5 Myths About Working with Influencers
An influencer partnership between our host, Renee Buckingham and UP & GO
Using influencer marketing is now more common than not, yet there are still so many myths about working with influencers. This industry is predicted to be worth $15 billion in 2022 so it’s time to set the record straight and debunk five common myths:
1. Influencer marketing is expensive
The biggest reason that brands hesitate to use influencer marketing is that they think it is expensive. This may be true for celebrities or influencers with over 1 million followers, but there are plenty of options to suit any budget.
Prices vary based on how you plan to work with an influencer and differ according to the size of their following, content required, contract duration and exclusivity. Micro-influencers with <100K followers typically charge between $2K - $500K and can be just as effective at reaching your target audience.
2. The more followers an influencer has, the better the influence
There is a common misconception that an influencer’s follower count is most important. This is coupled with the belief that nano and micro-influencers don’t deliver results. Whilst these micro-influencers may not have the same reach as top-tier influencers, their average engagement rates are higher. This figure stands at 4% across all feed and sponsored posts.
Certain products also require targeting a niche audience for which nano and micro-influencers are a more successful and cost-effective choice. This is because they are highly engaged with their community and have great influence in their niche.
3. Working with influencers is difficult as they are lazy and unprofessional
Selfies, avocado on toast, posing in front of colour walls… This is what many people stereotype the life of an influencer to be. Unfortunately, this is a big misinterpretation, and the life of an influencer far exceeds simply posing for and posting pictures.
Influencers typically have a full-time job in addition to content creation (which should be acknowledged as a job in itself). They work hard to create exceptional content, often after-hours and on the weekend. These influencers are the opposite of lazy but are passionate people that are experts in their field. They know how to relate to their audience and work hard to build these relationships.
4. Influencers are only in it for the money and free products
If you think that all influencers are driven by compensation and gifts then you couldn’t be more wrong. Whilst celebrity and macro-influencers expect large financial compensation for their work, many micro and nano influencers are willing to collaborate with brands for a low fee or in return for free products. They want to partner with brands that align with their values and are instead motivated by a desire to support the brands that they love.
5. All influencers buy followers
There’s no denying that fake followers exist. Some influencers buy followers to inflate their numbers on social media in the hopes of securing more brand partnerships and deals. However, this is not the case for the majority of influencers who have worked hard to build their loyal followings. It is easy to tell the legitimacy of an influencer’s following. You can do so by looking at their engagement and seeing how many likes and comments their posts receive and whether these accounts appear genuine.