What was your favourite influencer marketing campaign from 2019? Did it embrace the opportunities of TikTok? Add a new edge to the Instagram platform? Or perhaps grab you across multiple platforms and media? There’s no doubt that in 2019 influencer marketing went from strength to strength, as more and more marketers began to tap into its outstanding scope for impact across the globe.

With 80% of marketers now confirming that its an effective part of any digital marketing strategy, the race is on to see what awaits for influencer marketing in 2020. Here’s the lowdown:

Less is more

Just to confirm – this doesn’t mean that the volume of influencer marketing is going to suddenly drop. Far from it, in fact. But when it comes to the influencers who brands reach out to, we’re going to see a continuation of the trend in engaging with micro-influencers. Less renowned than celebrities, these entrepreneurial individuals generally have fewer than 10,000 followers – but offer something far more useful for marketers. With a genuinely engaged following, micro-influencers (also known as nano-influencers), will become more sought after in marketing circles than ever this year. Long term relationships

As brands seek out for long term relationships with customers, it only makes sense that more value is placed in securing longer term influencers. This stops competitors cutting in the action and luring key influencers away, allows brands and businesses to have a little more control over what their influencers are doing, and ensures that audiences are retained for longer. The only slight negative here is that the freedom of the influencers themselves becomes impacted. It certainly won’t mean the end of influencer marketing, but it could mean a transition in the influencers’ overall role.

Data-driven influencing

Whereas the humble beginnings of influencer marketing involved opportunism and guesswork, as technology begins to tap into the market of influencer marketing it will inevitably become more data-led. Influencer marketing agency Socially Powerful have already made data an intrinsic aspect of their clients’ campaigns, and the rest of the competition will be embracing technology to catch up in 2020. Insights derived from data allow brands and campaign creators to better understand their audience and influencers, and more effectively plan strategies based on tangible data.

Purpose plays a part

In order to get their positive messages across to consumers, brands will need to partner with influencers who embrace and further emphasise their core values. Essentially, more and more people now want to know that a brand exists for a wider purpose than selling products and making money. Environmentally sound brand identities, positive ethos’, and relationships people can trust will be key to making people respond in 2020. As consumers become more clued up on how influencer marketing works, they’ll naturally become less susceptible to its… influence… so transparency, and positivity become ever more important.

Ultimately, influencer marketing is only going to continue growing in the next 12 months. New trends will undoubtedly emerge as the industry grows, and consumers will no doubt respond to new ideas as influencing continues to change. Don’t stop trying new ideas in the meantime though, and you could find the biggest trend of 2021 began with your own bright, innovative spark!