So you want to open a business in Las Vegas, or perhaps grow your current one? You go to a few PR companies that try to pitch you on PR, but from your point of view its too expensive. Then you are approached by an “Influencer Agency” in Las Vegas, who tells you for a lot less, they will drive people to your store, make everyone who is “influential” know about your company in Las Vegas.
So you hire them, put together a party, spend $5k to pay her, give tons of free items away – and you never hear from the influencer company or the people who attended your “influencer party.”
You’ve been scammed.
How are these scams working? Why are influencer companies nothing more than hot air?
1) “Influencers” bring other local Influencers who will never buy your product or use your business. Influencers bring other professional “influencers” around, who will not grow your business. Basically, they have a network of other people who do this for a living. When you hire them, they will send out emails and invites to all these “influencers” to come to your event. They do these “rings” in order to both get free food and free services while at the same time giving “refferals” to each other to make it look legit.
2) Influencers will disappear almost immediately after you pay money, and then when you ask about why no one is coming to your store or restaurant, will ask for more money. They will blame you for the fact none of their friends are coming, and ask you to hire them more to bring other people. In fact, they are just trying to bill you more money, while making you feel you don’t “understand” why its not working.
3) Most “influencers” in Vegas are BROKE spammers. They are ex-concierges and VIP hosts who didn’t make it in the industry, so they are trying to claim their contacts are “the best” and that you need to work with them. In fact, I get invited to over two dozens “influencer events” on Facebook, often stuff I’m not even interested in. Its pure spam.
4) Most “influencer” will make excuses why their social media doesn’t work or is non-existent. One influencer company tried to convince a client that the reason they only had 1,500 likes on their pages was because they were “under the radar.” However, they promoted themselves as having “huge social reach.” Look at their social media pages. If no one is responding, then they are likely lying. Ask about traffic to their blogs, their social media and wait for the excuses.
Want advise on who to use? What PR Companies are the Best in Las Vegas? Email pace@lattin.us for free.
