Influencer marketing today [podcast]

Influencer marketing today: in this podcast we look at the current state of influencer marketing and analyse its maturation over the past 24 months.

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Chris Lee invited me and fellow independent consultant Ste Davies to discuss influencer marketing today - its evolution, best practice and what’s happening next in the industry. In this first of two podcasts recorded at the PRCA we look at the current state of influencer marketing and analyse its maturation over the past 24 months.

In this episode

Is the perceived erosion of trust in influencers justified or a symptom of tall poppy syndrome?
Influencer fails force a maturation of the industry
Has influencer marketing hit the peak of the hype cycle?
Preoccupation with reach moves towards a better understanding of Return on Investment
Rise and rise of micro influencers and brand advocates

Influencer marketing today

The influencer marketing industry has moved from emergence phase to growth phase. Some time last year influencer marketing became a more googled term than social media. The discipline is now a mainstream tactic. As it transcends niche status influencer marketing is beginning to fall foul of tall poppy syndrome - a tendency to discredit or disparage anything that's achieved notable prominence.

There have been several recent well-documented influencer marketing scandals or fails. Logan Paul and his NYE vlog in Japan's suicide forest. Elle Darby the young lifestyle YouTube vlogger who asked a Dublin hotel for free accommodation and Terrie McEvoy an Instagrammer who was called out for rigging a competition in favour of her relatives.

Far from signalling the death knell for influencer marketing these influencer scandals and fails force the industry to up its game. Good influencers will continue to earn good money. The rest will find the gravy train has run into the buffers

It is the commercial imperative as much as moral indignation that will force a maturation of the influencer marketing industry.

Yet effective change at an industry level only really happens when individuals within organisations begin working in new ways: displaying new behaviours, using new tools, following new processes and adopting new values. By highlighting bad practice they force the industry to try harder to improve.

Next episode

Look out for our second of three podcasts on the evolution of influencer marketing where Chris Lee, Ste Davies and I talk about best practice.

4 S Filter for identifying best-fit influencers (search, surface, screen, select)
Why you should avoid BANJO influencers at all costs
How to vet potential influencers
Why it's sound business sense to resist short-term, tent pole campaigns in deference to long-term mutually-beneficial relations

With special thanks to Chris Lee for the interview request and podcast production and to the PRCA for hosting the sessions.

Resources

Scott Guthrie

Scott Guthrie is a professional adviser within the influencer marketing industry. He is an event speaker, university guest lecturer, media commentator on influencer marketing and active blogger. He works with brands, agencies and platforms to achieve meaningful results from influencer marketing. That tells you something about him but it's not giving you a lot of detail, is it? So, read more here.