Influencer marketing remains a hot topic for 2017 and an ideal way to connect with entirely new audiences. While you can get a great ROI from working with an influencer, you’ll need to avoid some common errors to make the most of the process. By thinking through the entire campaign, fully tracking your ROI and even providing the details your chosen influencer needs to properly represent your brand, you can be sure that your efforts will pay off.

Influencer Marketing: Are you Making These Common Mistakes?

Mistake 1: Only looking at numbers.

While your influencer does need a following and some authority, numbers are not everything. While many followers are a good start, those followers should be real, relevant and interested in what you offer. Influencers with very high numbers of followers may not be the best bet; research suggests that engagement levels taper off when follow numbers rise. This could make your marketing efforts less successful. Influencers who engage with their followers and who post frequently in your industry offer a better return on your investment.

Mistake 2: Not tracking ROI.

How can you tell if your influencer marketing efforts are working? You’ll need to track ROI and consider everything from a bump in traffic and revenues to more general buzz and awareness about your brand. Create a trackable link for each post to be sure you can tell which influencers are truly producing revenue or other benefits for your brand.

Mistake 3: Paying up without asking questions.

Once you’ve chosen an influencer, you need to do more than just send a check, and you may not have to part with cash at all. For example, ask if you can provide samples of your product or items to give away, or even bestow a special title or perk that will keep an influencer sharing on your behalf.

Mistake 4: Failure to disclose.

It’s not just a good idea to let viewers know about a sponsored post relationship; it’s the law. Any post made on your behalf as an advertisement needs to be transparent and fully disclosed by the influencer. Don’t sweat the disclosure, though; research has shown that it won’t harm your engagement levels in most cases.

Mistake 5: Failing to provide enough information or guidance.

You’ll need to provide the influencer with information about your product and goals if you want them to effectively promote your brand. Share your brand promotional guidelines if you have them, how and when to use your logo and what language to use. The more information you provide, the better the relationship will work. Don’t pre-write a post or provide a script - give basic bullets and talking points about your brand to ensure the final product truly represents your unique selling point (USP) and values.

Influencer marketing helps you make the most of your relationships with bloggers and other people who embrace and share your brand, provided you avoid the errors outlined above. Taking the time to properly vet your influencer team and fully tracking your results can help you make the most of this type of marketing.