7 Influencer Marketing Challenges and Opportunities

Influencer marketing has revolutionized the advertising world. A personable, effective influencer campaign can connect with consumers in a way that traditional advertisements never could. One well-timed sponsored post by a trusted social media influencer can turn a relatively unknown brand into a household name, if influencer marketing challenges are addressed in an effective manner. 

Influencer marketing strategies provide organizations with multiple opportunities to connect with their community, prompt action (a purchase, sign-up, donation, etc.), and develop consumer relationships. 

According to a 2018 influencer marketing survey conducted by Mediakix:

• 89% of marketing managers reported ROI from influencer marketing was comparable to or better than other advertising options. 

• 65% of marketing managers planned on increasing their influencer marketing budgets.

• Influencer marketing delivered an ROI of 11x that of paid media.

Since its relatively recent emergence, influencer marketing has provided ample indication that it can be (if managed effectively) a worthwhile investment and should be considered when evaluating an organization’s marketing and public relations strategy. Influencer marketing is very different in approach and results than traditional marketing tools, and it’s these unique characteristics that drive its effectiveness.  

What Makes Influencer Marketing Unique

Influencers connect with consumers in a unique way and have the potential to connect brands with consumers that they would otherwise be unable to reach. With more traditional digital marketing strategies, social media, and eblasts, the brand has to acquire new contacts or followers prior to distributing content. Otherwise, their content won’t get much of a response because no one sees it. Influencer marketing is an integrated strategy that incorporates product placement, celebrity endorsement, word of mouth marketing, content marketing, and social media promotion. Influencer marketing connects brands with consumers that traditional marketing can’t. It creates a more authentic experience that excels at developing brand-consumer experiences that last. 

In addition to providing a unique promotional experience, influencer marketing is much more engaging than traditional marketing options like billboards, radio, and newspapers. Influencers can actually converse with consumers through social media, facilitating a fully-immersive experience for the consumer to learn more about the brand and evaluate the product. Some brands, like General Motors, have even created in-person events to coincide with influencer campaigns, creating a highly-interactive consumer experience that goes way beyond traditional sales pitches. 

7 Influencer Marketing Challenges:

Influencer marketing presents a number of challenges and opportunities to the 21st-century brand. When compared to traditional marketing tactics, influencer marketing can reach a different consumer demographic; however, due to its relatively unregulated, decentralized state, influencer marketing campaigns can be challenging for organizations to develop, execute and manage. 

Here are seven influencer marketing challenges: 

• Influencer noncompliance that results in an incomplete or ineffective campaign element. 

• A potential public relations crisis can occur if the influencer posts inappropriate or offensive content at a later date. 

• Inflated or falsified influencer followings can be challenging for marketing teams to identify before the influencer activation. 

• Assessing an influencer campaigns return on investment may be difficult, depending on the campaign resources.

• Coordinating an effective influencer campaign can be time-intensive, especially for organizations with little to no experience working with influencers. 

• Adjusting the influencer campaign for social media app and regulation changes, many of which are announced with very little warning. 

• Niche influencer discovery and recruitment may also be challenging for an organization with limited resources and/or influencer marketing experience. 

7 Influencer Marketing Opportunities:

While developing and executing an effective influencer marketing campaign can present a number of challenges, it can also provide brands with an innovative strategy that can expand their support base and boost the brand’s image and promote brand loyalty. 

Here are seven influencer marketing opportunities:

• Influencer marketing has the potential to be perceived by consumers as more authentic and trustworthy than traditional advertisements.  

• A well-executed influencer activation can connect an organization with an advertising-immune demographic (Millennials and Generation Z). 

• Influencer marketing has the potential to grow a brand’s customer and follower base within a highly targeted audience that aligns with the influencer(s) niche market. 

• Influencer marketing is reported to yield a higher ROI than many traditional advertising strategies

• A well-managed influencer campaign can be quite cost-effective when compared to paid media alternatives. 

• Sponsored blog posts and vlog episodes can improve the organization’s website SEO ranking through the creation of backlinks.

• Influencer marketing campaigns have the potential to create fresh, engaging brand content that provides value and sparks interest in the organization. 

Is Influencer Marketing right for your organization?

Influencer marketing can be a challenging marketing strategy to implement, especially if the organization is limited in experience and/or resources; however, when managed effectively, influencer marketing can present a number of promising opportunities. Organizations should approach influencer marketing with “eyes wide open’, and evaluate both the potential challenges and opportunities associated with this innovative strategy. Influencer marketing can work great, and it can be a dismal failure, depending on how the influencer campaign is structured and managed. 

If your organizations would like to learn more about influencer marketing, check Becker Digital’s webinar - Influencer Marketing for the Digital Age - for a much more in-depth exploration into influencer marketing’s challenges and opportunities. Consider scheduling a Discovery Call with Becker Digital’s creative team to learn more about how influencer marketing can take your organization’s reach to the next level. Becker Digital’s in-house influencer network, Operation Influence, offers organizational clients strategic access to experienced, reputable influencers in a variety of industries.