When partnering with Instagram influencers, there are several potential pitfalls to be wary of.

– Authenticity: Assess the influencer’s followers, likes, and engagement rate to see if they’re genuine, and remember that paid followers won’t drive real engagement or sales.

– Alignment: Ensure the influencer’s style and values align with your brand. Misalignment could result in off-brand content and less effective campaigns.

– Inconsistent posting: The influencer’s consistency in posting content is also important. Irregularity may lead to reduced engagement.

To ascertain brand alignment:

– Content Audit: Analyze the influencer’s existing posts to understand their content style and values.

– Audience Analysis: Check if the demographic and interest of the influencers’ followers align with your target audience.

– Past Partnerships: Investigate their previous brand collaborations to see how they’ve integrated sponsored content.

Performance metrics for measuring campaign success on Instagram:

-Engagement: See the likes, comments, and shares your sponsored posts receive.

-Conversion: Measure website traffic, sign-ups or product sales resulting from the campaign.

-Reach: Track how much of your target audience sees the campaign.

When comparing influencer marketing platforms like Flinque, Hootsuite or AspireIQ, each platform offers varying features and advantages, and the choice depends on your specific needs. For example, Flinque provides extensive data on each influencer, including audience demographics and engagement rates, which can help in selecting authentic influencers suited to your brand.

While these pointers might be helpful, remember that influencer marketing is a dynamic field and so it’s crucial to keep testing and optimizing your strategies for better results.