蘑菇AV

Brands, social platforms, and creators seek the right balance in AI rush: Creators eye opportunities as well as risks for sponsored content.

Instagram has become an essential platform for ecommerce businesses鈥� social media strategies. Brands that leverage the social platform鈥檚 Instagram Story ads can boost their online presence, broaden their audience, and enhance engagement to achieve success.

But with the rising popularity of YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, financial advisors and tax experts are encountering more clients who鈥檝e received incorrect or irrelevant tax advice from social media influencers. Why it鈥檚 happening: Young adults who are new to the working world and managing their own finances are at particular risk.

Brand ambassadorships are the perfect marriage between brand affinity and influencer marketing. The creators already love the product, so the content they create feels more authentic. It also gives brands a deeper connection with the consumer, helping them to understand what drives customer loyalty. This was originally featured in the Retail Daily newsletter.

TikTok evolves into a search engine: A study shows the platform is becoming popular among Gen Z for information and diverse content.

BuzzFeed has created a commerce site for its lifestyle brand, Goodful, while Time has launched a platform for product recommendations and reviews. TikTok鈥檚 Pulse Premiere program offers publishers 50% of ad revenues and a brand safety guarantee.

How we got here: Influencers and online trends promote unattainable standards of wealth, and that adds to younger consumers鈥� feelings of financial insecurity. Take the Ballerina Farm controversy as just one example鈥攖he TikTok account features a happy, helpful family of 10 that makes food together from scratch in a rustic kitchen.

Video is key for influencer marketing. Among B2B marketers worldwide, 75% use influencers, and 93% plan to increase their spending on influencers, based on positive results, according to a 2023 Ogilvy report. Over half of all B2B marketers use video for interviews with influencers and subject matter experts, per an August 2023 Content Marketing Institute (CMI) survey.

Its new video focus could broaden its appeal to consumers while helping professional influencers find a larger audience. LinkedIn has also dabbled in daily puzzle games, similar to those of The New York Times, to boost user engagement. Capturing creators: Influencers and Gen Zers are diving into LinkedIn.

The video and social campaign features classroom supplies and dorm decor available from Amazon鈥檚 Off to College shopping guide. Walmart collaborated with two influencers who got their start on TikTok for a shoppable music video. Walmart鈥檚 campaign targets Gen Alpha by incorporating kids鈥� slang and fashion trends, and features Taylen Briggs, an elementary school-aged TikToker.

Thoroughly vet influencers and creators. Consider working only with influencers who are subject matter experts and have built followings based on financial education content. Caution is especially important this year: Marketers should monitor partners鈥� content leading up to the election and break off collaborations if their views become controversial.

US influencer marketing spend will grow 16.0% to reach $8.14 billion this year. But the Olympians鈥� ability to tell their own stories of the Games reinforces just how valuable working with creators can be. 3. Brand social bypassed Rule 40.

In 2024, social will move from being a siloed, ancillary tactic to a core part of the marketing mix. And as more companies recognize the value of culture and community in driving conversions, creators will also shape more marketing plans.

Use social and influencer content to highlight the in-store shopping experience. Leverage experiential retail to make shopping fun for Gen Z. Refocus their efforts on in-store click and collect. China鈥檚 influence will shake up online shopping: Temu, TikTok Shop, and Shein have captured a critical mass of consumer attention.

Don鈥檛 shy from social or influencer marketing. The sneaker industry has moved away from celebrity marketing to some extent after the fallout from adidas鈥� partnership with Ye (Kanye West). Trends are driven less by celebrities and more by consumers, Samuel said. For better or worse, Samuel said TikTok is 鈥渨here it鈥檚 at鈥� for marketing footwear, as well as partnering with influencers.

Successful creator campaigns on TikTok rely on partnering with creators who align well with the brand and consistently show love for its products. In 2024, US influencer marketing spend on TikTok is projected to reach $1.403 billion, per 蘑菇AV鈥檚 forecast. Brands that take a genuine approach to collaborating with creators ensure credibility, are more likely to connect with followers, and inspire purchases.

The number of entries for Social and Influencer Lions rose 21% YoY. That鈥檚 partially due to the fact that Cannes Lions opened up the category to creator content for the first time this year. And the growth in entries is clear evidence that influencer marketing is more than just a line item on brand budgets.

But doctors are also using public social platforms for medical information and professional networking. 52% use Facebook as their public platform of choice to join private medical groups. 35% say LinkedIn is the most helpful social platform for learning about Congressional actions and key opinion leader presentations. 62% use Twitter to follow hospitals and professional organizations.

Brands are signing deals with fewer influencers. In 2023, the majority (46%) of US marketers were working with one to five influencers per campaign, per an August 2023 report by Linqia. That鈥檚 a big drop compared with 2021, when the most common number of influencers per campaign was between 11 and 20. 鈥淏rands are getting more sophisticated about how they鈥檙e partnering with creators.

TikTok users are highly engaged. In fact, they鈥檙e more engaged than users of any other social or digital video platform. And a diversifying user base means marketers should lean even further into the TikTok opportunity.

This year, we鈥檙e in a Brat girl summer. The lime green trend used by Vice President Kamala Harris鈥檚 campaign joins a handful of other trends going viral this summer. Marketers may be too late to capitalize with their own content, but there are still important takeaways from these TikTok trends that advertisers can apply long after the trends become outdated.

Influencer marketing is often associated with Gen Z and millennials, and for good reason. Nearly half of both generations are more likely to trust an ad featuring an influencer they trust, according to June 2024 data from Captiv8. But 79.8% of US Gen Xers and 53.9% of US baby boomers will use social media this year, per our May 2024 forecast. To ensure marketers seize the untapped potential for reaching these generations, we鈥檝e compiled a generation-by-generation breakdown on how and where to reach them.

Plummeting VC investment in creator economy startups may make it seem like the creator economy was overblown. But VC investment is just one part of the picture, and brands should not take the funding chill as a sign to slow spending on influencer marketing.

Gen Z women trust beauty influencers: Roughly eight in 10 Gen Z women shop for creators鈥� beauty and personal care recommendations.