In 2020, we are most likely going to witness a huge rise in tech-driven practices in the influencer marketing industry writes Dharika Merchant, COO, WORD and Alchemy Group.

A few years back, nobody would have imagined influencer marketing to spiral in the manner in which it exists today. When you think of it, you most probably reckon it as a culturally diverse space that has the potential to bring products and services closer to consumers. What influencer marketing did is bring together real people to share real stories and experience narratives for the common consumer. It is now proven to be the best way to communicate with like-minded consumers in the social media landscape.

Up until recently, celebrities and macro-influencers played an important role in the influencer marketing industry. They became brand custodians and helped better brand visibility and raise awareness about the offerings in the market. But, over time, marketers understood the need to bring out rich experiences through diverse perspectives to reach out to more audiences. Thus, macro and nano-influencers, the trending breeds of influencer marketing, came into the picture. They became the people to build trust and long-term reliability; something that macro-influencers missed out on. The year 2020 is said to be the year of macro and nano-influencer, and for good reason. They are your regular people who can create user-generated content with the promise of much better engagement. Authenticity is very important these days, and micro and nano-influencers stick by it. Marketers too have started to streamline their messaging in a way that is authentic to their brand and for their consumers. The trend is here to stay.

Speaking of influencers, we’re definitely seeing a rise in the Tiktoker community. TikTok is currently creating a new community of online creators across categories, quite like Instagram but with better engagement and reach. TikTok influencers have tipped the scales by redefining content that is publicly-appealing and delivering brand messaging entertainingly. Marketers must capitalize on the reach TikTok promises as it branches out to a niche demographic, as opposed to Instagram. While Instagram has its own value, TikTok is now in the game of influencing and is all set to bring a different kind of creative approach in brand collaborations.

Now, marketers are extremely conscious about the quality and the type of content generated by influencers, no matter big or small. Engaging with the target audience comes with identifying their online behavior. Curating content that is at par with their predisposition thus becomes essential in influencer marketing. It is no longer just about holding a product and talking about it. What marketers look forward to is unique content that not only aligns with their brand ethos, but also sets them apart from the mainstream.

Then of course, in 2020, we are most likely going to witness a huge rise in tech-driven practices in the influencer marketing industry. We will see technology that eases out the process of creating and executing influencer campaigns. In other words, automation will be the new buzzword within the industry. It will help break through the clutter in a cost-effective, scalable manner.

These days, a marketing strategy without influencer marketing is unthinkable. People-driven communication is the future, and it is only a matter of time until the industry booms indefinitely.

Re-imagining influencer marketing in 2020 comes with a vision that makes it seamless for all kinds of brands and influencers to create partnerships, with new-age technology and new standards defining their relationship.