Influencer marketing is a multi-billion dollar industry–one that is expected to increase over the next several years and there is no denying that influencer marketing works. But why is it that so many brands work with an influencer once or twice and then never again? While a portion of the problem could be in part due to over or under-budgeting on the brand’s side, the biggest issue is comes from a lack of industry knowledge and consistency–so here I’m going to discuss why influencer marketing shouldn’t be used as a one-off advertising technique.

All too often are brands after a quick sell–they rely on the influencer to sell their products for them, usually only after one or two posts. In some lucky cases it works out like that in the brand’s favor, but in many other cases (more often than not–especially when the brand is new and unheard of) that’s just an unrealistic expectation that will likely lead to disappointment and frustration with the influencer. 

Unlike general ad campaigns, influencers aren’t salespeople and that’s not what you’re paying them to do–at least, it shouldn’t be. Influencer marketing should be approached less as a “quick sale” option and more so as a way to build a brand’s reputation and loyal following. After all, the main goal is to have your own large following so you don’t have to pay influencers, right?

This leads me to my next point.

You want to build your own audience. 

Imagine if Nike paid Michael Jordan to market their product once, and then he went and promoted another shoe company straight after. See the problem? His audience will probably feel, one, confused about which shoe he actually likes, and two, that he’s just working with whoever gives him a paycheck rather than actually endorsing a product he stands by–and who would buy into that? Not many people, nor would they be interested in “following another shoe brand.”

The only way that you will build a solid following of your own–or at least with as little competition as possible–is with exclusivity. This is as important as is the ad campaign itself because without it, you risk the influencer not giving your company the exclusivity it deserves–and in a world where not too many products are new and innovative, you’re probably going to need that.

This strategy works best when brands, especially those that are new and without a following/reputation of their own, build ongoing relationships with influencers that span over months and years, sort of like how Nike has an ongoing relationship with Michael Jordan.

You need the endorsements. 

If you are looking for quick selling of your product, a one-off targeted ad campaign is a better route. Remember, influencers are usually not salespeople, that said, salesperson or not, they have something you want: the following, the eyes, the engagement, the loyalty and trust.

You aren’t paying influencers to sell your product, you’re paying for the endorsement for them to say, “hey, I tried this product and my skin didn’t fall off–it’s safe, I use it, I like it, and you should too!”

In a world with so many scammers, tainted products, and so on, this good endorsement is absolutely necessary to build trust with new audiences. No one is worried about Nike’s site scamming them–but the new cheap shoe line with two followers on Insta? Well, you see what I’m getting at.

Influencers help to bridge that gap by not only sharing your brand with their audience but also so you can use their post as a sort of testimonial to prove that your business is legit. It’s a win/win and the more endorsements you have from the same people over a longer period of time, the more trustworthy your brand will be. 

You need consistency. 

Even if your influencer agrees not to promote any other similar products or companies over a span of X amount of months or years, you are still missing out on a lot of potential eyes if you aren’t scheduling consistent posts. What consistency looks like for each brand may differ, but if your influencer is posting multiple times a day–or week–your paid post is going to get buried and forgotten about pretty fast.

Stay on top of people’s minds and newsfeeds–pay for a regular post and remember, this shouldn’t be a “forever” expense. Your influencer should be helping you build your own community.

Not every brand has a budget large enough for ongoing commitments, which is why it’s imperative to find influencers who will work within your budgets and time constraints. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly influencer or social media marketing consultant, get in contact with me today!