Influencer Marketing: A Flashy Fad Or Your Next Silver Bullet?
Every few years, there’s a new silver bullet out on the market. Something that offers brands unlimited possibilities with little effort.
But here’s the problem with silver bullets—they only go where you point.
If your aim is off, hitting a bullseye is impossible.
Right now, influencer marketing is being billed as a solution to everything from achieving record sales to building audience trust. As an agency that has helped clients achieve millions of impressions, earn thousands of clicks, and build brand affinity in record time with influencer partnerships, we know that there is limitless potential in this sector.
However, this success isn’t as simple as paying a social media personality to point their camera and start filming. There are plenty of ways to make these partnerships succeed—and plenty of pitfalls to avoid. Here’s what you need to know about developing an influencer marketing strategy that hits the mark every time.
Why Influencer Marketing Fails
When it comes to influencer partnerships, here are the biggest roadblocks to achieving strong results:
Authenticity: In a world filled with filters and deepfakes, social media users crave something real. If your influencer partnership doesn’t pass the sniff test, people won’t want to engage with your brand. Instead of having influencers stick to a script, give them room to do their thing. They know their audience best. When promotional content feels like a natural extension of an influencer’s brand, people listen.
Cohesion: Imagine calling a plumber to fix a clogged drain. When they answer, the first thing they talk about is their favorite new lip-plumping serum. Chances are, you’d be confused and start wondering if this person is worth your time. The same thing happens every day with mismatched influencer partnerships. Make sure what your brand sells aligns with what an influencer regularly talks about—and more importantly, that this influencer speaks to your target audiences.
Platform use: There are some things out of your control, like usage trends. Keep in mind that Influencer engagement is dropping on Instagram and TikTok. So, does that mean these spaces are doomed? Absolutely not. It just means your content needs to be that much sharper to stand out from the noise.
Nano-Influencers, Big Opportunities
Engagement on Instagram is declining, and it’s especially true for mega-influencers. Accounts with over 1 million followers have seen their average engagement rate drop from 1.97% to 0.95% in just a few years.
If you’re looking for a big impact, it’s time to think small. Nano-influencers tend to show more built-in audience trust, have the highest engagement rates, and give brands access to niche audiences.
What do we mean by mega and nano-influencers? Here’s the standard breakdown:
• Nano-influencers: 500 – 10,000 followers
• Micro-influencers: 10,000 – 100,000 followers
• Mid-tier influencers: 100,000 – 500,000 followers
• Macro-influencers: 500,000 – 1m followers
• Mega-influencers: 1m+ followers
The Wharton School of Business recently conducted a study analyzing 500,000 TikTok Discover Page videos. They found that accounts with more followers might see more views, but their posts don’t always get more likes, comments, or shares. That’s likely because these influencers have weaker connections with their audiences. The strongest engagement rates happen with accounts with 7,500 and 10,000 followers.
Despite this data, over 80% of marketers say macro-influencers top their list of ideal influencers, shortly followed by micro-influencers (74%). By partnering with nano-influencers, you have a huge opportunity to go where other brands aren’t looking. That means you can stand out from the noise while building a relationship with an influencer who’s on the rise.
Common Pitfalls
Influencer marketing is a relatively new industry that’s constantly evolving. Algorithms, content trends and laws around data collection are all subject to change.
In this environment, stumbling blocks can seem par for the course. Remember that there’s a difference between trial and error and rookie mistakes. Here are some of the most common pitfalls:
Numbers (sometimes) lie: 1 in 4 influencers have bought fake followers. How can you tell what’s real? Engagement rates and engagement quality are huge indicators. Seeing 200,000 followers and an engagement rate of 0.03% can be a bad sign. Spammy, cut-and-paste comments should also raise alarm bells. Take a deeper look at how their audience interacts with their posts to make sure you’re getting what you pay for.
Sticking to the script: Influencers aren’t puppets. They’re people. Authenticity is one of the most important elements of successful influencer marketing content. If you’re asking influencers to read off a script or post something that feels out of place, you’re probably going to get a lukewarm response. Trust that influencers know who they’re talking to and give them room to be themselves.
Chaotic posting: How often is your prospective influencer posting? Is it consistent? Irregular and haphazard posting can point to a lack of intimacy with audiences. Too much posting, however, can yield a lower engagement rate since the influencer is clogging their followers’ feeds. Make sure your potential partner has a consistent, healthy presence on the platform.
Best Practices
Some brands use influencer marketing for increased awareness. Others want to see an explosion in sales. No matter the goal, you can rely on these foundational principles to set your campaigns up for success:
You can’t fake enthusiasm: Look for influencers who naturally align with what your brand stands for, not just what your company sells. A partnership that’s united around core beliefs is usually the “it” factor behind highly engaging content.
Be a partner, not a puppet master: Your relationship with an influencer behind the scenes has a direct impact on the content they deliver. Make sure they feel seen, heard, supported and excited about their work with your brand.
Know what you’re paying for: Don’t just watch an influencer’s past sponsored posts. Analyze them. Do they come across as genuine? Is there enthusiastic, positive engagement? Do you see any potential conflicts of interest? These questions can help you predict the success of your own partnership.
Great content deserves a second life: Why rely on a single post to do all the heavy lifting? Platforms like Instagram make it easy to amplify your reach. Stories, collaborative posts, and—if the contract allows it—repurposing footage for ads can make a big difference.
Look beyond the obvious: When you branch out strategically, you can strengthen brand awareness and even tap into new revenue streams. HOKA didn’t become a viral running shoe by sticking to the obvious. Instead of just working with marathoners, this brand also chose to court DJs—a group of people who need comfortable shoes. Now, HOKA reports over $1 billion in sales a year.
What’s Next
We don’t have a crystal ball, but we do have data. Here’s what we think brands can expect from the future of influencer marketing:
Long-term partnerships: One-off posts with an influencer may have worked in the past. These days, multiple pieces of content spread across weeks or months can help keep your brand top of mind. This goes beyond recycling content. Make sure each post is unique and makes viewers want to see your next collaboration.
Hungry to learn: While some specific influencer categories are seeing dwindling engagement rates, plenty of others like education are holding strong across platforms. This could mean social media’s position in the world is shifting. Instead of being a type of entertainment, it is becoming a resource for empowerment. Brands may need to reframe their content and partnerships to adapt to this change.
To successfully integrate influencer marketing into your overall outreach strategy, you need a solid foundation. Sometimes, that means hiring outside experts to help make sense of it all. With the right plan and a clear vision, it’s easier to hit a bullseye every time.
Check out our Social Media Campaign of the Year, Silver, Impact Award case study
Ready to light up your social channels? Let’s chat about how we might partner together. For more information, please get in touch.
