inspiration gallery so that you know everyone’s working towards the same objective. You don’t want a campaign that feels completely random!

Influencers should have creative freedom in developing the content, but it should align with the brand's overall messaging and values.

Do create an influencer agreement

It is also essential to create an influencer agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of the collaboration. The agreement should include details such as the scope of work, payment, and deliverables. It is essential to have a clear agreement in place to avoid any misunderstandings or disputes.

It also means that when the campaigns begin, there’s no miscommunication on what’s expected of people, making your life a whole lot easier!

Do measure the success of your campaigns and influencers

Finally, measuring the success of your influencer campaign is key to progressing and building even better campaigns in the future. Brands should track metrics such as engagement, reach, and conversions to determine the campaign's effectiveness. It is also worth compiling all influencer assets into an online folder where the client can access the content.

Don'ts of influencer marketing

Now these are the things that you should never do when working with influencers. Some are common courtesy, some are easy mistakes. The bottom line is, don’t do them.

Don’t treat influencers poorly/without respect

This couldn’t be more important, hence why it’s first on the list. Influencers are collaborators and are taking time out of their day to shoot beautiful content for your product. As such, you must treat them how you would like to be treated; with respect and gratitude.

It is down to the brand to outline exactly what they would like the influencer to do in the initial briefing and T’s & C’s. That then draws a line between what is fair and expected, making for a happier and smoother experience for both sides.

Don’t forget to use #gifted or #sponsored

Another important don't of influencer marketing is not complying with advertising standards properly. Influencer marketing is subject to legal regulations, such as disclosure requirements. Any gifted or sponsored campaigns must be made clear in the influencer’s caption.

Don’t judge success by numbers alone

Influencer campaigns can’t be judged by statistics alone. If we offered you 1,000 brand views with 1 sale or 100 brand views with 10 sales, you’d probably go with the sales. This is a shining example of why an influencer not breaking the internet isn’t a bad thing.

You should be checking web traffic, visits to product pages, changes in popularity to your own social posts, and anything else that can highlight the effectiveness of your collaboration. With influencer marketing, bigger is not always better.

Conclusion

Influencer marketing can be a highly effective way for brands to reach their target audience and boost sales. However, to ensure a successful campaign, it is essential to approach influencer marketing strategically and avoid common mistakes.

By following the dos and don'ts outlined in this article, brands can create effective influencer campaigns that resonate with their target audience and grow their business.

So, if you want an agency that can run an influencer campaign and make a genuine difference from it, get in touch. At Modern Classic, we do influencer campaigns right.