While establishing HYDP, the creator economy company, I've spoken to over 500 senior leaders in and around influencer marketing. Some of these conversations have left me worried and perturbed by the claims of malpractice within the industry, that appear to be common knowledge.
I must note, I am yet to see concrete evidence regarding any specific business; however, the same claims made by tens of senior people lead me to believe there must be some validity in the claims.#nbsp;
Influencer agencies in the UK have seen tremendous growth as brands increase their budgets and scope within the discipline.#nbsp;
It's claimed some businesses in this space capitalise on brands that lack expertise in this area and conduct very worrying practices, from click farms being used to manipulate results to 90% markups placed on influencers fees, and that's just the tip of the iceberg...#nbsp;
Over the past year, we've seen the influencer marketing industry mature, and like any emerging industry, there are bound to be those who capitalise on making short term gains. However, it's important to highlight these claims are not about small new business.
As more Ad dollars flow into the industry, the spotlight on influencer activity will inevitably increase. Should some of these claims be valid and exposed, will the sector be tarnished forever?
If you are a brand working with an influencer agency, please ask the difficult questions, take a microscope and analyse the results. If you are an agency, be transparent with all of your practices, and if you can't, perhaps it's time to change.
This isn't a hit piece or a crazy founder rambling on to get attention. This appears to be a genuine issue and one that must be addressed. I have no delusions of grandeur that this post will radically change the industry. However, if one brand marketer reads this and saves themself the trouble of working with an untrustworthy supplier, it's served its purpose.#nbsp;
The discipline's future requires transparency, do you agree?
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