3 Downsides to Working With Influencers | by Casey Scheld | Apr, 2022

At first glance, working with influencers seems like it has no downsides. These people often have a devout following that will listen to anything and everything that they say, with their work as law. It seems like the barrier of entry is easy enough too, coming in between $100 to $1,000 on average for a single post.

However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows when it comes to this social media strategy. Before starting an influencer social media campaign, one should consider the following setbacks that could come about:

• Sentiment can change — When it comes to influencers, everything they do is on full display for everyone to see. If they say something controversial over something politically driven — or even comment on their like or dislike for a popular TV show — one’s audience might not be so keen to support them in the future. When that happens, one might not want their brand associated with somebody that is radioactive in the world of social media.
• Their impact can be limited — Parasocial relationships are a real thing — people turn to platforms like Twitch to follow people, almost forming a one-way relationship with these people. However, an audience can be diverse, and one’s campaign might not have the draw that they’re looking for. Homework from the side of the social media management team is absolutely critical to make sure that something like this works. Even then, it can prove to be a gamble.
• It can come across as forced — People aren’t stupid; they’re aware if something is out of the ordinary. If a planted post is in stark contrast to the rest of their content, they’re not willing to convert; they’re willing to ridicule. Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot got caught red handed when doing this, promoting a different phone with her iPhone.

Working with influencers has its merits, but one best tread carefully before taking the plunge.

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