While many marketers are finding success in influencer marketing, many still need to tackle these common challenges:
1. Spotting fake followers and inauthentic engagement.
Although Instagram has cracked down on third party services that peddle in fake followers and inauthentic engagement, it appears that marketers remain skeptical about the scope or effectiveness of this ban.
Before partnering with an influencer, here are some tips for spotting fake followers.
2. Social algorithms making content less visible.
Social media platforms have changed the algorithms of their users’ feeds since the social feed was created—but in recent years algorithm changes have stirred up influencer communities.
For example, in September 2018 YouTube came under fire for their algorithm changes supposedly leading to creator burnout, as influencers raced to produce more content so their videos wouldn’t drop from the feed.
Many brands, too, feel that their organic social content ends up being lost after algorithms deprioritized it.
That being said, influencer content tends to surface well amongst fans on most platforms, which is why more brands are investing more in sponsoring influencer content.
3. Building an always-on strategy, rather than one-off campaigns.
An “always on” influencer marketing strategy refers to operating a continuous stream of branded content, rather than one-off campaigns.
While more marketers find “always on” strategies effective, they require a lot of internal resources to maintain.
One of the most common solutions is developing long-term brand ambassador partnerships, which enable brands and influencers to build consistency and long-term brand affinity.
4. The rising costs of influencers.
There’s no question that the most popular macro-influencers and celebrities have increased their pricing in recent years.
For example, Kylie Jenner charges a whopping $1 million per sponsored Instagram post. However on the other end of the spectrum, marketers are exploring partnering with smaller, more accessible influencers such as nano-influencers, who will often work for a nominal fee or in exchange for a free product.
Source: https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/influencer-marketing-statistics/#the-biggest-influencer-marketing-challenges