I’m in multiple facebook groups with entrepreneurs and bloggers of all industries and niches looking to make it big on the internet. One marketing strategy that has taken over Instagram is sending influencers free products in exchange for product posts. In the many groups, I am in I have heard mixed feedback. Does sending these Instagram influencers free products produce results? Do you immediately gain an influx of followers? Do new followers become customers? Do their posts drive an increase in sales?
I think the answer is that yes, this process could lead to potential sales, but only if you do it right.
It may seem simple. You already have the products, you pay to ship the item, and then the influencer does the marketing for you. You may be overlooking some critical pieces of information that can help you decide whether or not to work with an influencer.
I have personally learned this lesson, and I’ll explain why, but first here is a list of questions to ask yourself before working with an influencer:
- Are the influencers followers authentic?
- Did the follower purchase followers?
- Is the influencer in like/comment pods?
- How many followers does the influencer have?
- What is the engagement rate of the influencer’s average post?
- Based on the average amount of likes on each post, does this number translate into
- Is the influencer in alignment with your overall marketing strategy?
- Is the influencer in your niche?
- How often does the influencer post?
- Does the influencer post multiple product posts weekly?
- Are the comments on the influencers post generic or do they relate to the picture posted?
- Is the influencer located overseas? Will the shipping fee be high?
- Is the influencer willing to sign a formal contract ensuring they will post your products to their profile?
- If the influencers following is below your standard, have they provided any proof or documentation that can prove their worth?
- What is your ideal outcome after sending the influencer freebies?
Most importantly:
If the majority of the answers from the questions above prove to hold the influencer accountable, there is still one major question to answer.
Based on YOUR target audience for your online store, does the influencer’s audience equal your target audience?
If your target audience is girls who want to look fashionable while on warm weather vacations, does it make sense to use an influencer who may be beautiful, have a large following and engagement rate, but is a lifestyle blogger in NYC? Her audience may be girls who love high-end fashion, minimalist decor, and living city life but that is not your target audience. Her followers will not flock to your tropical resort style clothing company. You may hope that her followers will look at your store when planning their next vacation, but by the time that comes, her post featuring your products will be way back in her feed and out of their mind.
Long story short, if you want to increase your sales work with influencers who are authentic and align with your target audience.
My Own Personal Experience with Uninfluencing Influencers
I have played the game of having stunning young bloggers reach out to me offering to promote my products. When this first started happening, I was eager to get my name out there and receive some high pictures to use on my website. I looked at the influencers following count, likes, photo quality and made my decision. I had girls in all sorts of niches promoting my products. I sent Ms. Switzerland (this was a few years ago) two free outfits. She lived in Germany at the time and posted only one of the products to her Instagram. The picture was nice, but I received ZERO sales. Her audiences were women and men on the other side of the world, and I did not have a cheap worldwide shipping offering.
If I had taken the time to answer the questions above, I would have realized that although her title and influence seemed nice in theory, it did not translate on paper. Part of being a business owner is taking the time to sort through and take the time to research every single decision you make. Don’t waste your money on marketing that does not translate to results and return of investment.
I often see the flip side of this as well. Recently I had a girl with 600 followers reach out to me offering to promote my clothing. Her engagement rate was low, her photos lacked a central theme and were of below average quality. Despite all of this, I enjoy giving deals to young girls who I see are inspiring to make it big. I offered a hefty discount code to this young girl on her entire order. She replied “sorry I don’t pay to promote.”
Okay, that is fine, I get it. There is a movement encouraging bloggers and entrepreneurs to charge their worth. I agree with this 100%. However, she had done nothing to prove to me what her worth was and how she could increase my sales.
Bloggers claiming they are worth a particular amount yet do nothing to explain why is something you should be cautious of and steer clear. You are running your business, and you should not pay influencers without understanding the ROI.
I replied to the girl and said “That’s understandable! We don’t offer free products for accounts with under 50,000 followers with our niche specific Instagrams. Let us know should you change your mind <3.” I do understand that she has a price, but hopefully, she can go on to learn the lesson that things don’t come free in life for those who are not willing to prove their worth.
We are working hard to run our business and bloggers are not entitled to freebies, your products should go to those who can help you achieve your business goals and drive you towards success.