Reasons an Influencer Marketing Campaign Can Fail

Influencer marketing can be a powerful tool for brands looking to connect with new audiences, build trust, and boost their visibility. However, many brands enter the world of influencer marketing with unrealistic expectations, often seeing it as a magical solution that guarantees immediate results. While SHOUT is a powerful tool for generating excellent user-generated content (UGC), much like running a single TV advertisement once and expecting a sudden rush on your product, a one-off influencer post is unlikely to generate the desired outcome. Which is why we encourage creating campaigns, hiring creators from different niches with different audiences to effectively convey your message.

For those who have tried influencer marketing and not seen the results they hoped for, there are several common reasons campaigns can fall short. Understanding these pitfalls can help you plan a more effective strategy for next time.

1. Lack of Clear Goals

One of the biggest mistakes brands make is not defining what they want to achieve with their influencer campaign. Are you aiming for increased brand recognition, driving traffic to your website, or seeking a positive endorsement from the influencer? Each of these objectives requires a different approach, and trying to achieve multiple goals at once can dilute your efforts.

It’s crucial to focus on a single, clear goal for each campaign. This will help you measure success accurately and tailor your strategy accordingly. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and ensure your chosen influencers understand what you expect from the collaboration. Simply making your brief longer and using our 'create-a-brief' templates, can make a huge difference when it comes to generating UGC that audiences will love.

2. Unprepared Assets

Even with the perfect influencer and great content, your campaign can fall flat if your website or digital presence isn't ready to handle the traffic and interest generated. Before launching a campaign, ensure that your website is optimised for both desktop and mobile users. Do you have a well-designed landing page to greet new visitors? Is the purchasing process straightforward, and is your customer service team prepared to handle enquiries?

A smooth user experience is essential for converting interest into sales or engagement. Coordinating all your digital assets with your influencer campaign can make the difference between a potential customer bouncing off your site or becoming a loyal fan.

3. Choosing the Wrong Influencer

Finding the right influencer is critical to the success of your campaign. It's not just about follower count; it’s about engagement, audience demographics, and whether their content aligns with your brand's message. Consider their engagement rate, the age and location of their followers, and their interests. A mismatch between the influencer’s audience and your target market can result in wasted efforts and missed opportunities.

Services like SHOUT can simplify this process by connecting brands with nano influencers whose interests and audiences align with your needs. Nano influencers, in particular, offer the benefit of highly engaged followers who trust their recommendations, making them an excellent choice for brands seeking authentic connections.

4. Missing Key Campaign Aspects

Influencer marketing is about more than just a single post; it’s about building a relationship that benefits both parties and fosters genuine engagement. Beyond the basics, there are a few additional aspects of an influencer campaign that are often overlooked but can significantly impact its success:

• Brand Alignment and Behaviour
  Influencers are both real people and marketable personas. Their success often hinges on their authenticity and the genuine connection they have with their audience. This makes it vital to research potential influencers thoroughly to ensure their values align with your brand. Consider including a behaviour clause in your contract, allowing you to end the relationship if the influencer’s actions no longer reflect your brand's values.
• Amplification Rights
  To maximise the reach of your campaign, it’s important to take advantage of the organic growth generated by influencer content. This can be achieved by using your own brand’s social media channels to amplify the content further. However, make sure you establish what rights you have to the content in your agreement with the influencer. This allows you to share their posts and extend their reach without any issues. When you purchase UGC through us, you automatically get usage rights, making the process more convenient.
• Duration and Content Removal
  Different influencers have different practices regarding how long they keep sponsored content on their social media feeds. Some might delete posts after the collaboration ends, while others leave them up permanently. Make sure you clearly outline in your contract how long you expect the content to remain visible. If an influencer removes a post that your other marketing efforts are linked to, it could have a negative impact on your campaign’s effectiveness.

The Key to Successful Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing can be a game-changer when done right, bringing your brand closer to your audience in an authentic and engaging way. But achieving this requires careful planning, the right partnerships, and clear communication. With services like SHOUT, brands can find the perfect influencers who align with their values and goals, ensuring campaigns that resonate with the target audience.

The most successful influencer campaigns involve a mutual understanding of what each party is aiming to achieve, clear guidelines, and realistic expectations. By avoiding common pitfalls and focusing on authentic, well-planned collaborations, brands can use influencer marketing to achieve long-term growth and visibility. If you're looking to get your next campaign right, get in touch with SHOUT today to see how we can help you connect with the right influencers and amplify your brand's message.