In the coming years, the human factor will become more and more important in the relationships between brands and influencers.
The focus will be on real people who have real affinities with the products and services of brands with which they collaborate. The creation of unique and creative content is becoming more important for brands, input from influencers is increasingly appreciated and wanted. It’s not just about reach, engagement and sales anymore. Brands want to get closer to their customers, this is a way to do so.
Whether as part of a co-creative partnership, a brand storytelling initiative or maybe an affiliate program, influencer marketing will continue to evolve in 2019 to collaborations rather than paid publications based solely on the reach the influencer provide.
Micro influencers
The shift to collaboration rather than paid publications also influencers the type of influencers that brands work with. Micro influencers with fewer followers become more interesting now that it’s not only about reach, but more about how good an influencers matches the brand’s values and whether the influencer is able to convey these values.
These micro influencers are not necessarily used to partnering up with brands; they are simply good at content creation and know how to grow an audience on social media far better than most brands.
Fake followers
This trend echoes the many incidents in 2018 that were reported regarding influencers with fake followers, next to the fact that many studies show that, in general influencers with fewer followers generate better engagement.
The influencer marketing industry is maturing and therewith changing a lot. After a few years when everything was allowed, brands now require more transparency from their influencers and vice versa! Furthermore, brands are starting to realize the full potential of collaborating with influencers who understand which content works and know how to portray the brands product.
If you think that influencer marketing is a thing of the past, pay closer attention! It’s a type of marketing that we will be hearing a lot about for the coming years.
Contact us to explore how influencer marketing can benefit your brand.
