The Pros And Cons Of Using Social Media Influencers

By anytimedigital Social Media November 16, 2022

When it comes to marketing your business, you may be wondering if social media influencers are a good option. In this blog post, we’ll explore the pros and cons of using social media influencers to market your business. By understanding both the positive and negative aspects of working with social media influencers, you can make an informed decision about whether or not this marketing strategy is right for you.

What is a social media influencer

A social media influencer is someone who has amassed a large following on social platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok. These influencers use their platform to promote products or services, or to share their own personal brand. In many cases, social media influencers have been able to parlay their online fame into offline success. For instance, some becoming best-selling authors, fashion designers, and even TV personalities. While the path to becoming a social media influencer can seem daunting, it is often simply a matter of creating quality content. And, engaging with your audience. With hard work and dedication, anyone can become a social media influencer.

There are a number of ways to measure an influencer’s reach and influence. One common metric is the number of followers they. However, influencers with a smaller following can sometimes be more effective than those with a larger but less engaged audience. Other factors that can affect an influencer’s influence include their level of interactivity with followers. In addition, their ability to generate word-of-mouth marketing. Studies show that influencer social media marketing is growing rapidly. According to Grin, in 2022, 92.1% of total marketers were using social media marketing, while 72.5% of them were using influencer marketing.

The Pros of using Social Media Influencers

There are many positive reasons (pros) why businesses would want to use a social media influencer.

Increased Exposure

One of the biggest benefits of using influencers is that it can help to significantly increase exposure for your business. When influencers share your content with their followers, it can help to reach a much larger audience than you would be able to reach on your own. Perhaps the most famous example of this is the partnership between influencer Kylie Jenner and cosmetics company Coty. After Coty acquired a majority stake in Jenner’s makeup company, Kylie Cosmetics, in 2019, Jenner used her massive social media platform to promote the brand to her followers. The results have been impressive. Since partnering with Jenner, Coty’s share price has more than doubled. This example illustrates just how powerful influencer marketing can be. When executed correctly, it can be a highly effective way to increase a business’s exposure and drive sales.

Improved SEO

As any digital marketer knows, SEO is essential for driving traffic to a website. In order to rank highly in search engine results pages, a site needs to have high-quality content that is relevant to the search query. One way to improve the SEO of your website is to use social media influencers. When they share your content or mention your website link on their platform, it can help to boost your SEO. This is because their followers will see your content and may click through to your site. Additionally, social media influencers can help to increase the reach of your content by sharing it with their followers.

Greater Engagement

Another benefit of influencer marketing is that it can help to improve engagement with your target audience. Influencers often have very engaged followers who are interested in what they have to say. As a result, when influencers share your content, their followers are more likely to interact with it (e.g., by liking, commenting, or sharing).

Enhanced Credibility

When potential customers see that you’re endorsed by respected influencers, it can help to add credibility to your brand. In today’s competitive marketplace, businesses need all the credibility they can get. One example of a company that used a social media influencer to enhance their credibility is L’Oréal. The cosmetics giant partnered with YouTube star James Charles in order to reach a younger demographic. Charles has over 16 million subscribers on YouTube, and his endorsement helped L’Oréal to connect with this key group. In addition, the partnership helped to increase L’Oréal’s brand awareness and reputation among millennials.

Affordable Marketing

Compared to other marketing channels (e.g., paid advertising), working with social media influencers is often much more affordable. Especially if you partner with micro-influencers (i.e., influencers with a smaller following). This makes influencer marketing an attractive option for businesses with limited marketing budgets.

Better ROI

Last but not least, influencer marketing generally delivers a better ROI than other marketing channels. This is due in part to the fact that influencer campaigns are often more affordable than other types of marketing. However, also because they tend to be more effective at driving sales and leads than other channels. One company that has seen ROI success with using social media influencers is Fit Tea. They partnered with several influencers, who posted pictures and videos of themselves drinking Fit Tea. In addition, they included a link to the website in their posts. As a result, Fit Tea saw a significant increase in web traffic and sales. If you’re looking for a way to improve your ROI, partnering with a social media influencer is a great option.

The Cons of Using Social Media Influencers

Social media influencer marketing can be an effective way to promote your brand. However, there are also several potential disadvantages (cons) to using influencers, which businesses should be aware of before making the decision to use them.

Damage your brand image

While influencers can be a great way to reach a wider audience, they can also damage your brand’s image if they are not carefully vetted. For example, an influencer may post insensitive or offensive content, or they may fail to disclose paid promotions. In some cases, influencers have even been known to scam their followers by selling fake products. As a result, it’s important to do your research before selecting an influencer to represent your brand. Otherwise, you could end up doing more harm than good.

Doesn’t deliver on their promises

It’s important to remember that influencers are not always able to deliver on their promises. In some cases, influencers may have a smaller audience than you realize, or their followers may not be engaged with your product or service. One notable example of a company that suffered from influencer marketing gone wrong is Fyre Festival. The now-infamous event was heavily promoted by influencers on social media. However, it ultimately failed to deliver on its promises, leaving attendees stranded and angry. The negative publicity surrounding the event damaged the reputations of both the festival and the influencers who promoted it.

Expensive to hire

The average rate for a social media influencer can range from $5,000 to $20,000 per post, and many influencers have millions of followers. As a result, businesses need to carefully consider whether or not an influencer is worth the investment. In some cases, an influencer may be able to generate a significant return on investment, but in other cases, the costs may outweigh the benefits. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use an influencer should be based on a careful cost-benefit analysis.

Uneven playing field

Social media influencers have the potential to provide a major boost to your business. However, it can also create an uneven playing field, especially for small local businesses. Higher budget companies can outrun a small business with a social media influencer. They can simply pay the influencer more money to feature their product over the smaller company’s. Furthermore, the influencer’s reach is often global, while the small business is targeting a much smaller, local market. As a result, the small business is at a distinct disadvantage when competing against larger businesses who are using social media influencers to market their products.

Belief in your product

It’s important to remember that social media marketing influencers may not always be the best people to trust when it comes to making recommendations. Many influencers are only familiar with the products and services that they are paid to promote. In addition, they may not have any real belief in those products. As a result, they may not be the best people to provide honest and unbiased recommendations. This was recently illustrated when a major skincare company hired an influencer to promote their new line of products. The influencer highly praised the products in their posts. However, after using the products for several weeks, they admitted that they didn’t actually believe in them and only promoted them because they were being paid to do so.

No Long-Term Guarantee

It is important to note that there is no long-term guarantee when using influencers for marketing purposes. While influencer marketing is still a relatively new phenomenon, it’s possible that its effectiveness could decline over time. This is due to the fact that social media platforms are constantly changing and evolving. Therefore, impacting the way influencers are able to interact with their followers. Additionally, as more businesses begin to use influencers for marketing, the messages they share may become less personal and more sales-oriented. As a result, turning off potential customers. For these reasons, it is important to consider all of your options before investing in influencer marketing. While it can be an effective way to reach a wider audience, there is no guarantee that it will be successful in the long-term.

In Conclusion

So, should you hire a social media influencer for your business? The answer is yes—with some caveats. Make sure you understand the pros and cons of using social media influencers and the effects they can have on your brand. Make sure that you vet the influencer thoroughly to avoid any damaging associations with your brand and be prepared to pay a premium for their services. However, if you can manage these risks, using influencers can be an effective way to improve your SEO, build credibility, and boost ROI. Have you had success or failure using social media influencers for your business?