Influencer Marketing: You're Doing It All Wrong

Influencer Marketing is Annoying the Crap Out of Me. 

Yep, I said it. 

See, once upon a time, great brand strategists understood that one of the best ways to reach consumers was through the people they love and align with. #InfluencerMarketing

But then everything went wrong: Instead of focusing on the right influencers and really digging into their audience, it became about sheer numbers.

From the most obscure fashion “influencer” to Kim Kardashian herself, celebrities of all backgrounds have established a rich tradition of hawking bullshit products on Instagram.

​Yes, there's a great idea behind it, but there's brands and companies out there totally missing the mark.

Here's Why You're Doing it Wrong

Maggie Malek, from Marketing Land explained it perfectly.

"Influencer Marketing at its core, it’s a great idea! Get leaders, celebrities or someone with an audience you want to reach to talk about your brand and influence their fans to check you out.

The rise of social media made it even easier to tap into these influencer networks as brands and agencies had to do less detective work; it became relatively easy to find people online who appear to have vast influence based solely on numbers of fans and followers.
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And this is where it all went wrong. Instead of focusing on the right influencers and really digging into their audience, it became about sheer numbers."

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Influencer Marketing Revealed

I'll give you a real life example: Reality TV personality from Keeping up with the Kardashians, Scott Disick.

You guys! He had one job: to post sponsored content. Guess what? He completely blew it. He had one job and he killed it. (and I don't mean in a good way.)
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Scott was asked to promote BooTea Shake but he accidentally copy and pasted the instructions straight from the company into his caption. A man who makes between $15,000 and $20,000 for a sponsored post completely blew it by revealing how staged these sponsored posts really are. 

He wasn't genuine with his caption. He didn't keep things authentic. I can't even imagine the all-hands-on-deck meeting that took place at Bootea U.K. after this mishap. This is the last time we put all our eggs in Scott Disick's basket!

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SugarBear Hair

How many reality stars does it take to promote sugar bear hair? if you have an Instagram account, you’ve probably seen some of your favorite celebrities endorsing the little blue gummy bears known as SugarBear Hair Vitamins. From Khloe Kardashian to your favorite Bachelor stars, everyone seems to be promoting these vitamins for healthy hair.

But I just can't bring myself to like this product because I am seeing EVERYONE promoting them. Not only that, but the #ad totally turns me off. 

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Diff Eyewear

C-list celebs are trying their absolute darnest to sell us these shades. The stars of the Bachelor franchise are probably Diff’s most active and enthusiastic salespeople, which makes sense, because Instagram is almost always where their “journey” ends up. 

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Fit Fab Fun Box

FitFabFun ​another brand taking over Instagram Influencer Marketing. I see countless posts about this subscribtion beauty and fitness box. But all the influencers post the same type of picture with similar captions. You see one post of the box and then they never mention it again. Why don't they showcase themselves actually using the product in real life. Lose the staged photos guys!

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How to Change the Game Of Influencer Marketing

Want to really change the game of Influencer Marketing? Try these 3 tips. 

1. Choose Quality Over Quantity

“The one thing you absolutely must know about influencer marketing is that the numbers don’t always tell the whole story. After spending millions on ‘celebrities,’ I’ve seen better results from influencers with a smaller but much more niched following than from the widely popular ones.” -JOEL CONTARTESE, SENIOR BRAND STRATEGIST

2. Choose an Influencer Relevant to your Brand

Think about Scott Disick. Do you really think this guy would buy "BooTea Shake?" I don't think so. It's totally obvious they chose Scott as an ambassador because of his numbers instead of confirming he was relevant to their brand and audience. 

“It’s all about finding a fit: matching your product with their brand. There’s only a limited number of influencers who are right for your customers and your product. The real value is in long-term collaboration. A campaign is a story, not a one-off event.” -LUCAS VIGLIOCCO, INFLUENCER AGENCY CALL THE TUNE

3. Let Influencers Talk in their Own Voice
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This goes back to authenticity .While is it good to give influencers something good to show (like your product), you don’t want to give them too much to say. They know how to talk to their audience, so let them say what they want about the product. 

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Influencer Marketing is Great if you do it Right

Influencer Marketing can be a positive experience when you choose appropriate influencers and the right messaging. If you're genuine and authentic, your message and product can get consumers to take action, which is what your end goal should be. 

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