The 10 Myths Of Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a rapidly growing and evolving niche in itself. We have seen it go from an unconventional marketing strategy to a globally accepted and trusted strategy. With the pandemic at our doors, it is only natural that people will likely spend even more time on social media. 

So 2021 can see even further growth in influencer marketing without a doubt. With a dominating social media presence and the many benefits, it offers this is a natural course that influencer marketing will take. 

Even with such growth and range, there are still some misconceptions about this marketing strategy. Sahiba Dhandhania, Co-founder, Confluencr shares her thoughts on the myths of influencer marketing. 

Let us Debunk Some of the Most Common Misconceptions About Influencer Marketing. 

Online Content Creation is the Only Step in Influencer Marketing

Even though content creation is the biggest and most common way for influencer marketing to work, it is not the only way. Influencers can spread the word about a brand through word of mouth or their daily life experience as well. However, this mainly works with influencers who function on a smaller scale and audience. 

The Main Stage is Social Media

Social media platforms are the predominant stage for influencer marketing. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. work according to the brand’s objective but influencers can also impact other online areas as well. Forums, brand websites, and even e-commerce websites can be impacted by certain acts of influencers, such as publishing reviews or ratings. 

High Numbers of Followers Means High Chances of Success

This is the biggest misconception when working with influencers. Firstly, a high number of followers does not guarantee high engagement and secondly, followers can be bought. Brands should rather focus on the amount of engagement that influencers draw. Larger engagement guarantees interest in the brand and also traffic on the brand website. 

Finance is the Only Way for Compensation

While it is true that bigger influencers have to be paid a proper amount for the promotions. But a lot of smaller influencers ( influencers who have less than 1,000 followers or who have followers between 1,000 to 100,000) can be employed without financial compensation. A lot of these influencers are willing to work for free or free products as well. 

Only Gen z and Millennials can be Reached 

This misconception is because only the younger demographic uses social media. The demographic for the audience depends on the social media platform. If your target is a younger audience you would probably go to a platform like TikTok but if your target is a little older then you can opt for Facebook or even Instagram. 

Promoting a Brand or Product is The Only Objective

Surely promoting a product and brand is something we see influencers doing quite often but influencer marketing can also be used for other objectives. It can be used as an education platform where awareness is brought for various causes. Brands can partner up with influencers for charitable issues, humanitarian causes, or even community development. 

ROI for Influencer Marketing Campaign

Many often wonder how ROI can be measured with influencer campaigns. with the help of different tools and analytics brands can measure the ROI. It is possible to know the performance of the campaign and also predict the sales. This is true for both short-term as well as long-term campaigns. The right date can help with ROI measurement. 

Influencer Marketing Campaigns can be Easily Managed by Brands

Collaboration with influencers seems like an easy task but brands should tread lightly when it comes to this type of marketing. Brands should have highly skilled members to identify possibilities of fraud or fake followers. There are various influencer marketing agencies to help brands to simplify the process. It takes tools, data, and the right algorithm to activate multiple influencers across social media. 

Influencer Marketing is Very Expensive

The fee of an influencer depends on the size of the audience they can draw in. The difference is great depending on the number. While big influencers can cost a higher amount of money there are also smaller influencers who are comparatively cheaper. Some smaller influencers even collaborated for free products or for free. The budget varies accordingly. 

Short-Lived Campaigns

Brands should focus on long-term collaborations with influencers for well-planned and executed content. This allows them to gain credibility and authenticity promotion. Influencer marketing should be included in a brand’s marketing plan like any other traditional media channel. 

Wrapping It Up!

Influencers have been the interest of most of the world recently but this interest also brings misconceptions. We should work towards educating people about these misconceptions and the importance of influencers as strategic allies to brands.