Using influencers was one of the big trends in 2016 and we see how the industry has exploded ever since. However, some companies have already experienced a backlash, when they have not understood what the relationship with influencers really looks like.
In February, we saw Disney withdraw its support for PewdiePie over a tasteless video with jokes that could be considered anti-Semitic. So, what do you need to think about choosing the right influencer collaboration?
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Relevant context for the followers and relevant traffic for you
A political blogger was offered an opportunity to blog about the oil changes. Someone thought that since he had mostly middle-aged men as readers, his blog would be a good marketing site for oil filters. The blogger declined, and it was fortunate for both parties. Because a good influencers collaboration is more than just buying traffic via a link. You want your company and your products or services to be visible in a context where you reinforce each other.
Likewise, if a seller of expensive cars starts to advertise on an Instagram channel that usually puts up cheap cars, it won’t be a good match as the target audience is wrong. As long-term brand awareness, it may work, but for conversion it is worthless. Those who can afford your watch do not depend on such an account.
Celebrity Endorsements and Sponsorship
Celeberity Endorsements have been around since 1760 when a British porcelain manufacturer first announced that they were delivering to the royal house. Since then it has been developed, refined, and changed. In the past, it was not uncommon for the celebrity who would market tobacco to smoke the cigarette as soon as the pictures were taken and then never smoked. However, social media places new demands on authenticity.
When influencers upload thousands of pictures of themselves in a year, it’s not just about what you see, but also what’s missing. Apple doesn’t usually market itself with celebrities, but made an exception for Apple Watch. Both Katy Perry and Beyoncé received custom-made watches before everyone else in exchange for exposure. The problem? They never wear them on the pictures they post on Instagram.
Oprah Winfrey is perhaps most notorious in this context. She promoted Microsoft Surface in a tweet. The only thing was that the post ended with “via Twitter on Ipad”.
Many influencers receive most of their income from just paid posts from various companies. This means that your customers will hold you accountable for both the material published by the influencer, but also for what they do otherwise. It can be both positive and negative. Obviously, the world’s largest children’s film studio cannot support anti-Semitic messages, and Disney has therefore seen its investment in PewdiePie hit back against them. This is particularly sensitive, as studio founder Walt Disney has long been exposed to unfounded rumors of anti-Semitism.
Of course, there are those who do things just right too. When Nike gave Casey Neistat $ 100,000 under very loose terms to make a video on the “Make it count” theme and he chose to raise all the money for 10 days with regular video updates, it was a collaboration that felt both very Nike and very Casey Neistat. It set the message and built the Nike brand.
In summary, data builds all digital marketing. This is important even with influencers. Influencer marketing is about authenticity in order to achieve a trustworthy campaign that people trust and believe in.
