2018 - Turning Point From Influencer Marketing To Influencer Relations

2017 was the year for influencer marketing. Despite initial scepticism of many (alleged) marketing experts, influencer marketing hasn’t only become an integral part of the marketing mix of agencies and companies, but has evolved into the number one approach for modern activities in - but also aside - the social media channels. This year, many great campaigns have been realized and amazing content has been created by influencers, which can definitely keep up with the quality and creativity level of well-known agencies. Now, 2017 is coming to an end, dividing the opinion of experts into two camps. Some are already calling it the end of influencer marketing while others keep defending this seemingly young sector vehemently. 

I cannot let the opportunity pass to give an outlook for the new year and I am excited to see, where the path will lead us, concerning all our favorite influencers. 

1. The King Is Dead, Long Live The King! 

Influencer marketing will keep booming 2018, I am very sure of that. But there will be a transition from short-term influencer marketing to long-term influencer relations. Influencer x today, influencer y tomorrow and the day after that influencer z - this approach will not work in the future, especially with a change of thinking that will have to happen in the heads of both agencies and influencers. Both parties will realize that long-term collaborations will have a stronger effect and are much more formative than a consistent change in influencers within a campaign ever will be. Authenticity will enter the limelight more strongly and we will hear the words ?brand ambassador‘ more frequently. Strong characters will advertise for well-known brands - not in short-term agreements for single campaigns, but long-term alongside the brand. 

Influencers, however, will realize that they will destroy their own business if they keep advertising dozens of almost identical brands in a months. Less is more - and this will be the hardest lesson to learn. In the medium run (and financially), it will pay off to pass on some collaborations, to keep on working with existing brands and clients and to intensify established collaborations to create something great together. Becoming the face of a brand and positively investing in it is much more effective. 

2. The End Of Reach As We Know It

Reach: A word which turns my stomach whenever I hear it. It is still an important key indicator that can’t be eliminated from the minds of many marketing players as one of the KPIs in the branch. Many don’t know the difference between gross and net reach, forgetting that booking several influencers with the same focus will lead to duplicates in their target groups. This creates wrong numbers that are supposed to determine the success of a campaign. In 2018, this understanding will sink in - and those who haven’t understood it yet will be able to use software to consult on new and better KPIs. The identification of fake fans, followers and subscribers, leading to a prognosis about which part of the reach not to take into account, will only be one of many (technical) developments to help the branch make better and long term decisions. 

For many service providers, the show of big numbers will have to end; no more blowing up cases to acquire customers. "4 million reach through booking 800 influencers within just one single campaign" - this will sound a lot less attractive when finding out the true numbers. Using net reach instead of gross reach, deducting duplicate fans, followers and subscribers of the influencers and taking into account other important steps, the reach per booked influencer won’t look as great as before. 

3. From Influencer To Content Creator

This aspect isn’t really about the wording as the word influencer will keep shaping the media landscape in 2018. It is more about a change of thinking and the conscious booking of influencers - similar to a conscious diet. We should rather eat less cheap meat and instead go for the occasional high quality meat that might be a little more costly. Next year’s focus will clearly be on the quality of content in all its facets. The content creators amongst the influencers will become increasingly important for agencies and companies. It is the influencer with high quality and creativity that will enchant their clients. Good advertisement will linger in our memory longer and influencer marketing is no exception. 

New, creative formats will enter the markets, video content will gain in importance and storytelling will make its way through. This change will separate the wheat from the chaff, making many influencers unsuitable for collaborations - despite (seemingly) high reach. 

4. At Eye Level Into The Future

Operating with influencers at eye level is one of the aspects which agencies and businesses will have to really wrap their heads around. Without the same eye level between client and influencer, a lot of potential will be given away - that is a fact. Not every influencer might be a content creator and not every concept is an award-winning idea, but influencers can offer a lot more than strictly working by the book. Dear companies and especially agencies, why not try getting influencers on board at the beginning of a campaign. Let them help you work on concepts and together, amazing and unique campaigns will be developed. They will not destroy the business of agencies but rather complement them as service providers. They will, for example, act as an additional art director within your team. 

In the end, influencers know best what kind of content will work for a brand - and they sure know what their fans, followers and subscribers like best. 

5. People Business Stays People Business

Automatization will help facilitate and accelerate processes, but influencer marketing and especially influencer relations are a people business. Thus, automatization should have a supporting effect without turning the influencer into a modern kind of advertising medium in their current marketing mix in the end. 

Especially PR agencies and PR departments of companies will have to set a good example. They are the ones that have realized the importance of personal contact and (potential) brand ambassadors back when we knew influencers as classic bloggers or testimonials. Inviting influencers to events, sending them wishes on their birthday - these kinds of courtesy should not be missed in the daily business when working with influencers. It will ensure a good relationship and will open the doors to more transparency, more productive collaborations and, most importantly, to a successful marketing in 2018. 

These are five of many topics that we at Le Buzz have been occupied with during the past weeks and months. To read more about this and many other topics and to get a more detailed insight into influencer marketing and influencer relations, we invite you to stop by at www.lebuzz-mag.com.