3 INFLUENCER MARKETING TRENDS TO WATCH

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Content Studio

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Commercial Real Estate

Content Studio

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3 min read

From hyperlocal engagement to high-volume delivery and quick hits to long-term collaboration, influencer marketing helps brands stay nimble and connected in a rapidly moving communications world.

The digital marketing space moves at lightning speed. The good news is that brands donā€™t have to execute the fast and furious, as well as deep and long, content efforts all by themselves. Influencers are there to help with social media endorsements and product placement, but with that special, boots-on-the-ground, impossible-to-commodify persuasive power.

Forbes calls the influencer marketing space in 2024 ā€œbrimming with potential for significant shifts and innovationsā€¦ gearing up for some big changesā€¦ [and] shaping up to be an exciting ride.ā€ For brands and content creators, what are the next important moves for the industry ā€œthatā€™s always on the moveā€?

1. Going Local & Long-Term

Thereā€™s no such thing as marketing campaigns that are too targeted or local. Brands want to drill down to connect deeply with specific communities and interests, and they know influencers, specifically of the niche and nano- kinds, can help them. As Forbes reports, geotargeted influencer campaigns allow brands to leverage those local marketers and their strong familiarity of regional preferences and trends. Niche influencers offer smaller audiences but higher levels of engagement.

ā€œItā€™s like having a conversation with a neighbor rather than broadcasting to a crowd ā€” more personal, more relevant and, often, much more effective,ā€ asserts Danielle Wiley, agency CEO and expert on B2C influencer marketing.

How can you improve on such deep engagement efforts? Go long as well, as in long-term collaborations with influencers. After all, brands strive for authenticity and credibility to build trust and loyalty, and those things are more effectively achieved from consistent influencer brand endorsement over time. They are reducing sporadic promotions and fleeting appearances for the influencer long game, which is more conducive to a genuine feel and engaging narrative.

2. AI Yesses & Noā€™s

Itā€™s not a stretch to see influencers at the forefront of AI with more and more marketers using the technology this year. After all, itā€™s a high-speed space, and AI can expedite content creation tasks and help analyze follower likes and comments to determine the next, best content steps.

Faster execution and better content analytics are never bad things, but Forbes does issue a note of caution. Influencers and their partnered brands over-relying on AI can make posts seem artificial or overly polished and lead to content ideas that are increasingly detached from audience values. Then, there are ethical concerns.

ā€œFor instance, if an AI tool creates too artificial of a scene, it could mislead followers, causing trust issues,ā€ writes Wiley.

3. Jacked Up For ā€˜Trendjackingā€™?

Speaking of the high-speed, viral, real-time world we live in, brands better be prepared to go with the flow, specifically capitalizing on trends and media movement at a momentā€™s notice. We love Forbesā€™ phrasing: ā€œBrands will need a ā€˜bucket of moneyā€™ for trendjacking.ā€ Thereā€™s a time and place for market and user research, messaging meetings and design review, but companies also need the capacity for timely and resonant output, ā€œa powerful strategy to keep brands relevant and actively involved in the cultural dialogue, connecting with audiences in real time,ā€ Wiley adds.

ā€œWith the advancement of influencer marketing, brands continue to push boundaries, which means they shouldnā€™t settle for the same old analytics while they should stay on top of tech tools growing to meet the moment, including Snapchatā€™s evolution,ā€ said Chantelle McOuat, Infiniteeā€™s Social Media Director. ā€œUltimately, we agree with Forbesā€™ position that the role of full-service agencies, with their ability to lead amidst such complexities and leverage the dynamics, becomes even more crucial in 2024.ā€