Influencers: How they may or may not be beneficial to your business

In the age of social media, businesses of all sizes are turning to influencers as a marketing strategy. Influencers have the potential to increase brand visibility and reach a wider audience. But are they really beneficial to your business?

The answer… is that it depends.

One advantage of working with influencers is that they can provide detailed product evaluations rather than traditional advertising methods. This allows potential customers to make more informed decisions about whether or not to buy a product based on the influencer’s personal experience with the product.

However, the authenticity of sponsored reviews has been called into question. Studies such as Kim et al. (2019) have found that sponsored reviews are perceived as less helpful than organic reviews. This is because the audience may perceive that the influencer has an interest in promoting the product, and may be providing an unbiased opinion. This can lead to losing trust in both the influencer and the product being promoted.

One way to address this issue is through the use of conflict-of-interest disclosures. According to Sah et al. (2018), disclosing any potential conflicts of interest can help increase sponsored content’s perceived authenticity.. This can include disclosing any financial relationships between the influencer and the business, personal connections, and incentives that may persuade the influencer’s opinion.

Another potential disadvantage of working with influencers is the cost. While micro-influencers are reasonably priced, larger influencers can demand significantly high fees. This can lead to a situation where only larger, more established businesses are able to benefit from celebrity influencer marketing, while smaller businesses are left behind.

Finally, it is crucial for businesses to research potential influencers before entering into a partnership. This includes looking at the influencer’s content to ensure it aligns with the business’s values and target audience. There are many examples of when this does not work and how it can adversely affect brand image. That is why there is a plethora of online resources for business owners to find influencers that might match their brand persona. Check out some of the software on this website that you can use to find an influencer that matches what you want to achieve!

Overall, there are many pros and cons to influencer marketing, so it is up to the individual business to decide whether they want to risk its brand image to promote their products or services to a wider audience. Finding an influencer that matches your target audience does help, but if that influencers character is doubted, it can shatter the brand image that you have worked tireless to create.