Five Influencer Marketing Myths (Debunked!)

Marketing efforts have migrated to the digital realm, which means that influencer marketing is becoming increasingly important.  

A lot of businesses realize this, which is why campaign expenditures on influencer marketing is estimated to surpass $5 billion by 2023.  

Instead of blasting a hard-sell commercial, you can leverage a human brand representative and their following. Not only will your brand's credibility increase but you'll also attract more potential buyers who want to learn more about it.

Before you start working with your influencers, the leading SEO company in West Palm Beach (that's us!) will debunk some of your frequent misconceptions about them.

5 Most Common Influencer Marketing Myths

Myth #1: The scope of influencer marketing is limited.

If by limited scope you mean their reach, it's time to shift focus. You must pick and choose influencers from your niche to do effective influencer marketing.

What does this mean, exactly? In the same way that we advise you to identify your target audience, you should do the same when looking for influencers in your area.

Consider Crocs, a footwear brand that knows exactly who its target audience is. They send Instagram creators a line of their newest products to try out.

These influencers are chosen not just for being on a visual social media site; they’re also chosen because their audiences are more inclined to buy Crocs.

Myth #2: Popularity is more important than influence.

This is where vanity metrics enter the picture. Most brands focus on follower count, which can lead them to hire influencers who aren't in their niche and instead go for the most popular ones.

This is a problem, because follower count isn’t the only metric that matters. In fact, pursuing follower count can hobble your campaign because popular influencers may not have the kind of sway over their audience that you’re looking for.

Your product may or may not resonate with the influencer's audience, even if they have hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers. If you’re a semiconductor company but the influencer sells makeup, that influencer won’t have the sway you need.

Myth #3: Micro-influencers are totally ineffective.

On the contrary, more companies collaborate with micro-influencers to broaden campaign reach. In fact, micro Instagram influencers have a 3.86 percent average engagement rate, compared to 1.21 percent for mega-influencers.

This group of influencers usually has a maximum follower count of 10,000 to 100,000.

Brands are using them more now because, despite having fewer followers, they are niche enough to promote the product while remaining authentic throughout the campaign journey and beyond.

Take, for example, Coca-Cola's #HaveACokeDay campaign. While running their influencer campaign, they also reached out to micro-influencers.

In this case, regular people who consume the product daily, such as dancer and Instagram user @justfeng, who has 25.3K followers.

Myth #4: All influencers just buy their followers.

While there has been a steady increase in the number of fake followers among influencers in their industries, generalizing them all is unfair. There are many influencers who have worked hard to gain a respectable footing, and we should not overlook this.

However, measuring their reach and engagement is beneficial because it is difficult to tell which influencers have genuine followers.

When looking for influencers with whom to collaborate, it's critical to look for the following characteristics:

• Engagement Rate (Very Low or Very High): Influencers with a large following may appear authentic at first glance. However, many of these followers may have been purchased. These interactions may have included a mix of real people and fake accounts. ‍
• Irrelevant and Spammy Comments: It's good to read the comments section to see if an influencer has real followers! This provides excellent qualitative insight into who is interacting with them and how. Genuine comments are easy to spot because they will directly reference the content or respond to comments in the thread. Comments that are spam or appear out of place are usually the result of fake followers and bots. ‍
• Number of Followers to Number of Followed Ratio: Another easily visible indicator is the following/followers ratio. An authentic influencer account should have many more followers than a following.

Other vital metrics for identifying suspicious accounts include the number of new followers per day and the number of people who unfollow. This observation, however, cannot be made by you.

Fortunately, simple yet effective online tools are available to detect these data and reflect true/false profiles.

Myth # 5: Influencer marketing is only for social media.

Social media is an essential part of digital marketing, allowing for both organic reach and paid ads. Those aren’t the only areas where influencers can prove effective, though. Did you know that forum comments and product rating work as well?

Although social media can provide instant feedback, some people in the world still refuse to use any platform. Instead, they rely on reviews and ratings from customers who found a helpful product.

The iHerb Rewards for Influencers program is an excellent example of influencer marketing outside of social media. This program, similar to affiliate marketing, finds influencers who want to find more customers for iHerb.

iHerb ambassadors who successfully persuade people to buy receive a commission incentive.

Influence Is a Fluid Concept

Influencer marketing is not a one-size-fits-all discipline. There are numerous methods for raising people's awareness, consideration, and conversion. You can be more effective when you can push past assumptions and experiment.

Above all, have a goal in mind. Having a "why" for influencing will undoubtedly help you reach your goals and gain the attention you deserve.

When it comes to digital marketing, the only constant is that it is ever-changing. As a result, what works today might not work tomorrow. That is why it is critical to look at the entire process rather than just the highlights.

Do you need help with growing your brand in the digital space? Allow Digital Resource to assist you. We're a leading SEO company in West Palm Beach that can help you promote your business.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you with your social media marketing campaigns.