The Do's & Don'ts of Influencer Marketing During a Pandemic

As the outbreak of coronavirus continues to rattle the global economy, marketing during the pandemic has become a minefield for brands and a disaster for influencers. Businesses and creators in the influencer marketing industry are doing their best to adapt while attempting to make a living from the confines of their home. 

As the budget for influencer marketing dwindles and sponsorship deals dry up, many brands and influencers are struggling to navigate crisis marketing during a pandemic. However, don’t dismiss influencer marketing quite yet, as engagement on sponsored content is increasing exponentially.

While brands need to prioritize responsible outreach during these uncertain times, one of the best ways of doing so through influencer marketing. Discover how to create a mindful marketing strategy that includes influencers during these incredibly challenging times.

“You need to be prepared for today’s media culture, in which a tweet can become newsworthy and a news interview can become tweet-worthy.” – Brad Phillips of Phillips Media Relations

1. DO Offer Sensitivity Training

Let’s be real, no one was truly prepared for a global pandemic - certainly not influencers. The social media community is largely built on niches, such as beauty gurus or video game streamers, certainly not crisis marketing experts. 

Therefore, it’s crucial for brands to provide influencers with some level of sensitivity training. No matter how big or small the collaboration, it’s always a good idea to outline what is and is NOT appropriate when promoting a product, especially in the midst of a viral outbreak. 

Viewers still crave beautiful content, but it’s important that it’s created with a level of sensitivity and rooted in reality. No one wants to hear celebrities complaining about being quarantined in their multi-million dollar Hollywood mansions. While self isolation is tough for everyone, us normal folk can’t relate!

A great way for influencers to stay out of the lime light for all the wrong reasons, is to approach content with empathetic and mindful marketing to avoid coming off as insensitive. Now more than ever, it’s critical for influencers to show audiences that they are in tune with viewers needs.

2. DON’T Write off Influencer Marketing Yet 

It’s no secret that coronavirus has been a punch in the gut to the influencer industry. Despite countless sponsorships disappearing and major events being cancelled, now is not the time to forget about these social media moguls. 

According to Later insights, social distancing has boosted the average screen time up to 5 hours and 40 minutes per day, an approximate 18% increase than the weeks prior. Unsurprisingly, influencer engagement has also surged with 80% of influencers reporting significantly higher levels of engagement. 

While this all sounds like great news, 20% of influencers have had 100% of their campaigns put on hold until further notice. This devastating problem stems from companies either cancelling or pausing influencer sponsorship due to the current disruption in the market - understandably so. 

So what can be done to correct this clash? The solution starts on both sides, as both larger companies and influencers start to think outside the box about how to best represents a mission, vision, and values during this challenging time. A recent example is Sephora’s 2020 influencer marketing program deemed #SephoraSquad. The well-known beauty giant is seeking a new crew of “unique, unfiltered, sorry-not-sorry storytellers with a diverse range of followers, points of view, and interests.”

On the flip side, influencers need to step up their creativity while staying true to their audience. Chriselle Lim, a fashion and lifestyle blogger, has managed to save a few sponsorships by sharing the realities of her family working from home while also taking care of two young children. Her captions are relatable and real, making her one of the few influencers who has has a seemingly effortless transition of content.

3. DO Prioritize Information & Value

The role of social media undoubtedly shifts during a global pandemic, as users are overloaded with feelings of panic and fear. Other forms of media take no time to bombard users with bad news, so it’s no surprise many turn to influencers for comfort and reassurance.

Although providing solace isn’t a part of every influencers organic content, a crucial element of crisis marketing is delivering users with accurate and valuable information. This may manifest through sharing personal coping methods or offering words of encouragement. 

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many influencers are delivering value via sharing their newfound routine in quarantine or tips to stay productive while stuck inside. More notably, some influencers have taken the initiative to raise money and awareness for the containment of the virus. 

A prime example of influencers stepping up to fight the spread of coronavirus, is Italian influencer, Chiara Ferragni, who made a personal donation of 100,000 euros to help hospitals in Italy. Her donation is specifically going towards providing more hospital beds in Milan’s San Raffaele hospital intensive care unit, where there have been many shortages.

4. DON’T Forget About Micro-Influencers

As much as we love celebrities, they’re not always as influential as we may think. Micro-influencers are social media accounts that have anywhere between 1,000 – 50,000 followers. While these numbers may be small, it’s widely understood that micro-influencer accounts generate a much higher ROI than their popular counterparts. 

In fact, according to a recent Markerly study, micro-influencers generate a consistently higher level of engagement, earning likes at a 4% rate. While accounts with a million plus followers receive likes at a 1.7% rate. This difference is huge for marketers looking to truly reach a loyal and passionate audience. 

Not to mention, collaborating with a micro-influencers is much more affordable than the typical star studded influencer. Companies have the unique opportunity to connect with a targeted audience through an account that is highly trusted, without having to pay an arm and a leg. 

A great example of company collaboration with micro-influencers is Sperry. The boat shoe brand worked with more than 100 micro-influencers on Instagram by inviting those users to develop visual content for its official Instagram account – for free.

Not only did the brand receive tons of engagement, but they got high-quality photos of their product in exotic or scenic locations, often at high altitudes, free of charge.

5. DO Be Wary of Public Backlash 

While many influencers typically have a loyal audience, it doesn’t take much for viewers to turn on social media stars who appear to be ingenuine or insensitive. The golden rule of crisis marketing is to never (and I mean ever) attempt to profit off a pandemic - especially via influencers. 

Although a strong following can bring high engagement and ROI, it also means that influencers can’t get away with any shenanigans. Under the watchful eye of fans, any bids to push products during tough times can result in major public backlash. 

A recent example of “tone-deaf” influencers, comes from the Goop founder, Gwyneth Paltrow. The actress shared a mirror-selfie which featured an outfit that totaled around $875 and included a 'tap to shop' option. Needless to say, fans were not happy with the post and it was deleted within hours of being shared.

While Gwyneth’s branding team was right to take down the insensitive post, the careless mistake did some serious damage to her reputation. For companies and influencers alike, public backlash is a serious concern and should be considered heavily in times of crisis. 

The Key Takeaways

Although the impact of coronavirus on the influencer industry has been challenging, companies and influencers alike are finding creative ways to deliver high quality content to an oversaturated online environment. 

Whether it’s providing accurate and helpful information or sharing valuable tips, many influencers are truly going the extra mile to support their struggling communities. Although crisis marketing can feel like walking on a tightrope, we should all recognize that this pandemic has affected everyone and it’s the effort that truly matters.