VP of Marketing and Strategy at Linqia, Keith is a leading voice in the intersection of marketing and technology.
getty
The age of "Influencer 1.0" is coming to a close, and we are entering a new era … the era of Influencer 2.0. Let's take a deeper look at advancements that could drive a global industry that hit over $16 billion in value this year, according to Statista (paywall).
The Rise Of Creators
There has been a lot of chatter in the industry over the last year about the difference between influencers and creators. The shortest explanation I can provide is that a creator makes their living off of the content they create, whereas an influencer makes their living off of the influence they have on audiences. A creator can be someone who makes high-quality content, humorous content or entertaining content that is valuable for a brand to use across their channels. An influencer could be a parent giving parenting advice, or a health care professional educating patients. Their value to a brand is how influential their message is with the desired audience. A creator can be an influencer, but that isn’t always the case.
I think Influencer 2.0 is going to see brands work with a lot more professional creators with the goal of generating high-quality content that would normally require significant production resources to execute. If social media becomes more about entertainment and less about social connections, the best content that is fully optimized for the channel is going to win. Creator content could be used well beyond the social walls of the creators, which leads us to our second key pillar of Influencer 2.0 …
Going Beyond Social
Influencer 1.0 was heavily about working with influencers to create content for their feeds and the beginning of using that content for paid social. Influencer 2.0 is likely going to be about adapting the content generated by influencers and creators for placements across the entire marketing ecosystem. This includes connected TV, programmatic display, digital out-of-home, retailer product detail pages (PDPs), retail media and more. Authentic, relatable content is no longer just a social media premise; consumers should be able to engage with it across channels. Influencers could grow to help brands significantly improve brand awareness and equity and help drive sales.
Enabling Commerce
As the social platforms expand upon their commerce features, from Instagram Checkout to TikTok Shop and YouTube's test of affiliate marketing for Shorts, I predict that the amount of commerce-enabled content that creators generate for brands is going to skyrocket. DTC brands will likely build the necessary ecosystems for all digital content to be fully shoppable, and brands who sell via third-party retailers will ensure their content is carting-enabled.
Livestream shopping is also likely to continue to expand as brands look to evolve the QVC model for the social age. If creators become keen to monetize beyond brand partnerships, expect many to demand a piece of the pie for any products they help sell in their streams. Wise brands will also look to forge deeper relationships with influencers and creators beyond social content generation.
Expanded Partnerships
Brands are starting to realize that influencers can be even more valuable as product partners as opposed to solely as social media creators. We saw that when Dunkin Donuts partnered with Charli D’Amelio to add a drink named after her to their menu. Influencer 2.0 could see a rise in brands forming these deeper partnerships with influencers, whereby influencers are integrated into special product releases, provide valuable customer research to help inform innovation road maps, and advise more intimately on the brands' broader creative and marketing strategies. Many brands will likely hire creators to run their social channels entirely, either as full-time employees or contract advisors.
The influencer marketing industry is getting more sophisticated, and this next phase could see a growing number of brands utilizing influencer content to help drive performance across all facets of the marketing organization. It's no longer just about social media impressions and engagements; we should now also be focusing on how to leverage influencers to drive significant gains in brand equity and sales. This next phase is going to be an exciting one, so strap in for the ride.
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