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What are the pros and cons of influencer marketing on Instagram for businesses?
Almost four in five brands chose to focus their influencer marketing on Instagram in 2020 over other social media channels.
Other businesses clearly think Instagram influencer marketing is worth the investment. So if you’re wondering the same, you’re definitely not alone.
But like any marketing strategy, there are advantages and disadvantages to going down the influencer route.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of influencer marketing on Instagram for businesses.
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What Is Influencer Marketing on Instagram?
This is a quick run-down if you’re not 100% sure about what influencer marketing is.
Influencers are online personalities with significant, engaged social media audiences/followers. They could also be celebrities. Brands hire influencers to advertise or recommend their product/service to their audiences.
This can be done on any social media channel. But Instagram is the most prolific for this type of marketing strategy.
Pros and Cons of Influencer Marketing on Instagram
Pro: Influencers Create Great Content for You
One of the main benefits of Instagram influencer marketing is the beautiful content they make for you. You don’t need to create or provide any photographs or videos. They produce all of the content themselves!
That’s the beauty of influencer marketing on a visual channel like Instagram.
This can really take the pressure off you and your creative team. Influencer marketing can inject fresh ideas and perspectives into your branding.
Con: Influencers May Harm Your Brand
An influencer is still an outside individual who might not share your brand values. They may share your product in one post and upload a political rant in the next. Though you can enforce contracts and agreements, the harm may be irreversible.
They also may not disclose that a post is sponsored or use shady tactics like bot followers and likes. However, you can avoid situations like this by setting clear expectations.
Pro: Helps Your Business Reach a New Audience
Utilizing influencer marketing on Instagram is like opening a new door to a completely brand new audience.
Great influencers have a sizeable, trusted community. And if you choose influencers whose audience would be open to your product or service, it can be really lucrative for your brand.
Let’s say you have an eco-friendly product. You can work with sustainable influencers whose audience is also into eco-living.
Con: It’s Difficult to Choose the Right Influencers
It can take hours and hours of research to find the right influencer with the right audience for your brand. You need to understand an influencer’s demographics and scrutinize how well their previous campaigns performed.
Many brands like to use platforms like Izea.com, which researches and selects the right influencers for a specific product.
Pro: Less Expensive Than Alternative Marketing
Kim Kardashian earns around $500,000 per Instagram post. But the reality is far, far less for most other influencers!
In fact, micro-influencers that have between 5,000-10,000 Instagram followers will only charge around $250 per Instagram post. And for some Instagram influencers, it’s less.
Rates for influencer marketing on Instagram is an art rather than a science. But depending on your product, you could recoup the costs of an Instagram post with just one or two sales.
Con: The Results Are Difficult to Measure
You can request any Instagram influencer you work with for their analytics regarding a sponsored Instagram post (impressions and likes). And you can also measure how many people used their “swipe up” function if they linked to your product.
But ultimately, it’s very difficult to measure the results of an influencer marketing campaign. Potential customers may see the post and not make a purchase for months. Or they may make a purchase in-store or through a different link.
Is Influencer Marketing Right for Your Business?
Influencer marketing on Instagram can help expand your brand’s reach if you use the right influencers who create beautiful content that their followers love and engage with.
You just need to weigh up the pros and cons of influencer marketing and decide whether it’s right for you and your business.
Check out our other articles for more marketing ideas!
