6 Reasons Influencers Could Harm Your Brand

Influencer marketing is one of the ways businesses use to create brand awareness. Marketers believe that influencer marketing is a good way to drive traffic. But, it’s still a very risky and expensive strategy that small businesses must tread lightly. Influencers can be a hit or miss and that could mean wasting your money. Here are 6 reasons why influencers can be harmful to your business

Finding the right influencers takes time and work.

Each business is different and each influencer is different. Finding the right influencer for your business can take a lot of time, time better used for running your business. Looking for an influencer is also a gamble. It’s difficult to know if an influencer has genuine followers or engagements. Many influencers use services to make it seem they have more followers, likes or engagement than they actually do.

 Choosing the wrong influencer could harm your business and waste a lot of money. The wrong influencer may not be able to create brand awareness. Your business might not resonate with the influencer’s audience. In some cases, the wrong influencer can impact your brand’s reputation.

Influencer mistakes can cost your brand.

Everybody makes mistakes. Each business, person, and yes, even influencers can make mistakes. Usually, mistakes can be resolved but it can still affect your business in some way. If an influencer makes controversial mistakes, it can affect the reputation of your brand. But there are other ways influencer mistakes can impact your business.

 A common mistake influencers often make is not disclosing sponsorship/paid partnerships. Depending on where you are, you could face some legal troubles because an influencer failed to disclose a paid partnership. Usually, in these cases, the influencer is usually liable but why risk it?

High costs of influencers.

Influencer marketing can be expensive. Depending on the type of influencer you work with, you could be spending thousands of dollars. Even lower-tier influencers can cost you hundreds of dollars.

An Instagram micro-influencers can cost you up to $500 dollars or more. Prices also depend on what platform each influencer will promote your brand. For small businesses, this might be too much to consider.

Low-Tier influencers means lower reach.

Micro-influencers are influencers that usually have a reasonable following in their niche. Though definitions vary, micro-influencers usually have a following of 1000-10,000 people. Many brands use these influencers because they are cheaper than more popular influencers. But, they don’t have the reach compared to an influencer with millions of followers. If you need to reach a wider audience, it also means working with more micro-influencers which can add up costs.

Influencer marketing is highly competitive.

Influencers marketing has boomed over recent years. Big and small brands are using influencer marketing to reach the attention of consumers. That also means you’re competing with other brands for the chance to work with an influencer. You may have to wait longer for an influencer to work with you. The influencer may also find a better deal with a bigger brand.

Influencer Marketing Agencies are limited

Many brands use influencer marketing agencies to get connected with influencers. If you want to market your brand beyond influencer marketing like digital marketing, you would have to work with another agency.

Influencer marketing agencies only provide influencer marketing services. They’re only there to connect you with the right influencer they work with. It can cost you money to work with two different agencies at the same time.

Final Thoughts

Influencer marketing is a great tool for many businesses. But, it’s also very risky and expensive for smaller brands. You may not have the time or money to dabble into influencer marketing. On top of that, you have your own social media to worry about. Even with a successful influencer campaign, influencer marketing won’t manage your social media for you. You would still need to take time out of your day to make content for your business.

That’s why Reel Content is here to help you manage your social media. Authenticity is key for a successful social media presence. Influencers take advantage of this so why can’t your business do it as well?

Reel Content makes authentic content for your social media without relying on influencers. We can make you more authentic to your consumers. On top of that, we can manage your social media for you so you can focus on your business while we share your story. Get in touch with us and we’ll help you manage your social media.