The influencer marketing industry is currently worth $15 billion globally, so why do some brands continue to offer gifts?
Unfortunately, the issue is slightly more complex than it first seems. So, here we shall look at gifting influencers in more detail.
The long term promises around gifting influencers
It’s imperative, if you’re an influencer, that you don’t get drawn into longer term promises that start with a gifted products, because very rarely do these develop.
Brands sometimes seek influencer outreach on the promise of a relationship that starts with a gift, but unless this is a brand you want to work with long-term or a brand you know develops relationships over time then taking these relationships on as an influencer might end in disappointment.
The value of influencer gifting CAN heavily favour the brand
If an item is being sent to a creator with the understanding a post will be made about the item, then it’s seen in the eyes of the UK Government at least as an ad post and it must be displayed as such.
If you can justifiably charge £200 for an IG story, and that’s been shown to offer good value, and the cost price of the item that’s been sent to you is £50, you could realistically make the case that you’ve just lost £150. Especially as in the eyes of the viewer #Gifted and #Ad posts are much the same.
However, if the true retail cost of that item is £300, and the creator planned to buy the item that’s where it can work.
Brands should do better due diligence
A brand shouldn’t gift something to an influencer without doing a lot of homework first.
The reality is that gifting items to influencers can offer poor value to everyone if executed poorly. However, when done properly or as part of longer-term influencer strategy, gifting influencers can be super beneficial.
A brand’s influencer strategy should be natural. Oftentimes sending items out where nothing is required in return is the best option, but not always. Also, gifting campaigns to creators with the wrong demographics is a sure-fire way to fail before items have even arrived.
Ultimately, a brand should build a relationship with their chosen influencer to ensure values are aligned and they become a true advocate of the brand. This can start with gifting influencers, but it’s very rarely the long-term solution.
From brand side, if you do not have an expert handling your gifting campaigns you may have failed already. Make sure you speak to an expert about how best to proceed.
There are ways that #gifting can be done properly. If you want to find out more, please contact us today.
