Influencer Marketing - What To Expect In 2019 |
Posted: January 28, 2019 |
The power of influencer marketing has substantially grown into an essential facet of any brand campaign. The possibilities for brand collaborations this year are expected to benefit the creativity of all social media influencers. And the projected use of live streaming, smart speakers, and virtual influencers create an exciting future of technological integration. Due to the fast-paced movements of the influencer marketing landscape, we have curated a list of the latest trends and predictions for how this industry will change in 2019. Providing Influencers With More Creative Freedom There is a fine-line to perfect the balance between creative freedom and a clear marketing message. However, “nearly 40% of influencers believe that overly restrictive content guidelines are one of the biggest mistakes brands and agencies make when working with them” . These statistics are shaping a creative trend in the influencers’ favour, therefore an influencer marketing agency should be taking these needs into consideration for future projects. Live Streaming Video content has been a major driving force behind the online presence of many influencers for the past few years, yet live streaming is expected to step up to the challenge in 2019. The possibilities of this engaging marketing method are endless due to the ease of accessibility, however the underlying mission for originality can be challenging when involved with live streaming. The ability of a brand to sponsor an influencer’s live feed creates an instant marketing message to the audience, therefore the correct use of this influencer marketing strategy can be extremely beneficial. Transparent Advertising The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Endorsement Guides state; “if there’s a connection between an endorser and the marketer that consumers would not expect and it would affect how consumers evaluate the endorsement, that connection should be disclosed.” The transparency of advertising is a slightly more serious note, yet one that all involved in influencer marketing must follow. The main benefit of disclosing all paid content allows for mutual collaborations without any unseen legal issues. And if this type of behaviour seems time-consuming, a subtle method is the use of hashtags such as #sponsored #ad. Virtual Influencers The evolution from branded avatars to effective virtual influencers is a fascinating trend that is projected to develop further this year. The leader of the revolution is Lil Miquela, whose influence has grown substantially since her creation in 2016.Since that time she has released a clothing collection, published music on Spotify, collaborated with Prada, and is an inspiration to other celebrities. The capability of a virtual persona to create genuine influence across a variety of brand campaigns is only going to expand, and this in itself is an exciting prospect. Smart Speaker Integration Voice assisted devices such as Amazon’s Alexa have shaped into an affordable accessory for most households, opening the door into an alternative influencer marketing method. The transition towards the voice of social media influencers allows for a more sound-driven engagement with the audience, while more personalised messaging techniques can help to target specific audiences. What This Means For 2019 As influencers continue to prove to be an effective marketing tools, 2019 is showing signs that the influencer marketing is not dying, instead it remains at the top of many businesses marketing strategies. What’s more, with the growing use of both live streaming and smart speaker integration forming a more personalised marketing landscape, the way in which brands can work with top influencer is evolving and providing new ideas and possibilities. However, with these new ideas, we should expect more of a mutual pairing between transparent advertising and increased creative freedom rather than a conflicted development. All in all, the expectations for 2019 are forming an exciting year ahead for the future of influencer marketing.
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