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How influencer marketing has transformed from a trend to brand advocacy



By Mark Stecker

 

 

 

Online influence is no longer about paying celebrities to promote products. Today, the content of Cristiano Ronaldo, MrBeast, and even your mom drives real engagement and sales.

 

These days, everyone seems to be an influencer, but some are a lot more influential than others. Take Taylor Swift, aka Childless Cat Lady, who urged her fellow American followers to vote for Kamala Harris in the upcoming U.S. elections. In 24 hours, her Instagram post drove 405,999 visitors (mostly Swifties, we’re guessing) to vote.gov. Love her or hate her, she holds significant sway. If you don’t believe us, there’s even a Wikipedia page entitled ‘Political impact of Taylor Swift’.

 

Or just watch this POV TikTok about girls who love Taylor Swift instead.

 

It’s not just any old content. People follow other people based not only on their interests but also on the content creator’s unique style and delivery. That content has a signature, and when brands are looking for influencers, it's not about finding anyone with an audience – it's about finding people who are brand evangelists.

 

Read why user-generated content is proof that real people are better than paid actors.

 

What makes an influencer so special?

 

Special Influencers

 

An influencer is able to sway decisions, all through the unique and relatable content they create.

 

It used to be that an influencer could be anyone with a significant follower count. However, influencer marketing has changed over time, and now includes nano-influencers (1,000 to 10,000 followers) and micro-influencers (10,000 to 100,000 followers).

 

It’s more than follower counts, though. Social media users are deemed influencers when they have established credibility within a niche. They use that social proof to connect with other people (their followers) via their social or streaming platform of choice. They can then collaborate with brands to promote products or services that align with their niche and the content they create.

 

According to The 2024 Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report, the influencer marketing industry is set to grow to $24 billion by the end of 2024. Notably, the report found a strong preference for working with small (nano and micro) influencers as opposed to macro-influencers and celebrities.

 

We put this down to two things: smaller influencers are usually less expensive to use for a campaign, but more importantly, they tend to be seen as more trustworthy, authentic, and relatable to their followers. On top of that, 85% of the survey respondents believed influencer marketing really works.

 

How influencers have become brand evangelists

 

More campaigns are now focused on driving direct sales through influencers, with strategies like affiliate marketing and product collaborations.

 

According to McKinsey, authenticity is the basis of any successful influencer marketing campaign.

 

Successful Influencers

 

Successful influencer marketing goes beyond pushing a brand’s products; it is about creators who truly believe in a brand. When considering working with an influencer, brands should focus on selecting influencers whose values align with their own – they are brand evangelists who genuinely love what they’re recommending to their followers. Over and above that, they must be able to create unique, engaging content that resonates with their target audience.

 

Read how we consume content has changed (and why that matters for marketers)

 

Rather than just promoting products, influencers now act as affiliate marketers and salespeople, driving actual conversions through unique discount codes, affiliate links, and direct sales initiatives. They’ve effectively become a distribution channel for many brands.

 

That’s why influencer marketing has transformed from a trend into a core element of modern marketing strategies.

 

Keeping up with the changes

 

Human or virtual, brands need to adapt to getting their messaging across in meaningful and authentic ways.

 

Influencers are human, and humans make mistakes. There’s DJ Khaled and Floyd Mayweather Jr. who were charged with promoting cryptocurrency without disclosing they were paid. Speaking of Mayweather (who defeated Conor McGregor in the latter’s debut professional boxing match), McGregor managed to knock out a Miami Heat mascot and send him to the ER while promoting a pain relief spray.

 

There’s also this guy, a reality star who has (repeatedly) posted caption instructions in his Instagram ads:

 

 

It’s no wonder AI influencers have become more popular – like the most followed AI personality on Instagram, Lu do Magalu from Brazil. With 7.1 million followers, she has done campaigns for Burger King, Red Bull, and Samsung. She was also the first AI model for Vogue Brazil.

 

AI influencers come with a load of advantages. They’re less expensive than humans, less likely to screw something up, and they’re highly customisable and designed to target specific audiences through AI models. Whether they’ll overtake humans remains to be seen – we are strong believers that people like real people – but watch this space.

 

As influencer marketing evolves, brands must adapt to what it takes to get their products and services in front of eyeballs. Having a trusted influencer back that up with relatable content that genuinely endorses your offering is incredibly powerful.

 

Just imagine if your brand had a bunch of Swifties behind it?

 

I slay and you know it

 

 

Enjoyed this article? Share it with your peers so you look clever. Want to tap into the power of influencer marketing? Contact us; we’ll show you how.

 



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