Is Influencer Marketing Dead?
As a past influencer in the beauty, travel, and fashion space, this is a juicy conversation we are having today.
We have seen some shifts in the influencer marketing space for many reasons!
Today I am sharing several nuggets with you, and you will benefit from this blog/podcast if you are:
A brand that is craving more visibility in your business and is
An influencer who is already partnering with brands and thinking, “ah, maybe it’s time for a pivot.”
Someone who has tried influencer marketing, and it just hasn’t worked for you yet.
Eager to become profitable online in some capacity by partnering with brands
I have experience on both sides, on the brand’s behalf and as a creator myself.
I actually created a 5-figure influencer business, generating around $50,000 in paid partnerships. In my previous job, I ran influencer marketing campaigns and set up affiliate marketing programs.
We started an influencer partnership at one of the boutiques I managed in 2015.
In 2016 we saw a significant rise in the Instagram platform.
But, I first became aware of influencer marketing in 2008.
I remember the 2008 Olympics like it was yesterday, and I remember Shawn Johnson and other Olympic athletes on cereal boxes and gaining all of these paid partnerships.
This might be more known now as celebrity endorsements but same concept. They used their influence to sell products.
In 2016, we started seeing more than just large brands utilize influencer marketing. Boutiques and smaller businesses saw the value as well.
I have seen influencer marketing be super successful, and I’ve seen it tank.
I do believe that influencer marketing looks very different today, I mean, even Instagram looks very different than it did then. Gaining an audience on Instagram is much more difficult today. Still very possible but challenging.
These bloggers and influencers started when these platforms we
In the past, Instagram seemed to favor the dream life: all the pretty things and overly aesthetic feeds. Remember that?
And I fell into this trap as an influencer, too.
I want you to look at who you’re following and ask yourself why you’re following them. How do they make you feel?
Because of that dream life being promoted, people wanted to buy the same products as their favorite influencers. It brings a sense of connection to the consumer and the influencer.
I had some incredible partnerships as an influencer.
One of them was with New York Fashion Week. (Many people said I would never get this partnership). I had fewer followers compared to others in the fashion space.
Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something because of your follower count.
What we’ve noticed now in the influencer space:
Consumers aren’t necessarily buying from influencers like they were.
When an influencer promotes a skincare brand, and two days later, they are promoting another brand, there becomes a lack of trust.
And from a brand perspective, they probably aren’t seeing the ROI they were at the beginning of influencer marketing when it was hitting its peak.
It also became a space where the influencers all looked the same.
Consumers and brands are craving diversity, and more than “I love this product because…”!
Brands don’t need a large influencer following. Brands are craving regular engaged following with more diversity, authenticity, and connection.
Brands understand that they need to be mindful of where their dollars are going.
Instead of paying an influencer $10,000 for one post, maybe it’s wiser for them to pay several micro-influencers instead.
So, is influencer marketing dead? No, it’s not dead.
The UGC rise is different than influencer marketing.
It’s not dependent on your follower count.
It is more dependent on your skill set, talent, and creativity.
The brand or the creator could form the relationship.
It can be a side gig or become a full-time income.
I’m actually an affiliate from one of our incredible clients on our agency side, Spiffy & Splendid.
I helped Spiffy & Splendid build a very strategic marketing funnel for two different sides of their business. We also helped them build out an affiliate program. I have my own individual link and send it to my personal audience. I earn a 10% commission, and the person on the other end gets a discount too!
back to our topic, is influencer marketing dead? My answer to you is:
There is still money to be made in influencer marketing, it’s not for every brand, but it’s still alive today. It may fizzle off, but only time and the market can tell us.
But I do love that we don’t usually see the push on follower counts, with loop giveaways and all the things (I’ve participated in those, I’ll say it).
I believe we will continue to see a rise in UGC since we are all craving diversity, and brands want consumers to feel they can envision themselves with their products.
Whether you’re a brand wondering what the next best step for your marketing efforts may be: influencer marketing, UGC creators, or an affiliate program, I would love to have a conversation with you.
Or maybe you’re an influencer, continent creator, or someone wanting to get into this space. Let’s discuss what would be the next best move for you and your personal brand.