Cooper Munroe Moderates Brand Panel at The Platform Conference

Trends in social media: The Motherhood scours the headlines so you don’t have to. Check back throughout the month for more!

Influencer Marketing Industry Resources

Deepfakes are spreading, putting creator and brand safety at risk – March 22, 2024

Creator Michel Janse says she was on her honeymoon when she learned that her likeness was being used to promote erectile-dysfunction pills online. “People had messaged me, saying, ‘Hey, I saw this ad, and it didn’t look like you, but it was you,’” she told Marketing Brew. “It was me, in my clothes, in my bedroom, but I didn’t do an ad there.”

YouTube Announces #WomenofYouTube Mentorship Program for Shorts Creators – March 20, 2024

YouTube has announced a new #WomenofYouTube Mentorship program, which is designed to “educate and uplift” female creators by partnering them with other women creators for coaching, advice, and general support.

Post Performance Report: Influencer marketing campaigns taking over our feeds – March 20, 2024

According to a Q3 2023 Sprout Pulse Survey, 81% of marketers agree influencer marketing is an essential part of their overall social strategy, but almost half struggle to measure the effectiveness of influencer campaigns. Since the opportunity for influencer marketing looms large, we decided to round up some of our favorite recent influencer campaigns, and demonstrate how they drive business results the C-suite cares about.

Becoming A Full-Time Influencer: The Journey Of The Bybel Sisters – March 19, 2024

In the digital age, the term influencer has transcended beyond a buzzword into a legitimate and often lucrative career path. With platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and others offering a stage for personalities to share their life, advice, and endorsements, becoming an influencer is increasingly seen as a full-time job with significant earning potential.

HOW TIKTOK CREATORS ARE PREPARING FOR POTENTIAL BAN—AND ADVICE FROM INFLUENCER MARKETING EXPERTS – March 15, 2024

The nearly annual discussions of the U.S. banning TikTok have been a simmering source of anxiety for creators on the platform, but one that most TikTokers were confident would never materialize. Now, though, creators believe the likelihood of TikTok being banned in the country is higher than ever before, sparking an urgency for influencers to look to other platforms and sources of revenue. 

5 Tips For Collaborating With Instagram Influencers – March 14, 2024

For brands looking to create authentic connections with their audiences on Instagram, influencer partnerships have become a powerful tool. Strategically leveraging these partnerships can significantly enhance brand credibility and reach. The collaboration feature on Instagram is a newer feature that allows you to collaborate with other accounts. When you collaborate on a post, it appears on the pages of all those who collaborate, allowing you to tap into each other’s audiences.

Are brand-led creator communities the next evolution of influencer marketing? – March 13, 2024

To form deeper, more authentic relationships with consumers, brands like Claire’s and Pacsun are launching their own creator communities to help them produce content, provide product inspiration, and advise on marketing campaigns. “Brands are looking to deepen relationships with influencers and creators to go beyond social posts,” said Keith Bendes, vice president strategy and partnerships at influencer marketing company Linqia. “This includes creative consulting, product testing, industry insight sourcing, and more.”

Influencer Marketing 3.0: A Dive Into AI’s Impact On Engagement – March 12, 2024

As someone who’s navigated the crossroads of technology and marketing for over two decades, I’ve witnessed firsthand the seismic shifts in how brands connect with their audiences. My unique vantage point comes from not just observing but actively engaging with the evolution of influencer marketing—from its humble beginnings to the dawn of Influencer Marketing 3.0.

Logan Paul’s Prime Hydration Offers Lessons On Influencer Marketing – March 12, 2024

Forget sponsored posts, the influencer game has leveled up. Today manufacturers and influencers are joining forces to create new brands. This win-win situation leverages content creators’ reach and expertise to develop innovative products that stand out from the crowd.

How To Refresh 17 Tried-And-True Marketing Strategies For Gen-Z – March 10, 2024

Successful marketing strategies of the past are continually being reimagined and tailored to resonate with new generations. As Gen-Z emerges as a dominant consumer demographic in 2024, marketing agencies are adapting and modernizing tried-and-true tactics to capture this young generation’s attention and engagement.

Why Ronnie2K Is The Prototype For Reimagining Influencer Marketing – March 10, 2024

Vogue Business declared that the Instagram era of influencer brands is over. The consequence of this sunsetting is said to have made way for a new period of influencer engagement, one that meets the expectations of consumers who have seemingly grown weary of overly manicured brand-influencer partnerships. This new era apparently favors more organic pairings between brands and influencers that appear to be more authentic and less manufactured.

Has The Era Of Brand Trips Run Its Course? – March 8, 2024

“IF YOU AIN’T got no money, take yo’ broke ass home!” If the lyrics of Fergie’s chart-topping hit “Glamorous” as a fitting soundtrack don’t clue you into the aesthetics of makeup brand Tarte’s recent influencer trip, the countless videos flooding TikTok for-you-pages certainly will. Last week, Tarte sent a group of makeup, lifestyle, and fashion influencers on an all-expenses paid trip to a Four Seasons hotel on the Polynesian island of Bora Bora, where they drank, partied, and at one point, danced next to a life-sized mascot of the brand’s best-selling concealer. Some of the most popular creators on TikTok — Like Vidya Gopalan and Mackenzie Ziegler— posted dozens of videos opening massive boxes of free merchandise, flying on private planes, and partying poolside. But from the pageantry of the tropical getaway, accusations of the trip being tone-deaf coupled with the memory of Tarte’s past faux pas have created a massive discussion online. Brand trips have long been treated as a necessary part of influencer marketing — but are they past their prime?

WHAT GEN Z WANTS FROM INFLUENCER MARKETING  – March 7, 2024

Creators are an integral part of many marketers’ efforts to reach Gen Z consumers. At Ad Age’s Gen Z Summit conference yesterday, several marketing executives and creators—many of whom are Gen Zers themselves—discussed the influencer marketing strategies they’re leveraging to engage with the coveted age cohort.

How To More Effectively Select Influencers For Your Next Campaign – March 7, 2024

It’s 2024. It feels like everyone’s an influencer. As a brand, how can you separate the top performers from the pack? Most brands and agencies still rely on surface metrics and gut feel to select influencers for campaigns. But these methods can’t predict performance, which often leads to budgets wasted on poor-performing influencers.

Deinfluencers are hurting Dyson and Stanley. This is how they should respond – March 5, 2024

Brands are expected to spend $7bn on influencer marketing in 2024. But a rising generation of creators aims to build audience trust by adopting a different approach: Convincing people not to buy products. Deinfluencers are social media creators who discourage users from spending money on viral items rather than promoting them. They often refute influencer recommendations, share their own negative experiences, and critique items and companies they find overhyped. Last year, as deinfluencers erupted into the mainstream, TikTok posts tagged #deinfluencing drew more than 750 million views.

B2B Influencer Marketing: It’s Not Rocket Science – March 5, 2024

B2B advertising is boring. That’s what nearly half of business buyers told PR Web in a 2018 survey. And it seems to have gotten worse since then. In 2023, The Power of Provocation discovered that a staggering 82% of business decision-makers considered B2B marketing monotonous and repetitive, while a mere 1% believed it demonstrated a meaningful understanding of the human experience. This signals a massive opportunity for B2B marketers to redefine their approach, and the ideal place to start is on social media.

Why ‘surprise and delight’ doesn’t apply to influencer gifting anymore – March 4, 2024

When creator Olivia Marcus was surprised with a giant, lipstick-shaped PR package from MAC Cosmetics filled with confetti and 19 lipsticks, her reaction was not one of delight. Instead of posting what the makeup brand may have hoped would be a fun unboxing video, Marcus instead posted about how “wasteful and gluttonous” unprompted influencer gifting can be, along with the annoyances of “glitter bombing.” (MAC did not respond to Marketing Brew’s requests for comment; Marcus declined to comment.)

Not your boomer’s influencer: the rapidly evolving world of influencer marketing – March 4, 2024

Depending on the context and where, when, and whom you ask, the term can be a noun, a verb, or quickly modified into an adjective. For Dale Carnegie, influence was a skill you used to win friends; for the stars of Hollywood’s golden age, influence was currency sold in the form of endorsement deals for everything from cigarettes and chocolate to heavy machinery; and alongside the rise of social media heavyweights, “influencer” was added to our modern lexicon in 2019 as something of a catch-all for a new generation of brand ambassadors. In other words, the use of influence to drive behavior and desire has been around, in different iterations and conjugations, for generations.

What Affiliate And Influencer Marketing Can Teach Each Other – March 1, 2024

In the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, the cyclical nature of success often prompts a return to proven strategies. As someone who’s been working in affiliate and influencer marketing for over a decade, I think brand managers, e-commerce professionals and agencies using these forms of marketing can learn a lot from each other.

HOW LINKEDIN IS BECOMING A HOT SPOT FOR INFLUENCER MARKETING – March 1, 2024

LinkedIn—arguably the most uncool place on the internet—is becoming a hot spot for influencer marketing. Case in point: There’s a new agency called Creator Authority that is entirely focused on brokering deals between creators and brands on the platform. Founded in January 2024 by Brendan Gahan, former Mekanism partner and chief innovation officer, and Mandi Hopper, formerly of influencer agency Collectively, Creator Authority bills itself as a “LinkedIn influencer marketing company,” Gahan said. The creator agency offers services including influencer discovery, strategy development, content management, reporting and paid media. 

As influencers replace journalists, a ‘jinfluencer’ is born – March 1, 2024

Brand owners – it’s 2025, your funnel doesn’t resemble a funnel any more, your media distribution plan only features vertical media, and everyone is banging on about ‘jinfluencers.’ A turf war is going on for the vestments of publishing right now, and ‘jinfluencers’ ( journalist + influencer) are at the heart of it.

How influencers and content creators are reshaping brand strategies – February 27, 2024

Content creators and influencers are now achieving the same level of engagement once reserved for traditional advertising methods like billboards, print ads and TV commercials. They’re captivating millions with content that deeply connects with their followers. Influencer and creator marketing is becoming the mainstay for brands aiming to reach their audience where they are: online and engaged in a two-way conversation. This shift is powered by the authenticity and relatability of influencers, qualities that traditional advertising mediums struggle to match.

Six Guidelines For Influencer Marketing In 2024 – February 26, 2024

Over the last 20 years, I’ve had the opportunity to be part of a dramatic evolution in the marketing world, driven by the birth and meteoric rise of creator-based marketing. This shift from traditional marketing to a creator-centric approach didn’t just open up new avenues for individuals to connect with audiences; it also gave brands fresh and exciting ways to reach specific market segments.

TikTok’s best-dressed comedian ‘got it from Nuuly’—and landed a brand partnership – February 23, 2024

If you look in the comments on any TikTok from creator-comedian Sabrina Brier, one thing is usually clear: People really want to know where her outfits are from. On Instagram, there is an account dedicated to sharing what she’s worn in her posts, and interest in her wardrobe can be seen in conversations on TikTok, Reddit, and X. If Brier doesn’t directly tell people in the comments where she got something, then viewers who know are often quick to jump in to share that many of her outfits can be found on Nuuly.

Non-Profit

18 Essentials Nonprofits Shouldn’t Skimp On – March 15, 2024

Economic conditions can adversely impact organizations in any industry, but nonprofits often feel that strain acutely. As budgets tighten and uncertain financial futures come into play, it’s tempting for executives to cut costs across the organization. However, some expenses should always be considered essentials, even if funds are tight.

Healthcare

How To Build The Right Marketing Team In 2024 And Beyond – March 12, 2024

According to a survey by McKinsey & Company, CEOs who place marketing at the core of their growth strategy are twice as likely to have greater than 5% annual growth compared with their peers. Yet the same survey found disconnects among CEOs and CMOs, one being the underestimated potential for marketing to drive growth.

Tourism

Don’t snooze on the booming business of sleep tourism – March 11, 2024

One in three adults don’t get enough sleep, and 50m-70m Americans have chronic sleep disorders. And it’s fueling a thriving sleep tourism industry, which is expected to grow by ~8% — more than $400B — between 2023 and 2028. Now, the hospitality industry is embracing sleep as the main event for tourists rather than an afterthought, per The New York Times.Social News

Social News

Google Updates Analytics Data Tracking To Ensure Consistency With Ads – March 21, 2024

Google is rolling out a change in Google Analytics in order to facilitate more uniform data tracking across Google Ads and Analytics, with “Key Events” being implemented to replace conversions for behavioral analytics.

Instagram Updates Hashtag Search To Broaden Discovery – March 21, 2024

Instagram has made a change to the way that hashtags facilitate discovery in the app, with users now connected through to the broader search results related to a hashtag when they tap on it, as opposed to a “Top Posts” feed.

YouTube Tests New Audience Filters for Its Video Retention Stats – March 20, 2024

YouTube’s testing an update within its viewer retention charts in YouTube Studio, which will soon enable creators to dig into how different segments of their audience are engaging with their content.

Social media trends: Ban vibes and Katespiracies – March 20, 2024

Feeling abandoned: After the House passed a bill that would require TikTok parent company ByteDance to sell its stake in the app or cease operations in the US, the threat of a TikTok ban is once again looming—and many TikTokers are understandably upset. In addition to questioning the motivations behind the bill and criticizing its Congressional supporters, app users are sharing their concerns about the effects a ban could have on their incomes, career prospects, and…general happiness. Some have also questioned the wisdom of banning an app used extensively by young people in a presidential election year when millions of Gen Zers will be eligible to vote.

TikTok Revamps Creator Rewards Program to Incentivize Longer Uploads – March 18, 2024

After announcing that it was bringing its Creativity Program out of beta earlier this month, TikTok has now officially launched the updated monetization initiative, under a new name: “Creator Rewards Program.”

Instagram Launches Ads With Promo Codes To Entice Purchase Activity – March 18, 2024

After announcing them last week, Instagram has today launched its new “Ads with Promo Codes” option to all brands globally, providing another consideration for your IG campaigns.

TikTok Adds New Influencer Audio Clips to Its Commercial Sounds Library – March 17, 2024

TikTok has added some new elements to its “Sounds for Business” audio library, with extra audio clips from a range of TikTok influencers, which are free to use for advertisers in the app.

Instagram Experiments With More Frames Within Carousel Posts – March 14, 2024

Instagram’s experimenting with broader carousel posts, with some users now able to add up to 15 images to their IG carousel uploads. As you can see in this example, shared by creator economy expert Lia Haberman, some users are being notified that they can now add up to 15 images to a single post, which is an increase from the current limit of 10 posts within a carousel. That could give you more capacity to showcase your latest holiday in a single stream, or provide more context about a project, event, etc.

LinkedIn Will Now Enable Brands to Sponsor Any Organic Post in the App – March 13, 2024

LinkedIn is expanding its Thought Leader ads into its own version of branded content promotion, by enabling businesses to promote content from any user in the app, not just their own employees. Up till now, brands have been able to use Thought Leader ads to convert posts from verified employees of their organization into promotions. But now, businesses will also be able to promote non-employee posts as well, if they choose.

TikTok Adds Search Insights to Better Inform Content Strategies – March 13, 2024

TikTok’s rolling out a new analytics element called “Creator Search Insights”, which will provide creators with info on what users are searching for in the app, so that they can customize their content approach in line with interests.

US House of Representatives Approves TikTok Sell-off Proposal – March 13, 2024

TikTok is gearing up for a legal battle in the U.S., after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a new bill that would force a sell-off of the Chinese-owned app due to national security concerns. To recap, last week, a bipartisan bill was put forward which seeks to force TikTok into U.S. ownership, or face a ban in the region. The intention of the proposal is to limit the impact and influence of “foreign adversary controlled” apps and websites, and the initial proposal was passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee last week.

TikTok Shares Insights Into How To Reach Women With Brand Messaging – March 8, 2024

TikTok has published a new guide on how marketers can connect with women with their messaging, which could have a big impact on the reach and resonance of their campaigns. As per TikTok: “In a landscape where women have renewed cultural status and huge influence in marketing, brands will need to rethink their creative approach to reaching women, revisiting how they view them as both consumers and creative partners. Doing so will help them tap into the huge power that women have both as creators and as consumers.”

TikTok Calls on US Users to Oppose Latest Proposal to Ban App – March 7, 2024

TikTok is once again calling on its U.S. users to lobby the government on its behalf in light of the latest push by U.S. lawmakers to ban the app. Earlier this week, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers proposed a new bill in the House of Representatives that would essentially force TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to sell the platform into U.S. ownership, or it would be banned from America entirely. The proposal stems from concerns that TikTok is providing U.S. user data to the Chinese government, which still looms as a threat.

Musk Says That X Will Soon Remove the Like, Re-Post and Reply Buttons In-Stream – March 7, 2024

Elon Musk is looking to make his next big change at the platform formerly known as Twitter, with Musk reiterating his plan to remove the reply, like and re-share buttons from X posts in-feed, leaving only the total view count and time posted.

Brands spent nearly $4 billion on TikTok ads in 2023: report – March 5, 2024

These days, TikTok is omnipresent in the culture. And advertisers are taking advantage. In Q4 of 2023, ad spend on the platform reached $1.2 billion, according to a report from MediaRadar; that was a 43% increase from the $805 million advertisers spent in the first quarter of the year. Amazon, Apple, Comcast, DoorDash, and The Walt Disney Company spent the most money advertising on the platform in 2023. On average, 11,800 companies spent $318 million per month.

Google Announces New Core Algorithm Update for Search – March 5, 2024

Get ready for fluctuations in your Google Search traffic, with Google today announcing a new “core update” to its algorithms, aimed at reducing spam and low-quality results. Which, in theory, should be a good thing, but you never know exactly how these things are going to play out.

TikTok Announces New Incentive Options for Creative Talent – March 5, 2024

TikTok will now enable all creators to offer subscription packages, not just live creators, as part of its latest effort to provide more monetization options to keep top talent posting to the app.

TikTok says that its subscription option, formerly known as “LIVE Subscription”, will be expanded to non-LIVE creators in the coming weeks.

Social Platforms’ Changing Approaches To Political and News Content Could Sway Upcoming Elections – March 3, 2024

It’s interesting to note the varying approaches that each social app is taking to political content, as we head into what’s expected to be a particularly tumultuous election period. Not only do you have the U.S. election, which is coming up on November 5th, but also heading to the polls this year are India (May), the European Union (June), the U.K., South Africa, and a heap more.  

TikTok Shares Insights with Monthly Trends Digest – February 29, 2024

TikTok has launched a new monthly “Trends Digest” series, which will provide an overview of the latest trends that are gaining traction in the app, with additional notes on how you can incorporate each into your content approach. TikTok says that it’s identified its trending list by taking a broader view of what’s gaining traction, as opposed to smaller “moments” and fads

A minority of TikTok users are responsible for most of the platform’s content – February 22, 2024

Most of the content on TikTok comes from the same, small group of users. The “most active” 25% of US adult users on TikTok are responsible for 98% of public content on the platform, the Pew Research Center found in a new report published on Thursday. Pew determined the threshold for “most active” as a user who’s posted at least seven public videos. Pew previously found the same trend on X, where the most active 20% of users were responsible for 97% of all tweets in 2021.

 

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Trends in social media: The Motherhood scours the headlines so you don’t have to. Check back throughout the month for more!

Influencer Marketing Industry Resources

Why even CEOs should be influencers – February 25, 2024

If you’re reading this article, you’re likely interested in gaining more visibility. Whether you’re looking to bring in more leads, be seen as a thought leader in your field or, well, “influence” people, I am sorry to break it to you, but you may be an influencer. Or perhaps a wannabe influencer. When I started posting videos regularly to grow my on-camera video-coaching business, a friend said to me, “Are you trying to be an influencer?” I could feel my blood boil; I was greatly offended. But I lowered my temperature and reconsidered. I am trying to influence people. I want to influence them to communicate better, to make creative content, to help them be more visible, and land more sales and leads through content.

Forget flashy campaigns: The L.L.Bean Boat and Tote markets itself – February 22, 2024

When influencer Emily Mariko announced she was selling $120 tote bags, some people said they were inspired to reach for their wallets—and purchase another bag entirely. The L.L.Bean Boat and Tote, which is handmade in the US and retails for up to $45, emerged as a clear favorite based on videos suggesting alternative bags that consumers could purchase at a fraction of the price. Amanda Hannah, head of external communications and brand engagement at L.L.Bean, told us that the brand has seen a 35% spike in sales of the tote since January.

Instagram Reigns Supreme With Influencers, but TikTok Gains Ground – February 21, 2024

According to the study, 62% of brands and agencies named Instagram as the most important social media platform. In the ever-evolving world of influencer marketing, the battle of social media platforms continues. Recent research from CreatorIQ highlights the ongoing dominance of Instagram as the go-to platform for influencer marketing, while shedding light on TikTok’s growing influence in this dynamic landscape.

5 Creator Marketing Trends Set To Take Off In 2024 – February 21, 2024

The creator economy is thriving, proving its worth to brands worldwide. According to Sprout Social, U.S. brands will invest $7.14 billion in influencer marketing this year. It’s undeniable we are in the golden age of creator marketing. Whether you’re a brand manager, marketer, or creator, here are five pivotal trends shaping this year’s landscape.

5 Vital Influencer Marketing Metrics You Should Know – February 21, 2024

Influencer marketing has been characterized as the fastest-growing form of the modern generation of advertising. The Statista report of last year showed that the influencer marketing industry was worth just $1.7 billion in 2016. It hit $16.4 billion in 2022 and is expected to increase by another $5 billion this year. This exponential growth demonstrates the health of the entire industry.

Choosing The Right Influencer Agency: 5 Key Questions To Ask – February 20, 2024

The rise of influencer marketing has been nothing short of a revolution. Influencers are now much more than just social media celebrities—they’ve become pivotal connectors between brands and consumers. With this boom comes a challenge familiar to many businesses: the overwhelming number of influencer agencies and platforms, each claiming to offer the right brand solution. Finding that perfect match in such a crowded field may feel daunting, to say the least.

Female creators and UGC content dominate the influencer marketing industry, new report finds – February 16, 2024

Despite calls for de-influencing and digital detoxes, the social media hamster wheel shows no signs of slowing. For creators who make their money online, that’s a good thing, and insights from influencer marketing marketplace Collabstr shed light on how the creator economy could continue to provide job security for creatives in the years to come.

Relatable Influencers Are The Key To Successful Influencer Marketing – February 15, 2024

Posts, vlogs and blogs give followers a window into the lives of creators. From spilling the juicy details of their relationships over their morning matcha, to canvassing the internet for parental advice, the more an influencer shares the more their audience feels like they know the person on the other side of the phone screen. Thus, a parasocial relationship is formed. Despite what stage an influencer is at in their social media career, their ability to be vulnerable about the ins and outs of their lives helps them connect with their followers and establish trust. Relatability is the secret sauce that makes an influencer feel like a friend. In fact, according to LTK, nearly 75% of consumers watch creator videos because of the creators’ ability to authentically and meaningfully convey the product and brand value through their personal everyday life stories.

In a booming influencer economy, creators seek standardization for payment terms – February 15, 2024

The creator economy is booming. And as creators have become a marketing must-have, they say they’re increasingly pushing for reasonable payment terms, asking for deposits, enacting late fees and employing other tactics to get their fair share of said boom. Last year, both agency clients and brands reported that they were investing more in influencer marketing than they were in 2022, according to Digiday research. The influencer/creator economy is currently worth $250 billion and it’s expected to nearly double to $480 billion by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs estimates.

6 reasons why influencer marketing will never be the same – February 12, 2024

With a new emphasis on authenticity stemming from the advent of artificial intelligence and deep fake technology (thank you Taylor Swift!), 2024 might be the year that Influencer Marketing is forced to change shape, evolving from a “show metrics” tactic to a better way to foster real, meaningful, human connections.

The benefits of influencer marketing (+ what the C-Suite cares about) – February 12, 2024

When it comes to influencer marketing, C-suite execs want more than just good engagement. They expect a positive return on investment (ROI), incremental growth contributions and strategic alignment. While the impact of influencers in shaping consumer behavior is undeniable, translating it into benefits that resonate with the top brass is key to getting the budgets you need for your influencer program.

The Most Popular Ads, Celebrities, and Reactions: Super Bowl LVIII in Numbers – February 12, 2024

In the longest Super Bowl in history, the Chiefs overcame the 49ers to win their third “big game”. But who else has reason to celebrate? We looked at social data to see all the winners from this year’s Super Bowl. Read on for the most mentioned brands, celebrities, and reactions online. Note on methodology: All data was collected from 3:30pm PST to 8pm PST, which is roughly the time frame of Super Bowl LVIII. All data comes from public social posts, blogs, forums, and online news mentioning the Super Bowl.

What It Takes to Be a Successful Social-Media Influencer – February 12, 2024

Ally and Ricardo Noriega have turned her former part-time hobby into a full-time enterprise. It’s pretty lucrative—and a lot of work. An algorithm change is just one of the risks social-media influencers grapple with. “It’s a bit like the Wild West, the world of influencer marketing.

How agencies are investing in influencers this Super Bowl – February 9, 2024

With this weekend’s Super Bowl expected to cost some $7 million for a 30-second ad, agencies are turning to influencer marketing and commerce strategies to maximize their dollars. Some influencer agencies are beefing up their new offerings leading up to the Big Game, while others are trying to strike a balance between household Hollywood names and emerging influencers in their content. Either way, influencers and retail media are playing a growing role in social media feeds during massive live events like the Super Bowl.

Becoming An Affiliate Marketer: Can You Hack It? – February 9, 2024

Over 15% of people doing affiliate marketing bring in over $50,000 annually in affiliate income. That $50,000+ is passive income—a steady stream of money that takes minimal effort.

Five Ways Luxury Lifestyle And Medical Professionals Can Build Personal Brands Using Influencer Marketing – February 9, 2024

Whether you’re sculpting faces as a plastic surgeon, crafting flawless aesthetics as a premier dermatologist or medspa provider, or curating living spaces as an interior designer, the key to unlocking new heights for your brand and practice could lie in harnessing influencer marketing.

19 Ways To Identify Influencers For Maximum Marketing Impact – February 9, 2024

Influencers have become pivotal in shaping consumer perceptions and driving brand awareness. Identifying the right influencer for your business can significantly amplify your marketing efforts through extended reach and increased engagement. However, finding the perfect match requires a strategic approach and a keen understanding of your target audience.

CLAIRE’S ENLISTS GEN Z AND GEN ALPHA INFLUENCERS TO HELP WITH MARKETING – February 8, 2024

As it seeks to drive a long lifetime of loyalty, Claire’s is starting young. The trendy retail chain is introducing a new push called The Collab, a select group of seven Gen Alpha and Gen Z influencers ranging in age from 7 to 20 who will work with the brand on advertising and product development.

How to get the most out of working with creators and influencers – February 8, 2024

While influencers bring authenticity and engaged audiences to partnerships, to create the best campaigns, brands need to uphold their side of influencer marketing relationships. “Affiliate creators want and desire deeper or more lasting, sustainable partnerships with brands,” Mike Balducci, general manager of affiliate, ecommerce, and payment solutions at CreatorIQ, said during a CreatorIQ and Ipsos webinar last week. “That’s actually really great news for brands because long-term partnerships, as we know, deliver a much better result over time.”

How Olipop helped popularize the ‘sleepy girl mocktail’ – February 6, 2024

The “sleepy girl mocktail” is having a moment. A little over a year ago, TikToker @caleeshea posted a recipe for a mocktail meant to encourage a better night’s sleep, consisting of tart cherry juice and the Lemon Ginger flavor of prebiotic soda Olipop. The “sleepy girl mocktail,” as it’s now known, has seen a recent resurgence, with some credit given to another TikToker, Gracie Norton, who went viral for her version of the drink. 

17 Key Influencer Marketing Statistics to Fuel Your Strategy – February 6, 2024

Influencer marketing, which involves a collaboration between brands and influencers, is a powerful approach that can help companies grow. It’s a marketing strategy that has been successfully used by thousands of businesses and brands and has experienced continued growth over the past decade.

The Earned Media Model Has Changed: How Brand Leaders Can Work Smoothly With Influencers – February 6, 2024

A few decades ago, the earned media landscape was relatively straightforward for PR and business leaders to navigate. Many newspapers and magazines had full-time staff members entrenched in the communities they covered. PR and business leaders looking to secure press coverage for their brands knew the “who’s who” of media—and were able to cultivate long-lasting relationships with them.

Influencer Marketing Trends To Watch In 2024 – February 5, 2024

Brand interest in sponsored content, as opposed to traditional social ads, continues to rise and create opportunities for influencer partnerships, with 92% of brands intending to increase their influencer marketing investment this year. 

Will AI-generated PR content dominate in 2024? – February 5, 2024

We’ll get on to fake news and AI later, of course. But first, it’s worth noting that expert- and human-led content is still becoming increasingly salient in PR. Leveraging expert commentary and real-life stories is a key strategy for generating effective media coverage across diverse sectors in 2024. So is staying reactive to the news agenda.

New Report Shows That 96% Of Online Creators Make Less Than $100K per Year – February 3, 2024

The creator economy has been a much discussed phenomenon of the modern interactive landscape, with the implication being that there are now more ways than ever for people to make money online, simply by following their passions, uploading their content, and building a community of fans, who’ll then pay them for their efforts. Which sounds amazing in theory, but the reality is that the creator “economy” is actually far from being economic for the vast majority of people.

Sick of Influencers? Deinfluencers Offer a Minimalist Alternative – February 2, 2024

Walls of Stanley cups. Cabinets overflowing with skin-care products. Closets bursting with fast-fashion hoodies.  We live in a society of overconsumption. Just a decade ago, consumers’ habits were swayed by celebrities, by fashion magazines, and by friends and family. Now, however, we are influenced by influencers, social media moguls looking to make bank promoting products they may or may not use and love. But in the last year, a new social media personality has arisen: the deinfluencer. Deinfluencers promote less purchasing, more honest (i.e., often negative) product reviews, and a more minimalist approach to life. Others favor a “buy this, not that” approach or suggest dupes for pricey brand-name products. 

Blockchain Influencers: Navigating The Creator Economy Within Web3 – February 2, 2024

The next generation of the internet is here. Web3 is a digital environment of blockchain networks and decentralized protocols that empower users, giving them control of their digital identities, data and interactions. Within the rapidly growing space of Web3, a compelling new trend has emerged: The Web3 creator economy. Spearheading this movement are crypto influencers on Web3-native applications, traditional social media and hybrid platforms. 

What Communicators Can Learn From Gen Z’s Influencer Playbook – February 1, 2024

Walk into nearly any store, and you’ll hear a new narrative unfolding in the aisles: “TikTok made me buy it.” Influencer buzz is revolutionizing retail sales and consumer choices, eclipsing even the most persuasive in-store recommendations and casual browsing. The phrase echoes the traditional power of word of mouth recommendations. And it is only magnified by the digital reach of Gen Z influencers like Alix Earle and Tony Polcari. The shift toward digital-driven word of mouth signifies a transformative moment for communication strategies and illustrates how the principles of trust and personal recommendation have evolved in the social media era.

What you need to know about the latest influencer marketing legislation – February 1, 2024

As global regulators crack down on the influencer industry, it becomes even more essential for marketers to stay up-to-date with the rules.

Five Ways To Level Up Your Influencer Marketing In 2024 – January 31, 2024

Influencer marketing has become a central pillar of every marketer’s toolkit over the past few years. However, as more brands jump on the trend, consumers have become increasingly skeptical about influencers promoting products.

TikTok influencers far outperform Instagram for affiliate engagement – January 30, 2024

The news: TikTok is still the king of short-form video when it comes to affiliate link engagement. Influencers on TikTok had a 5.2% engagement rate on affiliate links in 2023, per our Industry KPIs data from Captiv8. That’s more than twice as much as influencers on Instagram (2.0%) and 20 times more than YouTube (0.2%). TikTok on top: Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have both emerged to grasp at the short-form pioneer’s throne, but both platforms have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to influencer marketing.

AI

Google Launches Next-Level AI System, Renames Bard to Gemini – February 8, 2024

I mean, really, “Bard” was a pretty crappy name anyway. Today, Google has announced the launch of its next generation AI chatbot tool, while it’s also renaming “Bard” to “Gemini”, which is also the name of its AI language model that powers the system.

Meta Outlines New Approaches to Generative AI Transparency – February 6, 2024

With the use of generative AI on the rise, Meta’s working to establish new rules around AI disclosure in its apps, which will not only put more onus on users to declare the use of AI in their content, but also, ideally, implement new systems to detect AI usage, via technical means.

Healthcare Marketing

AI and Healthcare Marketing – February 14, 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful force in the rapidly changing industrial landscape, bringing revolutionary advances to several industries, including healthcare. AI appears as a potent stimulant in the field of healthcare marketing, offering a multitude of chances for businesses to improve their approaches and build stronger relationships with their intended audience. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize healthcare marketing by providing campaigns with a personalized touch, identifying potential customers, and accurately delivering messaging based on individual needs.

Nonprofit

AI and Healthcare Marketing – February 14, 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful force in the rapidly changing industrial landscape, bringing revolutionary advances to several industries, including healthcare. AI appears as a potent stimulant in the field of healthcare marketing, offering a multitude of chances for businesses to improve their approaches and build stronger relationships with their intended audience. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize healthcare marketing by providing campaigns with a personalized touch, identifying potential customers, and accurately delivering messaging based on individual needs.

Social News

TikTok Shares Insights Into Effective App Marketing Approaches – February 25, 2024

TikTok has published a new guide to app marketing on the platform, with new insights from measurement and analytics provider Adjust which underline how to create effective app promotions. The guide is based on insights from the Middle East and North African regions, though many of the notes are universal, and will apply to all app marketers. You can download TikTok’s full overview here (available in three regional variants), but in this post, we’ll take a look at some of the highlights.

Meta Expands Access to Instagram’s Creator Marketplace – February 22, 2024

Meta has announced that it’s finally expanding access to its Creator Marketplace tool, which will give more businesses the capacity to search for creators to work with on their Instagram campaigns.

New Report Looks at TikTok Usage Behaviors in the US – February 22, 2024

Pew Research has shared some new data on TikTok usage in the U.S., and how Americans are interacting with the Chinese-owned app. Though there are some provisos to consider in this dataset. The insights are based on survey responses from 2,745 U.S. adult TikTok users, as well as usage data from 869 people who “volunteered to share their account handle for research purposes”.

Snapchat Shares Data on the Key Drivers of Effective Brand/Creator Partnerships – February 22, 2024

Snapchat has published a new report which looks at consumer sentiment around creator content, and how people respond to paid partnerships and promotions within the app. In partnership with media intelligence agency MAGNA, Snap’s report is based on a survey of 5,000 active Snapchat users across five markets (U.S., U.K., Saudi Arabia, France, and Australia), and provides some interesting considerations around the perception of brand/influencer partnerships.

TikTok Provides Creative Strategy Tips in New Guide – February 19, 2024

TikTok has published a new 34-page guide on TikTok marketing strategy, which it claims will provide “a roadmap to creative success, highlighting the solutions to help you build impact-driving video content with ease.” You can download the full guide here (with email sign-up), but in this post, we’ll take a look at some of the highlights. TikTok’s new guide is split into three segments to guide your approach, and optimize your strategy.

Report Finds X May Be Inflating Its Ad Performance Results – February 16, 2024

There’s an anomaly in X’s web traffic data that’s been hurting my head in recent months. As per data from SEMRush, which measures referral traffic from Google, X saw a very sudden, and massive increase in web referrals in April last year.

Meta’s Looking To Reduce the Reach of Political Content – But What Does That Actually Mean? – February 15, 2024

While Meta’s looking to move away from political content, in favor of more entertaining, less divisive interaction in its apps, a key question now is what that actually means in practical terms, and how Meta’s going to define what is and isn’t “political” in this respect.

TikTok Outlines Preparations for Upcoming Elections Across Europe – February 14, 2024

TikTok is preparing for the next wave of elections across Europe, with a new commitment to staffing local language election centers for each of the 27 individual EU member states, which will include dedicated, vetted local voting info in the app.

Reddit Publishes Report Into How the Platform Is Influencing Purchase Decisions – February 8, 2024

Reddit has published a new guide which looks at how consumers are increasingly relying on real people’s opinions and recommendations, via Reddit, in order to better inform their buying choices. The 21-page guide is based on analysis of “millions of posts, comments, and threads, across thousands of subreddit communities”, along with a survey of 11,000 Reddit users, in order to highlight how more and more people are turning to subreddit insights to get real world experience notes, across virtually every product category.

Tiktok’s Testing a New Way To Facilitate Engagement Between Creators and Paying Subscribers – February 7, 2024

TikTok’s testing a new live engagement element called “Sub Space”, which is a subscriber only, chat-like addition that’ll ideally help to incentivize more sign-ups, by giving paying subscribers dedicated focus in live chats.

Instagram Tests New Option to Preview Feed Post Placement Before Publishing – February 4, 2024

Instagram is currently testing a new option with some users that enables you to view how your feed posts will look on your profile grid before you publish, so you can ensure that each update fits into your overall IG aesthetic.

Snapchat’s New Ad Campaign Pitches It as ‘Antidote to Social Media’ – February 2, 2024

Snapchat has launched a new promotional campaign, in which it seeks to present its platform as the anti-social media, in order to distance itself from the many issues being experienced within other apps, while also leaning into evolving online engagement trends.

Social Media CEOs Face Tough Questions Over Child Protection in US Senate – January 31, 2024

The CEOs of Snap, Meta, X, and TikTok all appeared before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee today to discuss their respective efforts to combat child exploitation content in their apps. They also answered questions in regards to their ongoing development of new initiatives to better protect young users and a few Senators did not hold back in their criticism of the platforms.

TikTok Is Encouraging Some Creators to Post Videos in Landscape Format – January 29

Could TikTok be looking to get creators more aligned with the horizontal display format? The platform that popularized full-screen vertical videos is now seemingly pushing some creators towards horizontally shot content instead, according to screenshots posted by some users.

 

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