Let’s face it, the Z generation has taken over, and who can blame them? We live in a connected, instant, and highly influenced era where marketing and advertising have taken the greatest of leaps. Everything is different. Look at digital marketing. It’s made advertising more subtle than ever. It has now incorporated amazing technologies, and it’s taken the concept of influence to a whole new level: “The Influencer Level”.
Think about it; it all makes perfect sense. Influencers have the undivided attention of their followers, and it’s a given that we’d all like to emulate the public personas we look up to. Just like everything else, the magic lies in the “how”. There are negatives and positives to everything.
Beyond and above that, we’ve always maintained that there’s a goal to marketing as a whole, just like there’s a goal to every other business function. Digital marketing aims to generate concrete data, and also to ensure that your marketing spend results in increased brand awareness which ultimately increases sales. The intention is always clear. However, a lot can go wrong.
Let’s Look at Some Advantages and Disadvantages to Collaborating with Influencers
The Disadvantages
1) Choosing the Wrong Influencer
According to a survey, 61% of marketers find it difficult to identify the right influencers for their campaigns. The truth is, getting it right takes some time and effort, and if done wrong, it could cause great damage to the reputation of your brand.
2) The Uncertainty of Results
You may sign a contract with an influencer who has published successful content in the past, but fails to produce effective content for your business. The audience won’t engage, and any money invested will be a loss.
3) Measuring Your Progress
Online programs will automate this task so you can easily measure any income received from your marketing efforts. Analysis is crucial so improvements can be made in the future, or you can even decide to switch to a different market.
The Advantages
1) No Need for Big Budgets
You heard it right! When working with micro-influencers, many will collaborate for incentives such as samples or an experience, like a stay in a bed and breakfast if your business is a home-based hotel. If they prefer payment, it will be much lower than what an A-lister would charge for the same deal.
2) Influencer Marketing Influences Your Consumers’ Purchases
This is a key benefit of using influencer marketing, and it‘s been proven to really work. There’s a more personal and human element to it that makes consumers feel differently about various brands, and that’s the very same emotion that’s relied on for one to make a purchase.
3. When You Want to Gain Consumer Trust
Influencers speak to loyal followers who watch their videos and read their posts about products. They trust in their opinions over time. Once an influencer promotes a brand with a discount code or giveaway, their followers will be intrigued. And in the instance of a fairly new business, these types of endorsements are effective in boosting the brand’s authority on the market.
4. Address the Right Audience
Collaborating with influencers related to your business will lead to an increased audience. You’ll want to promote your messages to individuals in your niche.
Many clothing brands will choose to work with fashion influencers who have an eye for style. Hordes of fashion lovers will be drawn to the lines that are advertised on the social pages.
5. Expands Your Reach
Get your brand and/or product publicized to a large audience by working with influencers relevant for your offering. Thousands of people may connect with you. Influencers are mostly followed based on passion, insight, ideas, together with the entertaining posts they publish. Their followers anticipate new posts, which they like, share and repost.
Conclusion:
Going forward, you can make informed decisions before deciding on which influencer to include in your marketing campaigns. Protect your finances and invest in marketing strategies that have guaranteed ROI.
