Influencer marketing is no more a niche marketing strategy. It is a mainstream tactic that is well on its way to becoming a $10 billion market by 2020. That goes to show the importance of influencer marketing and why it should be leveraged by any brand that has an online presence.
However, it is not always easy to run successful influencer marketing campaigns, especially in such a dynamic environment in which something new happens almost daily. Therefore, it is essential to stay updated with the latest influencer marketing trends to be able to compete in such a dynamic and competitive environment.
In this post, we will discuss some of the latest influencer marketing trends and updates that you need to know. So, let’s get right to it.
1. The Rise of CGI Influencers
Influencer marketing has now moved beyond leveraging human influencers as marketers are now experimenting with CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) influencers.
This is a fairly new influencer marketing trend and is slowly gaining traction. CGI influencers provide marketers with a level of flexibility and control that human influencers can’t. There is no unpredictability as marketers can precisely control how they want their products to be promoted.
Lil Miquela is one such CGI influencer with over 1.6 million followers on Instagram. She often endorses brands by showing products in use or making branded videos, just like any other influencer would.
In fact, her posts are so realistic that it is very difficult to believe that she is not human. Here’s an example of one of her recent sponsored posts:
Image Source: Instagram
2. Improved Means to Access Influencers
Gone are the days when you had to look within your network or conduct a manual search to find relevant influencers to collaborate with. Now, there are advanced influencer search tools and influencer platforms available that can do the job for you.
You just need to define the criteria and use the advanced search filters to find the perfect influencers for your brand.
What’s more, most tools also help you conduct smooth and effective influencer outreach and manage your influencer campaigns.
So, leverage these tools to connect with relevant influencers and save time and effort that goes into a manual search.
You should also use some form of influencer or content management tool like Lumanu to keep track of all your influencer content. Lumanu’s Content Manager lets you manage all of your influencers’ content and automate whitelisting from a single dashboard.
3. Stricter Branded Content Policies and FTC Guidelines
FTC has strict guidelines about the disclosure of sponsored content and brand partnerships. And now, social media platforms are following suit and launching their own guidelines.
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have become stricter about their branded content disclosure policies. In fact, they have launched several useful features that make it easier for influencers to disclose brand sponsorships and collaborations.
Instagram, for example, gives influencers with the option to mention their business partners when posting sponsored content. They can select a business partner and that will show at the top of their post, as shown below.
Image Source: Instagram
Branded Content Ads
Disclosing branded content and partnerships is not actually bad for your brand. In fact, it has its set of advantages.
For one, if an influencer adds you as a business partner for a post and allows you to promote it, you can use that branded content in your Instagram Branded Content Ads.
This means that you can amplify your influencer content’s reach and simplify your Instagram ad creation process, all in one fell swoop.
This is a brilliant way to get the most out of your influencer content. And, as this feature is only recently launched, not many marketers know about it. So, using branded content ads will give you a competitive advantage over others.
4. Long-Term Influencer Partnerships
Brand and influencer collaborations are now becoming less transactional and more strategic. Marketers prefer entering into long-term collaborations with influencers that have performed well for their brand.
In fact, there has been a rise in brand ambassadorships and long-term brand-influencer partnerships. Many brands now prefer working with a select few influencers for long-term contracts, rather than changing influencers after each campaign.
American Express is one of the early adopters of this trend and they have a network of influencers called “Amex Ambassadors.” These influencers have been associated with the brand for a long time and therefore seem more authentic when they promote the brand.
Image Source: Instagram
5. Growing Awareness of and Countermeasures Against Fake/Fraudulent Influencers
As influencer marketing becomes more mainstream and profitable, there has been a huge surge in the number of influencers.
However, this has also led to the problem of fake influencers who used bots and other underhanded means to gain followers and get sponsorships. A lot of brands and marketers have fallen prey to such influencers and wasted their money and effort.
Now, there is a lot more industry awareness about such influencers and numerous ways to spot such fake accounts. Most social media platforms have measures in place to identify fraudulent accounts and block them.
Twitter, for example, identified 9.9 million potentially fraudulent accounts in 2018. However, you can’t rely on social media platforms and their policies to block fake influencers.
Many marketers now prefer using tools to help them vet their influencers thoroughly and spot any fake influencers right at the outset. You can use tools like Sylo, Linqia, and influence.co to vet your influencers and check whether they are authentic or fake.
Conclusion
Influencer marketing is a popular and effective marketing technique, but only if you stay informed about the latest trends and leverage them before your competitors. You need to stay ahead of your competition to gain a competitive edge and win at your influencer marketing game.
These influencer marketing updates will help you stay abreast of the latest industry developments. Incorporate these five latest influencer marketing trends into your influencer marketing strategy to make your next campaign successful.
Shane Barker is a digital marketing consultant who specializes in influencer marketing, content marketing, and SEO. He is also the founder of Content Solutions. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, influencers with digital products, and a number of A-List celebrities.
