3 ways influencer marketing is changing right now

Influencer marketing has become a pillar in the modern world of advertising. It’s a powerful way for your brand to speak to consumers directly across the funnel.

In 2024, the influencer marketing industry is set to reach $24 billion in ad spend.

This is a dramatic leap from just $1.7 billion in 2016. So it’s only natural that creator content is expanding beyond the realm of social media. We're now seeing it everywhere, from digital OOH to e-commerce product detail pages.

'For many years, the concept of authentic raw style was a very social-media-based construct, but not anymore—people want that style everywhere,' said Keith Bendes, VP of marketing and strategy at influencer marketing agency Linqia.

'A brand that does something viral and trendy is valuable, but the focus should always be on how to make sure influencer marketing becomes the most valuable investment channel for the company.'

Influencer marketing is moving into a different era--a rigorous, more metric-driven one.

Here are 3 ways the industry is evolving as that happens:

Influencer marketing is now measurable across the entire funnel, from awareness all the way to purchasing. 

Brands can do this through advanced metrics like mixed media modelling, which measures the impact marketing tactics have on sales.

According to this report by Linqia in 2023, 60% of marketers say their top challenge is determining influencer campaigns' ROI.

Because brands can now track metrics better than ever before, they can have a deeper understanding of how their campaigns perform. This helps prove true return on investment. It also means brands can align influencer campaigns with other marketing channels.

What should you be doing right now?

Adopt tools and platforms that offer mixed media modelling capabilities. That way, you can track your influencer campaigns across all stages of the customer journey. It’s also best to establish a routine for regular performance reports. This will help you evaluate and adjust your strategy based on your ROI insights.

Influencers are expanding beyond social media.

Influencer marketing has burst through the walls of social platforms. Now, we’re seeing it in online videos, connected TV, and even OOH.

A major benefit of influencer marketing is that the content produced resonates with consumers a whole lot more than traditional advertising does. In fact, it performs three to five times better than branded assets.

So, brands have started to adapt creator content for the entire marketing mix. One piece of content can be adjusted to fit each channel and platform for maximum impact.

'A single asset can be turned into 50 with the right branding, coloring, and product for a specific market while targeting consumers on a granular level,' said Daniel Schotland, Linqia’s COO.

What should you be doing right now?

Diversify your content channels! Repurpose your creator content and design campaigns that use the content across multiple touchpoints. This creates a cohesive brand message.

You can now use automation and data to find the right influencer.

The process of finding an influencer for your campaign can be tedious. It’s a highly manual (and subjective) task. You need to find someone with the right follower numbers, in the right demographic, with the right persona and audience.

Well, not anymore! This is increasingly becoming an automated and data-driven process. Machine learning and artificial intelligence can filter through 10.5 billion data points effortlessly.

These tools can take into consideration a brand’s performance objectives, the types of creator personas they’re looking for, what audience they’d like to reach, and the content they’re looking to create.

Then, the platform helps find creators who will give the campaign the best chance at success. This is based on all those attributes and modelling based on predicted performance.

What should you be doing right now?

Use these data insights to inform your briefing process. This will help influencers understand the narratives and content styles that perform best for your brand.

Influencer marketing works because it creates an emotional connection with the audience and is highly relatable. If you can leverage this for your brand across many channels, you are not only speaking directly to and resonating with your audience. You’re also enlarging it.

The influencer landscape is evolving. So jump on it early and reap the rewards.

But do so with caution! The influencer space is chaotic. As a brand, you have to balance having strong creative services and using the technology available.

-Sophie, Writer