Influencers vs money—why you are not selling

Why influence doesn’t make you money

You post a picture of your cat, and keep refreshing you phone waiting for the likes and comments. Don’t spend the money -YET-, THOSE ARE NOT YOUR CLIENTS, THEY ARE YOUR CAT FOLLOWERS.

The argument

Talking with a sales team on a training last week the conversation elevated to argument based on this concept:

H-“I don’t need to sell, I have followers”

M-So my question was:

who is the customer??

what do they want??

why do they buy?

H-………………………………………………………….silence

-M-Well, stay on your chair and maybe you can answer my questions

The example that made the front page

In May 2019, an Instagram influencer named Arii (real name Arianna Renee) made headlines when she failed to sell 36 t-shirts to her 2.6 million followers. This incident sparked discussions about the effectiveness of influencer marketing and the authenticity of social media followings. Here are the key details of the situation:

The Failed Launch

Arii, an 18-year-old influencer from Miami, attempted to launch her own clothing line called ERA. The company producing the brand required her to sell at least 36 t-shirts from the initial product run for the line to continue. Despite her large follower count, Arii was unable to meet this modest sales target.

Possible Reasons for Failure

Several factors may have contributed to Arii's inability to sell the required number of t-shirts:

1. Lack of promotion: Arii reportedly made only two posts about her product launch and did not share any pictures of herself wearing the merchandise
2. Misalignment with personal brand: The t-shirts did not seem to match Arii's usual style and aesthetic, potentially confusing her audience
3. Questionable follower authenticity: Some speculated that a significant portion of Arii's followers might be bots or inactive accounts
4. Absence of marketing strategy: Arii appeared to lack a comprehensive marketing plan to promote her products effectively
5. Misunderstanding of her audience: The influencer may have misjudged her followers' interests and purchasing power

Implications for Influencer Marketing

This incident raised questions about the effectiveness of influencer marketing and the true value of large follower counts:

1. Engagement over numbers: The case highlighted the importance of genuine engagement rather than just follower count.
2. Authenticity concerns: It sparked discussions about the prevalence of fake followers and the need for brands to scrutinize influencer partnerships more closely.
3. Marketing skills matter: The incident demonstrated that being an influencer doesn't automatically translate to successful product sales without proper marketing strategies.

While some viewed this as evidence of the "influencer bubble" bursting, others saw it as a wake-up call for both influencers and brands to focus on authentic engagement and effective marketing strategies rather than relying solely on follower numbers

Conclusion:

• The truth is that your followers aren't customers.?
• Your friends are not your customers
• Comments don’t buy
• Likes don’t buy
• Followers like, watch your progress and then buy
• Buyers make purchases. They're the ones who sign up for email lists. They show you that they want what you're selling or going to sell.

Understanding who will actually buy from you and what they will buy is a key business lesson.

Our team can make this evaluation of your brand, sales team and message.?

We are the Human Behavior Lab, Behavior Economic models, Neuroscience on consumer? Behavior Consulting for? your brand and company needs.

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