Paid Content
So many questions out there about what is happening in influencer marketing this year. Some as basic as what is influencer marketing (yes, that was a real question)? Others are more complicated. Is Instagram dead? Who will be the influencers to watch? With so many platforms, and very public influencer scandals, where do companies even begin in 2020.
What is an Influencer?
Simply put anyone with a dedicated social media following is an influencer. YouTube creators, Instagramers, bloggers, TickTock creators and any other social media platform users who create content around a specific topic is an influencer. They have an expertise or an honesty that their followers appreciate and trust.
How do brands use Influencer Marketing?
Brands who are looking for a more effective 
method of reaching out to consumers have adopted influencer marketing as part of their marketing plan. Beyond celebrity endorsements brands are cultivating relationships with small influencers whose price point for endorsement is lower but whose followers are just as dedicated.
Influence is not a new thing though. Brands have long known the power of customer endorsements and reviews to help promote their products.
2020 Influencers Marketing Trends
So where do marketers place their money in 2020? What are the trends and where do we go from here?
It’s safe to say that consumers have become more savvy when it comes to marketing. Gone are the days when people blindly followed their favorite celebrities every endorsement. They are tired of brands with enough money selling them subpar products. This year smaller influencers and integrity are the buzzwords publications such as ad age and imagincy are tossing out.
Brands are more interested in building solid relationships with influencers instead of one time campaigns.
Brands have likewise become savvy. Vanity Metrics like number of followers which can be bought for a few dollars are no longer enough to secure a brand deal. Influencers like food influencers Alla Driksne are predicting a tougher time securing brand deals.
Brands are looking to align themselves with influencers who share the same values as they do so they are not caught up in scandals like the Logan Paul or Emma Hallberg debacles.
Bye Bye Pretty Pictures – Hello Video
The powers who predict with their crystal balls have declared that 2020 will see a decline in Instagram as the platform of choice for brands looking to cultivate relationships
with influencers. Instead, influencers like me with a YouTube, TikTock (which is looking like the platform influencers are loving this year) or Podcast platform will see a rise in brand deals. Which makes sense since video allows consumers to see how products function.
So what does that mean for existing influencers who are on platforms like Instagram? Never fear influencers have seen many platforms come and go and many like these Denver Food Influencers are ready to pivot. So brands with existing relationships won’t be left scrambling.
No More Wild West
I think it’s safe to say that the infancy of influencer marketing is safely in the rearview 
mirror. Both brands and influencers have realized that a mention for the sake of a post just isn’t cutting it. 2020 is the year that relevance and integrity are in the driver’s seat. Consumers will be glad to hear that I’m sure.