Influencer Marketing: What’s Next?

Disclaimer: What follows is based on my observations and personal predictions.

While the buzz is all about TikTok Shop and the shifts in creator funds, let’s explore the future trends of influencer marketing, starting with TikTok and potentially extending to other platforms.

TikTok vs. Amazon: Revolutionizing E-commerce with Emotional Engagement

TikTok is stepping up to challenge Amazon with its TikTok Shop. Here’s the interesting part: TikTok focuses on engaging shoppers emotionally, unlike Amazon’s more practical, need-based approach. This reminds me of the live TV shopping channels I saw in France, back in the days, QVC in the USA where the charm and appeal of live presentations were key to driving sales. It looks like TikTok is bringing back that style, but with a modern twist.

Post-Pandemic Surge in Live Streaming: A New Era of Engagement

The pandemic has led to a significant increase in streaming activities across social media. On TikTok, especially, there’s been a surge in live streaming content. An interesting development noted by Business Insider discusses; how creators are leveraging these live sessions for monetization.

Insights from Gaming: How Sponsored Lives Drive Engagement

Take the gaming industry, for instance. There have been notable sponsored live streams, like Neymar’s gaming session, sponsored by Blaze a gambling platform, where he reportedly lost a significant amount of money (here is an interesting read, it is in French but trust me on this one). This trend is extending beyond gaming, as seen in other areas of TikTok Live.

The Rise of Live Partnerships: A New Frontier in Influencer Marketing

When I watched Pink Doll’s live stream on TikTok, she mentioned Fashion Nova. It’s likely she was compensated for this mention, indicating a move towards live promotional content. Knowing that MPC lives are on the rise now…

Live Shopping in the US: Can It Match China’s Success? In China, as highlighted in a recent article, live shopping has significantly boosted sales, outperforming traditional e-commerce by a wide margin.

Consider this compelling statistic from Worldcrunch.com​​. If traditional e-commerce has a rate of one or two purchases per 100 visits to your site, live shopping can hike the ratio to 19%.”

Authenticity in Live Partnerships: The Future of Influencer Marketing

Today’s audiences are wary of inauthentic influencer collaborations and seek genuine interactions. This shift could lead to live partnerships becoming a significant trend in influencer marketing. Trends like ‘live get ready with me’ are gaining popularity, showing a preference for real content. As a result, both brands and influencers are moving towards more spontaneous, live engagements.

Strategic Relationships: The Key to Influencer Marketing Success

For brands and agencies, now is the time to build strategic, trust-based relationships with influencers. These relationships are going to be key for successful and authentic live partnerships. Imagine a live session with influencers like @lenamahfouf or @linsmakeuplooks, where interactions are unscripted and genuine. Such authenticity could be highly rewarding.

The Promising Potential of Live Shopping: Trends and Predictions

Although I’m still exploring how live shopping might develop, its potential is clear. Imagine influencers selling products live, offering an interactive shopping experience. This idea is gaining traction, but I’m continuing to consider its wider implications for influencer marketing.

In conclusion, the future of influencer marketing, particularly on platforms like TikTok, hinges on emotional engagement and authenticity. Agencies and brands should focus on fostering deep, trust-based connections with influencers with big enough platforms to go live. These relationships will be the cornerstone of successful and authentic live marketing strategies in this evolving landscape.

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