7 Deadly Sins of Influencer Marketing Tools—Best Practices for Businesses

In today's world, influencer marketing has become a vital part of the marketing mix for many businesses. Targeting a specific audience through trusted industry voices is a powerful way. As influencer marketing continues to grow, an entirely new industry of influencer marketing tools has emerged to help brands manage and measure their campaigns effectively.

While these tools can be a game-changer, not all influencer marketing tools are created equal, and many can lead to common mistakes or "deadly sins" that can adversely affect the success of a campaign. This article will explore the seven deadly sins of influencer marketing tools and provide businesses with best practices to avoid these pitfalls. So, whether you're an influencer marketing expert or a brand looking to start your first campaign, read on to discover how to make the most of your influencer marketing efforts.

Deadly Sin #1: Ignoring Authenticity

According to the 2023 Influencer Marketing Hub survey, 90% of marketers think influencer marketing is effective. This is mainly due to one of its biggest draws—the influencer content's authenticity. It's what makes it so appealing to audiences and effective for businesses. 

However, many influencer marketing tools can lead to inauthentic content. These tools often prioritize metrics like follower count or engagement rate over the authenticity of the influencer's content. In doing so, brands risk partnering with influencers who are not a good fit for their brand or create content that does not resonate with their target audience.

Businesses should prioritize authenticity to avoid this deadly sin to make their influencer marketing campaign management more efficient. This means vetting potential influencers carefully, looking beyond their follower count, and analyzing their content. Brands should also work with influencers who genuinely believe in their products or services and have a connection with their brand values.

Deadly Sin #2: Focusing Solely on the Number of Followers

Another common mistake many businesses make when it comes to influencer marketing is focusing too much on the number of followers an influencer has. While a large following can be impressive, it does not always translate into a successful campaign.

Another 2021 influencer marketing study discovered that 90% of marketers are interested in collaborating with micro-influencers, with macro-influencers following at 72%. Focusing solely on follower count can lead to missed opportunities to work with influencers who may have smaller followings but a highly engaged and targeted audience.

Businesses can dodge this deadly sin by looking beyond follower count and focusing on the quality of the influencer's audience. This means considering factors such as engagement rate, audience demographics, and the influencer's relevance to the brand's niche.

Deadly Sin #3: Not Setting Clear Goals

Another common mistake businesses make is failing to set clear goals for their influencer marketing campaigns. With clear goals, it's easier to measure the success of a campaign or determine if it is worth the investment. Many influencer marketing tools can hinder goal-setting by prioritizing metrics that may not align with the brand's goals.

Businesses can prevent this deadly sin by establishing clear goals for their influencer marketing campaigns. This means identifying the desired outcomes, such as increased brand awareness, website traffic, or sales.

For instance, in the gaming industry, businesses may set goals for their influencer marketing campaigns to drive game downloads, increase in-game purchases, or improve overall player engagement. To achieve these goals, they may partner with influencers specializing in gaming content and have a large following of potential players.

Additionally, businesses can leverage gaming analytics software to track the success of their influencer marketing campaigns and monitor player behavior, preferences, and spending patterns. By finding the best gaming analytics software, businesses can optimize their game design and marketing strategies and focus on achieving their goals, ultimately driving more revenue for their game. 

Deadly Sin #4: Relying Too Much on Automation

Automation can both help and harm influencer marketing. It saves time and streamlines processes, but can also lead to impersonal campaigns and difficulty spotting potential issues. To avoid over-reliance on automation, businesses should balance automation with human input. While automation can assist with tasks like influencer discovery and outreach, personal connections and human oversight of content are essential.

There is a list of best marketing tools in 2023 that can help automate certain tasks like influencer discovery and outreach. However, brands should prioritize building personal connections with influencers and ensuring human oversight of content before posting. This helps avoid the lack of authenticity and personalization from relying too much on automation.

Deadly Sin #5: Neglecting to Disclose Sponsored Content

Influencer marketing campaigns often involve sponsored content, meaning the influencer has received compensation for their post. However, it's essential to disclose sponsored content to ensure transparency with the audience and comply with FTC guidelines. Please disclose sponsored content to avoid a loss of trust from the audience and potential legal issues.

Many influencer marketing platforms need help to disclose sponsored content properly. For example, some tools may need to provide clear options for adding disclosures or may prioritize aesthetics over transparency.

Businesses should prioritize transparency in their influencer marketing campaigns to deflect this deadly sin. This means working with influencers willing to disclose sponsored content and using tools that make it easy to add disclosures. Businesses should also educate themselves on FTC guidelines and comply with all regulations.

Deadly Sin #6: Failing to Measure Results

Another common mistake businesses make regarding influencer marketing is failing to measure results properly. With proper measurement, it's easier to determine the effectiveness of a campaign or identify areas for improvement. Many influencer marketing tools can also make it challenging to measure results, as they may prioritize metrics that do not align with the brand's goals.

Businesses can hold off this deadly sin by establishing clear metrics for measuring the success of their influencer marketing campaigns. This means identifying KPIs that align with the brand's goals, such as engagement rate, website traffic, or sales. Likewise, marketers should have a checklist to analyze influencer efficiency. 

Businesses should also use tools that make tracking and analyzing these metrics easy and make data-driven decisions for future campaigns.

Deadly Sin #7: Failing to Build Long-Term Relationships

Finally, one of the deadliest sins in influencer marketing is failing to build long-term relationships with influencers. Many businesses focus on one-off campaigns with influencers, which can lead to missed opportunities for deeper connections and more impactful campaigns. Failing to build long-term relationships with influencers can also make maintaining brand consistency and authenticity challenging.

To elude this deadly sin, businesses should prioritize building long-term relationships with influencers. This means identifying influencers who align with the brand's values and creating campaigns that align with the influencer's content and audience. By building long-term relationships, businesses can create more authentic and impactful campaigns and foster a community around their brand.

Avoid These Deadly Sins and Do Your Influencer Marketing Right

Influencer marketing is a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience through trusted industry voices. However, it is not without risks. To avoid these seven deadly sins of influencer marketing platforms, businesses must prioritize authenticity, vet potential influencers carefully, establish clear goals, balance automation with human input, prioritize transparency, and measure results properly. 

In conclusion, influencer marketing is a valuable tool for businesses, but it requires a strategic and careful approach. By following the best practices outlined in this article, businesses can effectively leverage influencer marketing and avoid the common pitfalls associated with it. Ultimately, a well-executed influencer marketing campaign can help businesses reach their target audience, build trust, and drive long-term growth.