Prime 5 Harmful Myths About Influencer Advertising and marketing

With its rising reputation, influencer advertising and marketing is a key subject on each marketer’s agenda. As a marketer, you’ve a number of on-line sources to show to for data, however most of those sources fail to supply correct recommendation. With out correct data or coaching for influencer advertising and marketing, you are at risk of doing it incorrect.

That’s why Lee Odden, CEO of TopRank Advertising and marketing, determined to take the heartbeat of his group, together with advertising and marketing trade leaders and consultants, to dispel essentially the most harmful myths about influencer advertising and marketing. Lee lately introduced the findings in a presentation alongside Nicolas Chabot, VP EMEA at Traackr, on the Digital Advertising and marketing World Discussion board in London. The next abstract has been curated from the TopRank Advertising and marketing weblog.

Take a look at the highest 5 myths in influencer advertising and marketing to know what’s actual and what’s a hoax relating to the follow.

Fable #1: Reputation = Affect

Busted: 

It’s a Fable that Influencer Advertising and marketing is Advertising and marketing Based mostly Solely on Reputation, Mistaken for Affect. Neville Hobson – Senior Enterprise Marketing consultant, IBM Social Consulting

Lee’s take: 

Whereas viewers and attain are essential, it’s what folks do when you’ve reached them that pays the payments. What good is being promoted to a Twitter viewers of 1,000,000 followers if nobody clicks the hyperlink, shares the tweet or is in any other case affected?

Fable #2: You Ought to Purchase Influencers Like You Purchase Promoting

Busted:

The notion which you could purchase influencers like media is harmful. It’s a relationship enterprise, not actual property. – Stephen Waddington, Chief Engagement Officer, Ketchum

Lee’s take: 

It’s true there’s an natural and a paid strategy to working with influencers identical to the rest from search to social to content material. The parable right here is that you just all the time must pay influencers and that simply isn’t true…Paying influencers comes right down to what they’re doing for you. While you pay somebody that has expertise AND and viewers to advertise to, it is smart to pay them. While you determine a model fan or advocate and invite them to co-create content material round issues they already care about, that’s extra of a collaboration.

Fable #3: Manufacturers Don’t Have Time to Develop Influencer Relationships

Busted: 

Manufacturers should make the time to authentically construct relationships with influencers and there’s no higher means to try this, than co-creating content material. – Jason Miller, Senior Supervisor, International Content material Advertising and marketing, Advertising and marketing Options, LinkedIn

Lee’s take: 

Right here’s a scenario you would possibly relate to. An incredible marketing campaign is concepted, created and able to drop. And it’s instructed that you just attain out to some influencers that will help you promote. There’s no time to create a relationship on this scenario apart from the financial form. Alternatively, when influencers are included from the beginning, from planning to creation, they’re invested within the success of the tip product. The act of collaborating on the creation of the content material facilitates the connection. By the point the content material is able to promote, the influencer is prepared too.

Fable #4: Influencer ROI is Measured Via Participation and Social Media

Busted: 

True influencer ROI goes means past social shares and output counts; it’s within the doorways these influencers can open for you and the relationships they assist you construct. – Shonali Burke, President & CEO, Shonali Burke Consulting

Lee’s take: 

It comes right down to objectives and the way you’ll monitor progress in direction of these objectives in addition to attaining them. In case your objective is just to create extra broad consciousness to your model, then enhance in social community measurement, social shares and different engagement metrics could also be your focus. But when your objectives are to encourage enterprise outcomes like leads, gross sales, and income, then you’ve a unique mixture of metrics to work with.

Fable #5: Influencer Advertising and marketing Replaces Current Advertising and marketing

Busted: 

Influencer advertising and marketing can and may match into your current advertising and marketing actions, complementing them and accentuating them. – Joel Harrison, Editor-in-chief, B2B Advertising and marketing

Lee’s take: 

Some nonetheless see influencer advertising and marketing as a silo inside PR and comms or advertising and marketing and others see it extra holistically as one thing that might work cross functionally in your group as depicted within the diagram beneath from Traackr. Whereas I occur to agree that influencer advertising and marketing applications can really be each, the parable that influencer advertising and marketing replaces different advertising and marketing is predicated in concern. Approaching advertising and marketing strategically, with empathy to the shopper expertise and with an understanding of what influences encourage motion amongst your group, it could be silly to not incorporate influencer engagement at strategic planning phases for advertising and marketing.

And there you’ve it! By being attentive to essentially the most “harmful myths” of influencer advertising and marketing, you are extra prone to execute the follow the proper means. And whereas this weblog put up is only a curated snapshot of Lee’s tackle the highest myths in influencer advertising and marketing, be certain that to take a look at the full put up for extra insights. Past the “harmful” myths are 20+ extra from extra members of Lee’s group and the group at TopRank Advertising and marketing.

Do you’ve any myths so as to add to Lee’s listing? Depart a remark and be a part of the talk!