Top 12 Largest Influencer Marketing Trends You Need for 2024

Are you ready to discover the future of influencer marketing?

We have reached 2024, and the influencer landscape is evolving in ways you never imagined. With new platforms emerging and consumer behaviors shifting, staying ahead of the game is vital for your brand’s success.

Ubiquitous is a top influencer marketing agency with a wealth of experience and expert insights into the current trends driving the best results in influencer marketing.

To unveil the most significant influencer trends and strategies in 2024, we consulted the brains behind Ubiquitous to bring you the top trends to leverage, plus one need-to-know “secret trend” that will supercharge your influencer campaigns for even better ROI!

Top Influencer Marketing Trends for 2024: Plus One Secret Insider Trend

It’s important to watch Influencer marketing trends to stay ahead of the curve. If there is one guarantee we can give you today, it is that influencer marketing will change time and time again.

New strategies and platforms are transforming the way brands collaborate. From leveraging micro-influencers to optimizing campaigns with data analytics, there is no doubt that a lot is going on in this industry. 

That’s why we’re unveiling the future influencer trends in collaboration with Ubiquitous, a leader in Influencer Marketing, to create a list of the largest trends we’re seeing this year. 

Take a look at this list to see which trends you need to know for your brand and to up your influencer marketing game!

1. Micro and Nano-Influencers Continue to Drive Results

Influencer marketing in 2024 will continue to see the rise of micro and nano-influencer partnerships will continue to gain traction. 

These smaller but highly engaged followings provide cost-efficient collaborations and a great return on investment. 

Micro-influencers offer a great way to create meaningful, lasting brand recognition due to their intimate relationship with their followers, which increases the level of trust, credibility, and authority they have.

2. Increased Investments in Ongoing Brand Partnerships and Long-term Influencer Relationships

Another rising trend for 2024 is brands cultivating long-term influencer partnerships rather than one-off campaigns. 

This is especially key with micro-influencers. By extending collaborations, brands can organically expand their reach by tapping into an influencer’s growing community.

These long-term associations build loyalty and credibility and strengthen brand identity when done authentically. 

Initially, partnering with micro-influencers lays the foundation for major growth as these accounts gain new followers. 

Savvy brands realize the value of committing to influencers early and sticking with them as they ascend to macro-influencer status.

3. The Use of Live Video Content is Increasing

Video, especially live video, will continue to dominate influencer content as it resonates strongly with audiences. 

Video content has steadily gained traction across all platforms in the last two years.

Short-form video, initially on TikTok and then on other platforms, has become a critical component for most content creators.

Short vertical videos focus heavily on live content, particularly live streaming and short-form vertical video designed for mobile. 

This allows influencers to connect with audiences in an intimate, authentic way that feels closer to real-life interaction. 

Live video’s raw, unedited nature helps influencers build trust and loyalty with their followers, as the recordings feel unscripted.

Live video also provides immediacy and urgency, tapping into a viewer’s FoMo – holding their attention and increasing engagement.

4. Influencer-to-Influencer Collaborations Are Increasing

The number of influencer-to-influencer collaborations is becoming more common as creators team up to combine their audiences and expand their reach for branded campaigns. 

When influencers collaborate, they can tap into each other’s following and squeeze more value out of sponsorships. 

Their blended audiences provide brands with more extensive potential outreach and heightened visibility. 

These blended audiences give brands the opportunity to increase their visibility and connect to a larger, more diverse audience that is still highly relevant and engaged.

5. Data and Analytics Will Drive Campaigns Further

We are at five influencer marketing trends and not even halfway done. Get ready for an analytics revolution in influencer marketing. 

Sophisticated data and insights will continue to guide partnerships and campaign optimization. 

These data-driven insights allow for pinpoint targeting, high-converting creative, and continually improved results. 

From audience demographics to optimal posting schedules, campaigns will become more data-driven as we continue to delve into the data and better understand the relationship between numbers and the real-life impact of different influencer collaborations.

Take a look at this video by Ubiquitous to get a sense of how much the data from your campaigns can tell you if you look at it the right way:

6. The Use of A.I. in Influencer Marketing is Evolving

There is no surprise here, as everyone is adopting the use of A.I. in digital marketing.

Regarding influencer marketing, brands can use A.I. tools to pinpoint the most strategic influencers for their campaigns. 

These tools have been around for a while now, and they’re getting better and better at ‘influencer matchmaking’ to connect brands with relevant influencers that are best suited not just to the brand but also to the objectives of the campaign on a more granular level.

Personalization also rules, and as A.I. enables brands to tailor content to specific audiences, brands can benefit from more precisely targeted content.

Overall, artificial intelligence brings enhanced precision and relevance to influencer partnerships. 

The ability to capture data and insights has always been challenging, and it translates into the effectiveness of influencer marketing campaigns.

A.I. can speed up the data analysis process and identify patterns that provide unique insights into campaign performance.

7. Increased Authenticity and Transparency

As influencer marketing matures, authenticity and transparency have become essential for building trust. 

Savvy followers desire genuine connections and openness about paid partnerships. Disclosing promotions clearly shows consideration for audiences.

Brands should collaborate to create authentic content that aligns with the influencer’s voice.

Rather than transactional deals, the ideal is human-centered relationships that respect influencers’ bonds with their communities.

Working together to ensure genuineness, mindfulness, and honesty allows influencer marketing to flourish as an authentic communication channel.

8. Brands that Focus on Building Influencer Relationships Get Better Results

Brands are realizing the importance of building real relationships with influencers to prevent any risk of losing that relationship. 

Authentic connections foster loyalty that extends past the barriers of a contractual agreement and fosters higher-quality content. 

By taking the time to nurture genuine partnerships and collaborate deeply, brands can create influencer associations that truly resonate with audiences. 

Followers see through inauthentic deals, so brands that develop true bonds will achieve better performance. 

The future of influencer marketing depends on brands and influencers working in concert as partners, not just as financial transactions.

9. Spending on TikTok will Increase

Spending on TikTok has grown steadily and shows no signs of slowing down. 

With an algorithm hungry for authentic and genuine content, it’s basically a stage set for Influencer Marketing campaigns to excel, so naturally, businesses are investing more here. 

TikTok Shop, in particular, is an attractive choice for brands. Accurate attribution is a challenge in all influencer campaigns, making it difficult for brands to see the direct correlation between influencer activity and what matters most to them – sales.

10. Influencers Are Going Muli-Platform

Gone are the days of solely dominating a single social media platform; influencers are now expanding their reach across various channels such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and more. 

Influencers can amplify their reach and enhance monetization strategies by distributing content across diverse channels.

This evolution transforms influencers into versatile media mavens, seamlessly adapting their content across different formats, from photos and videos to live streams and long-form content. 

Brands can now execute integrated campaigns at scale by collaborating with these multi-platform influencers. 

For brands seeking to elevate their marketing strategies, partnering with influencers boasting diverse and devoted followings across the social spectrum is the ultimate key to success.

11. Live Shopping

Finally, we are at eleven influencer marketing trends, and still 1 to go. This trend involves influencers broadcasting live streams to showcase and sell sponsored products, which can be purchased instantly via links on the live stream.

This interactive video content provides an entertaining experience that converts audiences into customers, with a sense of urgency and excitement that drives up sales and ‘gamifies’ the process

12. A New Deal Structure – Our Secret Trend in Influencer Collaborations

According to Zach Fitch, there’s a notable transformation brewing in influencer marketing deal structures. 

He highlights a significant departure from the traditional flat-rate payment model towards a more dynamic approach, where the influencer earns a commission on the revenue generated. 

Zach explains, “Creators who accept these types of deals seem to have a little bit more skin in the game and typically are creating more thumb-stopping content.” 

This influencer-as-an-affiliate approach offers creators a sense of ownership and incentivizes them to craft captivating content that truly resonates with their audience. 

Zach notes that creators embracing these hybrid arrangements tend to demonstrate heightened engagement, producing content that has a greater impact. 

Is Influencer Marketing Still Worth It? Influencer Marketing Statistics 2024

With the influencer marketing industry experiencing remarkable growth and innovation in recent years, examining the latest statistics is essential for understanding its current scale and effectiveness:

According to the 2024 Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report, influencer marketing has surged into a $21.1 billion industry, a significant 29% increase from $16.4 billion the previous year.

TikTok’s popularity is also quickly rising, now ranking second with 61% of marketers adopting the platform for campaigns.

Additionally, 89% of marketers believe influencer marketing equals or surpasses other marketing channels. 

And 63% of consumers also trust influencers more than brands, leading to 58% purchasing products based on influencer recommendations.

These up-to-date statistics clearly demonstrate the exponential growth, trust, and sales-driving power of influencer marketing. 

With the industry poised to continue this momentum, influencer marketing promises to be an increasingly dominant and high-ROI marketing strategy in 2024 and beyond.

Putting These Influencer Marketing Strategies to Action

These latest influencer marketing trends present valuable opportunities for brands.

Here are some quick tips to put the current trends into action:

• Lean into micro- and nano-influencer collaborations. Research the top micro- and nano-influencers in your niche to identify potential partners with engaged followings.
• Pitch long-term collaborations focused on performance and authenticity.
• Support multi-platform creators that can expand your reach across emerging channels like TikTok and live shopping.
• Leverage data and analytics to optimize campaigns based on audience insights and metrics.
• Maintain transparency through disclosed sponsorships and genuine content.
• Seek influencers willing to co-create content tailored to their communities.
• Encourage campaigns with influencer-to-influencer collaborations to maximize the benefits of reaching their blended audience.

Compelling influencer partnerships are built on trust and shared objectives. By strategically aligning with these trends, brands can drive meaningful engagement, sales, and lasting connections. 

Designing Influencer Marketing Campaigns

Influencer marketing is undergoing strategic transformations to enhance brand promotion. 

Collaborating with micro- and nano-influencers fosters authentic engagement with niche audiences, offering cost-effective partnerships and highly engaged followings. 

Tailored content cultivates trust and loyalty within their communities.

Live video opens new avenues for campaigns, with shoppable livestreams converting viewers into real-time customers. The raw, unfiltered nature of streams builds intimate connections.

Embracing data-driven partnerships, performance-based deals, and emerging formats enables brands to create resonant influencer campaigns. 

The key lies in forging genuine relationships between brands and audiences.

Using The Trends to Increase Your ROI

As influencer marketing continues evolving in 2024, data and analytics will be essential for optimizing return on investment (ROI). 

For example, performance-based compensation models incentivize influencers to create high-converting content. 

Tracking sales and conversions generated by creators can demonstrate direct ROI.

Emerging platforms like TikTok also present new opportunities to amplify reach and engagement. 

With over 1 billion monthly active users, collaborations with creators on the platform can significantly expand brand awareness and conversions.

Embracing data-driven partnerships, emerging formats, and conversion tracking will enable brands to refine influencer strategies. 

The future of influencer marketing hinges on brands maximizing ROI through optimized, performance-focused campaigns. 

By leveraging key trends and metrics, influencer marketing promises substantial returns from authentic creator partnerships.

Jess Flack, CEO and co-founder of Ubiquitous, wrote an insightful piece that differentiates creators vs. influencers.

Both have loyal followings but approach content creation very differently. She walks brands through how and when to work with each in order to maximize their ROI.

Find an Influencer Marketing Platform to Connect with and Manage Influencers

Influencer marketing platforms have become integral to the success of influencer marketing campaigns, providing brands with the tools they need to find, connect with, and manage influencers.

Thanks to Ubiquitous, there is now a free SaaS tool out there to access a database of over 800K influencers. The $29/month premium version also requires no long-term contracts, making it a good contender in this competitive space.

The tool makes connecting with nano influencers and getting on multiple platforms easier than ever.

Evolve How You Create Content

The influencer marketing landscape in 2024 necessitates evolved content strategies. 

Micro- and nano-influencers call for authentic, community-tailored collaborations. 

Intimate live videos allow raw storytelling, while multi-platform creators demand versatile formats. 

Performance-based deals incentivize high-converting content optimized by data insights. 

In this changing ecosystem, success requires engaging stories that organically resonate with niche audiences. The future hinges on content that fosters genuine connections.

Where to from Here? Direction of the Influencer Marketing Industry in 2024

There you have it, the most significant trends of 2024 in Influencer Marketing. 

Strategic partnerships with micro- and nano-influencers provide authentic engagement. 

Live video fosters intimacy while data optimizes performance. But it’s not just about numbers – it’s about nurturing genuine connections. 

That’s why cultivating long-term collaborations and embracing transparency will create a better return in the long term. 

Brands must aim to leverage emerging platforms, fresh formats, and performance-based structures to drive measurable results while always keeping the core focus on creating meaningful influencer partnerships. 

The key is engaging audiences authentically!

References

Digital Marketing Institute: Influencer Marketing and AI

Gartner: The Future of Marketing: 5 Trends and Predictions for 2024 and Beyond 

HubSpot: How Video Consumption is Changing in 2023 [New Research]

HubSpot: The 2024 State of Marketing & Trends Report: Data from 1400+ Global Marketers

Social Media Today: The Upshot for Marketers as Social Media Platforms Evolve in 2024

Think with Google: Top Digital Marketing Trends and Predictions for 2024