You’ve heard tons of stuff about influencer advertising and marketing: It’s wonderful, it’s pointless, it prices lots, you must do extra of it, you must do much less of it. What precisely is the reality?
There are rumors and myths on the web about every thing, together with influencer advertising and marketing. It’s laborious to know what “influencer” even means!
So proper now we’ll clarify the influencer that means and debunk widespread influencer advertising and marketing myths.
Influencer that means: who they’re and why they matter
Earlier than we dive into influencer advertising and marketing myths, let’s make clear what being an influencer truly means.
An influencer, additionally known as a “content material creator” or “creator,” is somebody who creates on-line content material, grows an viewers, and influences their viewers to purchase services or products from different manufacturers.
The influencer that means may be complicated. You could suppose “influencer” is a foolish phrase that doesn’t imply something to what you are promoting. However what if it might imply extra consideration in your model and better gross sales numbers?
If that feels like one thing you need, influencer advertising and marketing may help you get there… if the information.
12 influencer advertising and marketing myths and information
1. Influencer advertising and marketing is only a fad
The parable: There’s no motive to put money into influencer campaigns. Individuals aren’t keen on influencers anymore. You missed the boat and now it’s too late.
Really: You didn’t miss a factor. The influencer advertising and marketing business has grown yr over yr, going from $1.7 billion in 2016 to an insane $24 billion in 2024. Even when the business instantly misplaced half its worth tomorrow, it might nonetheless be value a number of billions greater than it was in 2020 ($9.7 billion). It is a monster-sized business, and each manufacturers and influencers are reaping the advantages.
Take into consideration how a lot content material goes on-line day-after-day. Content material is consistently being put into the world, and persons are consuming it up. Audiences are hungry for good content material, and influencers create good content material. The connection between an influencer and their viewers is a particular factor – and you’ll grow to be part of it.
2. Solely huge companies use influencer advertising and marketing
The parable: In case you’re a small enterprise simply getting off the bottom, there’s no want to consider influencer advertising and marketing. It’s difficult and costly, so it’s only for giant, established companies.
Really: In case you’re a small, newer enterprise attempting to get your identify on the market, influencer advertising and marketing is for you too. Your ideally suited prospects barely know you exist, however influencers can do one thing about that.
You’re on the stage the place you’re attempting to determine your model and introduce it to the world. Collabing with influencers can deliver you publicity and talk your model’s story, values, and vibe. This creates a repute in your model and a stable basis for it to develop on.
3. Influencer advertising and marketing is just for bodily merchandise
The parable: Influencers solely promote bodily merchandise like make-up, meals, instruments, equipment, and so forth.
Really: It’s true that there’s loads of influencer content material about bodily merchandise, however that’s not all influencers promote. In addition they promote service-based companies, subscriptions, memberships, lodges, and even charities.
Whenever you consider influencer content material, chances are you’ll consider a brief video the place an influencer holds up a product and talks about it. However influencer content material can are available in many kinds and promote many various issues. So in case you suppose influencer advertising and marketing gained’t work for what you are promoting or group, suppose larger. Brainstorm out-of-the-box methods influencers might increase your model.
4. Influencer advertising and marketing is all short-form IG and TikTok movies
The parable: When manufacturers work with influencers, which means influencers are creating short-form movies to go viral on IG and TikTok.
Really: Whereas short-form movies are standard with influencers and so they work properly, there are different sorts of content material that work simply as properly. You will get influencers to make long-form movies, livestreams, nonetheless images, or carousels.
You too can ask them to jot down a weblog put up about your model if they’ve a high traffic weblog. There’s no have to restrict your influencer campaigns to 1 kind of content material.
And TikTok and Instagram aren’t the one platforms influencers use. There’s YouTube, Fb, LinkedIn, Reddit, and extra. You’ll be able to even use e-mail advertising and marketing. If there’s an influencer you need to work with and so they have an e-mail checklist, they’ll promote you of their e-newsletter.
That’s the beauty of influencer advertising and marketing: There are many cool methods to do it.
5. Influencers are simply paid shills
The parable: Influencer advertising and marketing is dishonest. Influencers are simply in it for the cash. They’re glad to advertise low-quality junk so long as they receives a commission.
Really: Some influencers are lower than sincere, however that’s not the bulk. The overwhelming majority are simply common individuals who love creating content material and speaking to individuals on-line. They need to make a constructive influence and be ok with the manufacturers they promote. That’s why it’s essential to seek out influencers who agree together with your model’s values and goal.
Making content material and rising an viewers takes effort and time, so influencers anticipate to be compensated. However that doesn’t imply they don’t care in regards to the manufacturers they’re selling.
Earlier than working with an influencer, take an in depth take a look at their tone and message. Speak with them and get to know them. You’ll discover the real ones who’re desperate to share your model with the world.
6. Influencer advertising and marketing is just about rising gross sales
Really: Influencer campaigns can deliver a gross sales increase for positive. And they’ll do much more. Influencers put your model in entrance of a wider viewers, providing you with extra site visitors, followers, and e-mail subscribers.
Influencers additionally improve buyer loyalty as a result of they’re nice at constructing enthusiasm. (In case you’ve ever wished to be a type of “cult manufacturers” with devoted followers, influencers are the best way.)
Influencers can elevate the repute of your model, turning you from “simply one other model” into an business chief. One other factor influencers can do is present your model to a special kind of viewers you’ve had hassle breaking into. Influencer advertising and marketing isn’t nearly gross sales. It’s about altering the best way individuals see your model and changing into essentially the most revered model in your business.
7. Influencer campaigns are too dangerous in your cash
The parable: Influencer advertising and marketing is like playing. You spend cash on an influencer and hope you get a return in your funding, however it’s laborious to know what’s going to occur. You simply should hope it really works!
Really: When your influencer campaigns are data-driven, the danger isn’t so dangerous anymore. A great creator administration platform may give you complete knowledge so that you’ll discover influencers who’re most probably that will help you hit your objectives. You too can collect knowledge throughout your reside campaigns, letting you regulate issues as wanted to create higher outcomes.
In case your influencer campaigns have felt like throwing cash right into a slot machine, it might be since you haven’t had sufficient knowledge to develop detailed methods. “Hoping it really works” isn’t a technique. Utilizing knowledge to your benefit is.
8. Influencer campaigns threat making your model look unhealthy
The parable: Collabing with an influencer is just too dangerous as a result of you possibly can’t management them. You don’t know in the event that they’ll say one thing unhealthy or inaccurate about your model and mess up your repute.
Really: It is a widespread fantasy, and when manufacturers are too fearful about this, they get overly controlling of the influencers they work with. They over-script and take an excessive amount of inventive management of the content material. The influencer’s content material comes out sounding synthetic, individuals see it, and the “influencers are paid shills” fantasy lives on.
Don’t be afraid to let influencers have inventive management. The hot button is to seek out influencers who’re match in your model’s merchandise/companies and mission. These influencers will make content material that’s real and really influences individuals.
9. Extra followers = extra success
The parable: For a profitable influencer marketing campaign, you must work with celebrities with tens of millions of followers.
Really: You’d be shocked how worthwhile influencers with small followings may be. Think about working with micro- and nano-influencers. Micro-influencers have a five-digit follower quantity (10,000-99,999). Nano-influencers have 4 (1,000-9,999). Influencers with smaller followings usually have area of interest audiences with larger engagement, which is why they’re so worthwhile.
Follower rely is considered one of a number of issues to search for when looking for influencers. You even have to have a look at their content material type, tone of voice, viewers demographics, charges, expertise, and extra. If this feels like a headache, it doesn’t should be. A creator administration platform may help you discover and analyze influencers quicker.
10. Influencer advertising and marketing is just too costly
The parable: You’ll be able to’t work with influencers as a result of it prices an excessive amount of. It’s simply not value it.
Really: Influencer advertising and marketing is an funding, not a drain in your funds. In case you make investments a big quantity in influencer campaigns, you’re extra more likely to see a larger return. You’ll be able to work with skilled influencers, get them to make elaborate, high-quality content material, and use superior instruments to make the method smoother.
Whenever you get unimaginable outcomes out of your investments, they’re instantly not so costly. That’s why it’s value it to extend your influencer funds. But when your funds’s tight, attempt a easy marketing campaign with newer influencers and gifted merchandise as a substitute of funds. It will not be the marketing campaign you actually need to do, however it’s a begin, and you’ll enhance your influencer technique over time.
11. Influencer advertising and marketing is straightforward
The parable: It’s straightforward to run an influencer marketing campaign your self. You simply search some hashtags, DM a number of influencers, ship them merchandise, and pay them to put up in regards to the merchandise. How laborious might it’s?
Really: It may be more durable than you suppose, particularly in case you begin scaling your influencer campaigns for larger outcomes. The extra influencers you’re employed with, the more durable it’s to do issues manually and preserve every thing organized. Looking for high quality influencers, talk challenge particulars, deal with funds and legalities, run campaigns on time, and analyze piles and piles of knowledge is sufficient to make your head spin.
In some unspecified time in the future it turns into too exhausting to deal with every thing manually. Getting assist from instruments and specialists is a type of “Why didn’t I do that earlier?” form of issues. If you would like extra profitable influencer campaigns which might be additionally simpler to deal with, utilizing a creator administration platform simply is sensible.
12. Influencer advertising and marketing is just too difficult
The parable: You simply learn the earlier fantasy and now you suppose influencer advertising and marketing is just too laborious and also you don’t need to get caught up in an advanced mess.
Really: Influencer advertising and marketing is just not too difficult for what you are promoting. It’s not fast and straightforward, however that doesn’t imply what you are promoting can’t deal with it. The extra campaigns you run, the extra you’ll be taught from firsthand expertise and have the ability to get spectacular outcomes.
In case you’ve by no means run an influencer marketing campaign, otherwise you haven’t shortly, it’s value a attempt. Go for it and get inventive! Whenever you see significant, measurable outcomes, you’ll be glad you didn’t miss out.
Key takeaway: Time to go from questioning about influencer that means to creating influencer advertising and marketing magic.
Now that these myths are out of the best way, you will get enthusiastic about influencer advertising and marketing. It’s one thing that may profit what you are promoting, however provided that what you’re doing and have instruments that assist.
GRIN is a Creator Administration platform designed to make your influencer campaigns higher in each method, enhancing all components of the method. As a substitute of letting myths scare you away from influencer advertising and marketing, allow us to make it simpler and extra enjoyable for you. You can succeed at influencer advertising and marketing… and that’s a truth.
