SuperNano Influencers 2.0 ... What's coming for influencer marketing in 2020.
As this decade rolls towards its final in take of breathe, the 2020’s are tightening their boot straps as they prepare to take centre stage. As with all big moments, it’s a chance for folk like me to peer into our fictitious crystal balls and visualise trends and movements the year ahead will hold. So without further a do, here’s that list of stuff I think will happen in the world of influencers in 2020.
Purpose driven content is king
It’s seems silly to suggest, but even as influencer marketing moves into maturity it still possesses a lack of purpose when it comes to content. This purpose is two fold;
- Why are we even doing this?
- What do we need to measure?
We’re all aware by now that influencer marketing can have an incredible impact on your business (when done right). But that doesn’t mean you have to do it just because everyone else is doing it. On the flip side, if you are doing it, make sure you ask yourself, why? This will ultimately ensure you have clarity in what you're trying to get in return and make the entire process far easier.
A knock on effect of this is that it gives you a very comprehensive view of what you need to measure in order to ensure your influencer content does its job.
Both of these will compound the foundation of the changes in 2020 as far too many brands are wasting money producing nothingness content. This transition won’t be a slow one either as the pressure will mount on marketers and influencer agencies to prove the true value of what this glorious industry can do.
Purpose driven creators will rise again
I’ve never watched it myself, but I feel for the Love Island massive given the new batch will now have an even shorter tenure as an influencer as there is apparently going to be two seasons of the show in 2020.
That said, their concern shouldn’t be the shortness of their spot centre stage. It should be the fact that as purpose becomes so much more integral to brands, so does the need to partner with influencers that embody those values as well.
It may have some incredible powers, but obvious ads, poor partnerships and money hungry Z listers willing to promote anything (Lauren Goodger) drag this game down.
Look out for the rise of those influencers who have a clear purpose and consistent narrative to their content. These will become the Eternals of our universe.
Return of the mack(s) - the original OG creators
Before it was influencer marketing, people with a large follower count on the likes of YouTube were known as creators. Many of those creators even to this day resist the term influencer with great passion, and rightly so. After all, the majority of these people are actually incredibly creative.
Modern day influencer marketing has had a growing interest in just looking at numbers and not creative. Six packs, bikinis and selfies have somehow become the norm for what is acceptable when it comes to influencers.
The good news is, this is about to change. If we’re honest, it already has started as more and more brands exploring influencer marketing realise that it takes more than a boomerang to sell products.
Creatives/creators will be in high demand in 2020 as brands demand more for their money, better creative and storytelling and a greater return.
Creator integration into the wider business model
It’s not a new phenomena for influencers to have their own brands. Next year however they’ll become more integrated in existing brands. They’ll start shaping new products, brand campaigns and even the wider narrative of how brands innovate and evolve.
Don’t be scared by this. These are people super connected with their audience, which are ultimately your target audience. They have great powers when it comes to engaging with those who you exist for. So use them.
My view, those brands that create communities of influencers that truly work with them will be the ones that grow substantial amounts and dominate their sectors.
Facebook becomes a true influencer player
They’ve taken away likes on Instagram and have now built their very own influence collaboration dashboard. How this truly works is yet to be seen. It is however an indication that they are here to compete and makes things more professional. On top of that, it will only continue to solidify Instagram as a dominant channel for influencer marketing.
If this move also enables influencers to pick up brand deals direct it will put huge pressure on specialist agencies to prove value. However, as we’ve seen with influencer market places before, they can often be a cause of poor creative and poor ROI given the lack of strategy and openness to anyone taking on the job.
The best thing about this move however is that it will push the entire industry to up their game … and this is the most important thing we need.