Have you noticed Influencer Marketing changing a bit? Initially, the intent of all platforms was similar: utilize content in various ways to keep people engaged and interacting with the platform. Today, I’m seeing a massive change in the platforms and the way they operate.
Facebook, the OG – Once a resource to stay connected with friends has now become a community message board with nine in 10 posts you see originating from groups you followed back in 2012. Facebook has become less about the people you know and more about others who are engaged in your interests. So, while having an influencer post on this platform brings movement: finding groups that align with your core target and integrating your promotion into those groups truly is the key to finding success on the platform. Facebook has become a larger scale Next Door and marketers should plan for that.
Instagram: Instagram, META’s now primary social platform has taken a step toward becoming what AOL, Facebook and MySpace became before them. With the introduction of a profile song, for millennials the platform now has a new and yet very familiar feel. It’s now where generations meet and share themselves with their family, friends and followers.
TikTok: The platform that built an entire ecosystem around itself. From TikTok shop, to enhanced creator monetization and creation tools: TikTok has provided a living for thousands of influencers and it has provided them the tools to increase their footprint. As TikTok evolves, cross-platform Reels won’t work as the purpose of TikTok and Instagram will be different and platform exclusivity will become a real thing in relation to content created for activations. Besides, if Instagram is where we go to find what we know, TikTok is the platform to discover the unknown.
YouTube: With YouTube being the primary social platform of Gen Alpha, we would expect market share to continue to rise. Gen Alpha bucks the trend and they have been consuming long-form content on this platform since early childhood. The key here is to focus on creating great, long-form content which is promoted via Shorts.
In conclusion, the needle is moving on influencer marketing and platforms are changing: how will you keep up with the times?