Influencer Marketing, As You Know It, Is Dead

The influencer marketing bubble has finally burst. It was a long time coming. Platforms with a heavy influencer marketing presence have gravitated away from airbrushed, aspirational photography. It’s been replaced by realistic, accessible live video, video reels, and Tiktoks.? Retailers are similarly moving away from celebrity influencers, who are often cost prohibitive for smaller brands.?

The influencer marketing industry is evolving at a breakneck pace. So, let’s take a look at some of the influencer marketing trends that have reached their pinnacle, and what brands can do instead.?

Filters are now officially passe

Remember the early days of Snapchat, when everyone’s Facebook and Instagram profile picture suddenly looked better than they ever had… with dog ears on them? Social media filters have become a lot more complex since then. Detractors of the filter craze say that social media filters are creating an uptick in injections and plastic surgery.

In fact, CNN confirms that surgeons are seeing unprecedentedly young customers coming in for procedures to make them look more like their filtered images. So much so that there’s a term for it: “Snapchat Dysmorphia.” So, are filters a trend to help people put their best face forward, or a harmful catalyst for mass body dysmorphia??

The truth falls somewhere in the middle. But far be it for Gen Z to take a harmful trend propagated by The Man at face value. Images based on striving for perfection, rather than accessibility , are falling by the wayside. The filter stacking trend has led social media users to the other extreme: Openly showing off flaws –– wrinkles, acne, age spots, etc. –– without filters or apologies.?

Celebrity marketing vs micro influencers

Celebrity endorsements will always exist in some form. When it comes to influencer marketing, however, celebrity infused influencer marketing agencies are falling by the wayside. The new craze? Microinfluencer agency apps like Stack Influence and Grin. Microinfluencers have highly engaged, smaller social media followings of anywhere from 1,000 to 100,000 followers.

While celebrity marketing will always be a factor for large cosmetic and apparel companies, it’s no longer the only path forward. Spending more money to hire a celebrity influencer doesn’t guarantee better results. In fact, studies prove that up to 92% of customers trust microinfluencers more than celebrities or traditional brands.This is particularly true for gen Z and millennials , who are already skeptical of high investment, generic influencers.

As influencer marketing platforms gravitate away from macro influencers, you’ll also notice that influencers have more highly personalized content. This means content catered to their lives, personal style, and causes of interest. The reason? Influencer marketing agencies are realizing that highly controlled content reads less organically than giving the influencers power over their message. Letting influencers personalize the content is also a better way to create lasting relationships with the brand that evolve into brand advertisements over time –– creating a much more effective sales funnel than just hiring influencers to do one off posts.?

Adding ease to the collaboration process

There’s no overstating the need for succinct product data. Today’s marketing initiatives require more in-depth product information than ever before.? Fifteen years ago, it was unthinkable for retailers to include in depth supply chain data on product tags, but this practice is quickly becoming mainstream. Customers want to know about your supply chain process.?

For influencer marketing to be effective, retail marketing teams need fast access to in-depth product data. Teams need to access product information –– sustainability compliance, factory location, how many iterations of a product were produced, etc. –– before they begin seeking out influencers. The more buttoned up your supply chain is, the better information you can share about how your company operates and the products you create. Surefront retail PLM keeps your business streamlined. With Surefront, your team can swiftly access shareable information about improvements to your products or supply chain.

A retail PLM like Surefront –– that’s built by and for retailers –– can be your competitive advantage, helping your team turn influencers into brand advocates. That’s because, with the right product lifecycle management solution, your marketing team can interface directly with factories. So, they get all of the necessary product data right from the source, in seconds.?

Ready to experience the difference of a retail PLM solution that allows you to swiftly interface with external suppliers? Surefront’s product lifecycle management solution was built by a retailer to service the retail industry’s unique needs. It’s time we got better acquainted. Book a custom demo with one of our product lifecycle management experts today!

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