Influencer marketing – ask any marketer and they will tell you how promising this strategy is. The numbers don't lie either. As per a report, it pays  $6.50 for every dollar spent. That’s almost 6.5X ROI, and who wouldn’t love that?  

But not everything is roses and lilies. 

While influencer marketing has massive potential, it also comes with its fair share of challenges. Campaigns can go sideways due to common influencer marketing mistakes, such as poor selection of influencers or lack of clear goals. These issues can quickly turn a promising strategy into a missed opportunity.

So the question is, how do you avoid these pitfalls and ensure your campaigns deliver the results you expect?

We  thought about it too and turned to people who have experienced behind-the-scenes of influencer marketing. What we  found was quite fascinating. 

Keep reading to know it all: 

Most Common Influencer Marketing Mistakes 

First things first, the majority of the experts believe that wrong influencer selection is the most common influencer marketing mistake. 

In fact, 81.5% of the experts we spoke to felt this way. But while they agreed on the problem, each expert had their own take on where things go wrong.

Many pointed out a lack of alignment between the influencer’s audience and the brand’s target market. If the influencer’s followers aren’t interested in the brand’s product or service, it’s a waste of time and money.

Others mentioned that when the influencer’s voice doesn’t match the company’s, the whole campaign can feel inauthentic and disconnected.

Another big mistake is selecting influencers based solely on their follower count. It’s easy to get caught up in numbers, but overlooking the quality of engagement is a costly mistake. Often, working with smaller, niche influencers who have a deeper connection with their audience yields better results.

Choosing influencers with a large following but a misaligned audience is also a pitfall. For example, partnering with a fitness influencer to promote a skincare brand can backfire if their followers are more interested in workout routines than skincare.

Beyond wrong influencer selection, some experts also believe that the lack of clear KPIs and briefs for influencer campaigns is also a common influencer marketing mistake. It’s difficult to assess success without a solid understanding of expected outcomes.

Lastly, many brands struggle by not allowing influencers enough creative freedom. Influencers know their audience best, and being too rigid with brand guidelines can lead to content that feels forced.

Influencer Campaigns Gone Wrong: Real Stories

Even the best-laid plans can sometimes go awry. The reasons could vary - sometimes they can be something you never even thought of. We also collected a few real stories that show why influencer campaigns didn’t perform well due to some mistakes. By understanding what went wrong, you can avoid similar issues in your own campaigns.

We will start by picking each of the most common mistakes and then share an incident. Ready?

1. Prioritizing Follower Count Over Relevance

2. Ignoring Audience Fit Even with Great Content

3. Not Checking Audience Demographics

4. Unclear Brief and Miscommunication

5. Not Using Consistent Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) Parameters for Accurate Tracking

Tips to Avoid Influencer Marketing Mistakes

We discussed some of the common mistakes, and we saw how they impacted campaigns—now it’s time to get to the tips! Here’s how you can avoid these pitfalls and ensure your influencer marketing campaigns stay on track:

1. Research Audience and Engagement, Not Just Follower Numbers

It’s tempting to go after influencers with a  massive following, but that’s not always the best strategy. Instead, dig deeper into their audience demographics and engagement rates. Tools like impulze.ai can help you find influencers whose audience aligns with your brand. 

As Yosef Adde, Founder of eXp Realty, shared, “I pay special attention to influencer selection – studying not just follower counts, but also looking for quality of engagement and the type of audience.” 

By choosing influencers who resonate with your target audience, you’ll see higher engagement and better results.

2. Create Clear and Detailed Campaign Briefs

A well-crafted brief is essential to avoid confusion. Make sure you clearly outline your goals, the type of content you’re looking for, and timelines. 

As Tylar Masters, Brand Media Specialist at HireInfluence, noted, “We clearly define what they can expect from a timing, creator, and content perspective. Once these elements are defined, we rely on a suite of hand-curated tech resources to accomplish the execution phase. These tools help us properly source influencers, review and approve content, and document and report on campaign data.”

Providing a comprehensive brief not only prevents misunderstandings but also gives influencers the freedom to bring their unique creativity to the campaign.

3. Build Strong Relationships and Communicate Often

Successful influencer marketing is built on strong relationships. Maintaining open communication with influencers fosters trust and ensures that the campaign stays on track. 

Annie Shao noted, “By fostering strong relationships with influencers and staying in regular contact, we build trust and avoid misunderstandings.” Regular check-ins help you address any issues early and create a more collaborative atmosphere, allowing both parties to contribute to the campaign’s success.

4. Use Tools to Make Campaigns Easier to Manage

Leveraging technology can save you time and help avoid mistakes. Tools can be used to track performance metrics, and others can assist in influencer sourcing, content approvals, and reporting.  Using the right tools can streamline the process and minimize errors, especially when managing multiple campaigns.

5. Track Your Campaigns Accurately with UTM Parameters

“You're only as good as your data,” as Mary Zhang puts it. Proper tracking is crucial to understanding how your campaign is performing. Make sure to use consistent UTM parameters to accurately track where your traffic and leads are coming from. This ensures that you can make data-driven decisions and avoid relying on misleading data, which could result in cutting high-performing channels prematurely.

6. Look at Both Numbers and Audience Feedback

While metrics like likes, shares, and comments are important, qualitative feedback is just as crucial. As Jessica Miller pointed out, “We continuously measure both qualitative and quantitative metrics, from engagement rates to audience feedback, to fine-tune future campaigns.” 

Pay attention to what the audience is saying—feedback can offer valuable insights that help shape future strategies and improve performance.

Get Influencer Selection Right With impulze.ai

Looks like influencer selection takes the crown as the most common mistake in influencer marketing! 

Picking the right influencer can really make or break your campaign, so you want to get it right. That’s where impulze.ai comes in to save the day. 

With impulze.ai, you can instantly find influencers who match your target audience's location using our audience demographics feature. Plus, effortlessly pick influencers based on niche, follower count, and brand affinities. So, let’s dodge those common pitfalls together and turn your influencer marketing campaigns into a success story.