Influencer Marketing Predictions For 2020

2019 was a big year for influencer marketing, with some major developments such as the rise of virtual influencers, the emergence of TikTok as a leading platform and new regulations for the industry. The focus last year was on bringing authenticity and transparency in the landscape.

One thing that is clear is that influencer marketing is here to stay and it is all set to become bigger in 2020. Now that the New Year is here, it is important to know what lies ahead, whether you are an influencer, a marketer, or a brand looking to leverage this approach to drive growth. Read on to find out what are some of the major Influencer Marketing trend predictions for 2020.

Paid amplification will be a key differentiator

This year, influencer campaigns will widely embrace paid social media posts as a part of their evolution. The objective will be to facilitate the targeted amplification of influencers’ content so that it reaches an even wider audience through social platforms. Apart from opening new avenues for brands, the paid ads will also bring focus on social commerce and opportunities for platforms to increase revenues from the deals between brands and influencers.

Micro and macro will make the winning mix

2019 was the year when micro-influencers came to the forefront as brands recognized their value for reaching the niche audience. Undoubtedly, these influencers make a smart way of targeting niche segments of the market with highly engaged audiences. However, we will possibly see the micro-influencer market shrinking because bloggers who are not able to pull crowds or sustain the audience will drop off. With influencer marketing becoming more competitive than ever, a mix between micro and macro will make the winning strategy in 2020.

Video content will be the game-changer

One thing about influencer marketing that will probably never change is the significance of quality content. High quality, informative content is what makes an influencer stand apart as that is what followers trust and depend on. This year, video content will come to the forefront and play a vital role in reaching and engaging the audience. After all, visuals are more impactful than words, aren’t they?

Long-term relationships will be the key

Another major influencer marketing prediction for 2020 is that brands and influencers will focus on long-term influencer relationships and contracts rather than short-term partnerships. Both will pay more attention to “brand and influencer match” to make the collaboration authentic and worthwhile. With this, the role of talent management representation agencies and managers will become important because they play the matchmakers for brands and influencers.

Measurement metrics will change

The success of influencer marketing campaigns has always been benchmarked on the basis of on social metrics such as follower counts, likes, comments and engagement rates. But marketers have realized that these metrics are only superficial in nature and they now want more detailed parameters to gauge the real value of collaboration in terms of impact on sales and brand value. In 2020, the metrics will witness a shift to more verifiable ones, such as audience demographics, unique reach, number of actual impressions, engagement via comments and views delivered.

Considering these predictions, the influencer marketing industry seems all set for taking some giant strides in 2020 and beyond.