By Sahil Chopra
From Twitter to Instagram and now the professional networking hub of LinkedIn, influencer marketing has proved its dynamic adaptability. Influencer marketing has undoubtedly become a cornerstone for modern-day advertising, constantly changing together with social media platforms. But as we continue making influencer marketing a part of our digital growth strategy, it is crucial to have a closer look at how this exciting industry is poised to change in the coming years.
AI and Influencer Marketing
The year 2023 has indeed been a transformative one. We’ve witnessed significant developments in generative AI, reshaping content creation by leaps and bounds. This has resulted in the rise of AI influencers, and so far, some of the biggest brands, including MG Motor India, BMW and Samsung, have already deployed generative AI to promote their products and services.
With AI influencers picking up among brands and advertisers, there is a need for a risk management framework to standardise the use of AI applications. The much-needed intervention from regulatory bodies will focus on trustworthiness and reliability, further shaping the future governance of AI influencers.
Moreover, regulatory bodies must warn against deceptive AI practices like deepfakes. We recently came across a celebrity’s deepfake going viral on social media platforms. This is a clear signal to the regulatory bodies to take a holistic approach to governing the use of AI to ensure the honesty and authenticity of human storytelling.
The shift towards nano and micro-influencers
Brands and advertisers are relooking at their influencer marketing budgets and making their move towards nano and micro-influencers, with followers ranging from 1,000-1,00,000. Nano and micro-influencers are changing the influencer marketing landscape with not only their high engagement rates but also community connection and niche expertise, which is crucial for brands targeting specific audiences.
Video content for the win
There has been a tremendous spike in the creation and consumption of video content across social media platforms. With social media platforms competing to stand out, features like live streaming and short video content have become mainstream. The ability of influencer-generated video content to keep viewers hooked through entertaining and interactive elements makes it quite effective in capturing the ever-fleeting attention of younger demographics.
The rise of CGI in Influencer Marketing
Technology has changed the game for content creation from computer-generated imagery to computer-generated influencers. Brands and advertisers are fascinated with using digital avatars to take complete control over brand narrative. While CGI influencers can go beyond cultural and linguistic barriers, establishing the same connection with viewers as human influencers do might be difficult for CGI influencers.
Moreover, the trustworthiness of CGI influencers will always be looked upon with a question mark. Their inability to physically interact with products will always give rise to doubts about their credibility.
Since CGI has been gaining much traction, seeing human influencers develop video content using CGI to reveal a product or service might be interesting.
Focusing on impact over impressions
Brands and advertisers are gradually changing their approach, diverting their attention from vanity metrics, such as follower counts, to more significant KPIs such as engagement, click-through rates and conversions. Understanding that large followership may not always translate to more eyeballs for a business is more important than ever. Instead, influencers aligning with your brand’s ethos can help generate exponential value for your business.
The influencer marketing sector will continue to grow, and along the way, find the perfect balance between innovation and regulation, with content authenticity at the core. With the integration of AI tools, brands and influencers will have an extra edge in identifying key insights from audience demographics and engagement metrics and focus aggressively on content creation. As we welcome new trends, we will see brands and influencers coming together and understanding the true strength of honest storytelling and the importance of building trustworthiness with their audience.
The author is founder and CEO of iCubesWire