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13 mistakes that will kill your relationships with Influencers
Influencer marketing has become a household practice and its success cements the reasons as to why it is the choice marketing angle for most brands. Influencer marketing gives you a return of $6.50 for every $1 spent which means its success ratio is unrivalled. Influencer marketing lets you initiate, stimulate and escalate a conversation which in turn allows you to spread awareness thereby developing a brand in the process. Influencer marketing is a delicate exercise and as platforms like bitgale.com have detailed, success is a matter of knowing how to handle the influencer. In line with that, here are 13 mistakes that will definitely kill your relationships with Influencers.
Micromanaging an Influencer
Influencers build a following based on their own structure and organization. Micromanaging them means you are interfering with the ecosystem they have established. Micromanaging affects how an Influencer will be viewed by their audience which is a major risk since they may also lose their credibility and worse still fail to appeal to the following they have built.
Not having a Win-Win proposal
An Influencer marketing campaign has to be run on the premise that it will be a win-win situation for both the brand and the Influencer. The key is to plan a fair compensation in return for benefits your brand will experience. Failing to do this will ultimately ruin your relationship.
Failure to organize campaigns
Desired goals and objectives are very important when starting an influencer campaign. It is therefore crucial that Influencer responsibilities are detailed and organized to avoid miscommunications. Any commitments coupled with objective tracking schedules and systems must be captured to avoid obstacles in delivery. Any changes in marketing plan and angles should also be handled effectively and in a systemic manner to prevent against failure of the program.
Being inconsistent
Inconsistency is a major mistake when it comes to Influencer relationships. As a brand, inconsistency both in the message, campaign organization and handling of the overall relationship means an Influencer will always be sold short which is a situation most of them hate to be in. it also results in a scenario where you establish a bad reputation for yourself.
Curtailing their creativity
Influencers get their appeal owing to their creative element and their ability to create the content that brings in a following. They are well versed in what their audiences like and will ultimately go for. Curtailing the creative element that has allowed them to get where they are is a mistake that kills your relationship with them.
Lack of communication
Influencers always appreciate a scenario where they are able to get communication on what is expected of them and how they are expected to contribute to the bottom line. You will be failing both the brand and the influencer if you do not communicate properly. Strategic communication is the key as it provides thorough understanding of the intricacies of the campaign and how the overall goal is to be captured. The key is to be clear about what you need done and the areas of mutual interest that can be pursued collectively.
Treating Influencers like a marketing machine
Influencers are human beings and are not simply your marketing vehicle to make use of even in the context that is not relatable to them. Imposing brand tone and implementing unreal strategies is a massive letdown to them. You have to treat them in a human way which is what will cultivate an effective management angle for the marketing campaigns.
Being focused on the superficial
This is often a result of having unrealistic targets and expecting quick results. When you are focused on the superficial, your relationship with an Influencer breaks down and this is what presents a tragic outcome in the results of a marketing campaign.
Break in synchronization of updates
Influencers have a following they have to maximize upon in terms of providing them with fresh and relevant content. If there is a break in how the updates are synchronized to satisfy the target audience, it is very easy to kill your relationship with an Influencer.
Making a transactional relationship
Transactional relationships are always a letdown in the Influencer marketing field. In a transactional relationship, there is no desire to further the relationship or grow a connection that will see future projects and campaigns thrive. This results in reduced impact which ultimately translates to the relationship being unsustainable as there is no additional effort.
Breach of contract
Nothing fails a brand-Influencer relationship than breach of contract especially when the goals and expectations come into play. The idea here is to define expectations and consequences for the same.
Handling all Influencers in a “one size fits all”
All influencers are not the same and this means they have different approaches to brand management and outreach strategies. Taking a “one size fits all” approach is detrimental to the bottom-line since it will ruin how you relate with Influencers.
Failing to trust
You have to trust that they have the best interests for your brand and that your entity is in good hands. The key is to trust their influence and what they bring to the table to ensure you are on the same progressive page.