Chances are you’ve seen a celebrity or public figure singing the praises of a certain product, only to be followed by a #sp or #spon. The rise in popularity of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat have changed the way brands market themselves and their products, making sponsored posts all the more common.

But though working with people who have social media pull can have many benefits, it can also pose challenges that marketers are just starting to navigate.

A recent Digiday article goes so far as to call it a “love-hate relationship.”

First, there’s the love. Marketing through influencers can be a great thing for a brand or business. If you have a product related to fitness, for instance, an influencer who has popular fitness-related posts opens the door for your product to be seen by many followers who are into fitness.

But then there’s the hate.

As Digiday points out, because influencers have a lot of power these days, they often charge a lot—and the more followers a person has, the more money they are able to charge. Prices can even reach into six-figures for a campaign across several platforms.

You also might not be sure you’re getting anything for your investment. Linking likes, shares and views to the number of sales they caused is tricky.

Finally, as many marketers have found out recently, brands can’t always control what influencers say or post. This recently came to light with both Scott Disick and Naomi Campbell. Disick accidentally posted part of the instructions for his promoted post for Bootea, and Campbell did nearly the same with her post for Adidas. While both of these gaffes brought in huge attention, such posts take the focus off the product and take away from the authenticity of the influencer and their posts.

So how can you take advantage of the best that influencers offer while avoiding risks? For one, it is extremely important to do research before you reach out to influencers. Find out the demographics of their followers, how many likes and shares their posts receive, and what the influencer will post for the price. While you can never know 100 percent what an influencer will do, doing the legwork and having the information goes a long way to taking advantage of the latest places consumers are going for information.

At Wellons Communications, we deal with influencers on a daily basis. We have the knowledge and resources to properly vet them, and we can help share your product and get results. Call us today at 407-339-0879 to see how we can help you.