Marketing takeaways from #bloggergate
Influencer marketing has been a major facet of marketing-based conversations of late. There are YouTube stars that bring in paychecks akin to CEO’s or Instagram posts for makeup that always feature a subtle “#ad”. When we wanted to kick off the new year right and set you up with 2018 marketing trends, it was there. When Snapchat was using contemporary advertising techniques to try and save itself, it was there. Yes, influencer marketing is all the rage these days. But for one hotel owner, an attempt at it inspired only rage. If you’re not aware of the saga that is #bloggergate, here’s how it goes:
Elle Darby is an influencer marketer who has built on career blogging or vlogging about products or services. In a recent effort to develop a new campaign, Darby reached out to a hotel seeking a free stay in exchange for a feature on her platforms. Hotel owner Paul Stenson responded by sharing the email on Facebook accompanied by a lengthy caption denouncing the blogging community. Facebook users have reacted to the post over 37,000 times thrusting the story onto the pages of news agencies who coined it #bloggergate. A quick read of the comments section on Facebook showcases a split jury in terms of opinion on the post.
While some do, we don’t see the humour in Stenson’s response to the blogger. What we do see, however, are lessons marketers can learn from this whole situation.
There are a pair of things, marketing-wise, that business owners can take away from Stenson. Firstly, even though it’s a hot topic these days, influencer marketing is not the only way to advertise. If you are excited about upcoming campaigns you’ve created or simply don’t have the budget to allow a blogger to use your service for free, it wouldn’t be right for you at this time. Note: we didn’t say never! Keep in mind that influencer marketing is as free marketing as free marketing gets.
Our second #bloggergate takeaway for business owners points to branding. To paint a broader picture of the hotel in question, Stenson’s establishment is no stranger to controversy. Bloggers can be added to the list people he has irked in the past: breastfeeding women, vegans and the gluten free. The key takeaway from this: the worst thing a brand can do is be inconsistent. Once you’ve established what you’re about as a business, customers expect that from you. This specific, unfriendly tone isn’t one we would help our clients establish. But, it seems to be working for Stenson. This segues nicely into our takeaway for influencer marketers.
Let’s keep in mind the antagonistic tone that Stenson crafts for his business. A quick research project would turn up these views. With this, now, in plain sight, would you think he going to let you stay at his hotel for free? The answer is an obvious no, meaning due diligence needs to be done to ensure the companies they target are a fit. Yes, influencer marketers, people have been singing your praises for the last little bit. For the most part, this has even been for good reason. This does not mean, however, that you’re impervious to people saying no. So, if you do your research, “no” won’t come in the form of a viral letter.