The Future of Influencer Marketing: Evolving Strategies and the Role of Content Creators

The role of influencers has evolved dramatically over the past few years. Once viewed primarily as media buy opportunities for brands, influencers are now integral to the creative process, with many becoming part of a brand’s extended creative team. For a lot of consumers, these personalities, their online presence, and brand association and endorsement are top of mind.

Danielle Wiley has seen this manifest in real-time, "In recent years, influencers have shifted from simply sharing brand messages on their feeds to becoming real creative collaborators. The rise in Creator Generated Content (CGC) has transformed influencers into essential parts of a brand's extended creative team." 

Unlike traditional influencer posts that are aimed at the influencer’s followers, CGC allows brands to work with influencers to create content that has an authentic touch. "This lets brands repurpose the content in any number of ways - sometimes even swapping out voiceovers to fit different markets," she adds. This flexibility helps brands reach different audiences while maintaining authenticity - a crucial element in today's influencer marketing landscape.

Brad Sheehan has made a similar observation, noting that brands are moving away from leveraging influencers as merely media buys. "The newer trend is working with influencers more as traditional endorsers - much as celebrities are used - as well as equity partners to co-develop products." This shift reflects a deeper level of collaboration between brands and influencers, which is helping drive product innovation and expand the scope of influencer partnerships.

As the rise of AI and virtual influencers continues to make their way into the marketing landscape, the question arises: How will these developments impact influencer marketing? 

Danielle takes a firm stance on the matter, explaining that AI-driven content is unlikely to replace authentic influencer partnerships. "Consumers want real connections with the influencers they follow, and virtual influencers just don't build that kind of relationship." 

With new FTC guidelines now in place that prohibit fake celebrity endorsements and AI-generated reviews, Danielle advises brands to stay grounded in human-driven content, having observed how it resonates more authentically with consumers.

Harry Foyle also believes that AI-generated content and virtual influencers may not be the answer for brands looking to connect with their audiences. "Brands have to be incredibly careful using AI-generated content or virtual influencers," he warns. "Without the audience having clear knowledge and understanding behind the use of them, it will most likely be seen as mistrusting or fake." For Harry, the connection between influencers and their audience is rooted in human behaviours, something AI simply cannot replicate.

Brad, however, envisions a future where brands begin to embrace AI and other technologies as tools to create more personalised content. "In the upcoming years, you will see every brand leveraging AI to create more personalised content at scale much more quickly," he predicts. "It's undeniable that this technology will help brands better connect with specific demographics or even specific people they want to target."

As influencer marketing matures, brands are shifting their focus from traditional metrics like likes and comments to more meaningful indicators of success. Danielle suggests that brands should "think beyond just likes and comments when evaluating influencer partnerships." 

Instead, she suggests brands pay attention to engagement metrics such as video views, shares, and saves, which reflect higher levels of audience interest and purchase intent. For even deeper insights, Danielle’s team at Sway Group conducts brand lift studies, offering clients a clearer understanding of how influencer partnerships impact brand awareness and consumer perceptions.

In agreement with Danielle’s point of view, Brad stresses the importance of defining KPIs upfront. "Evaluating the effectiveness of any marketing tactic always comes back to the client's KPIs. While ultimately everyone wants the work to lead to conversion, some brands are more focused on upper funnel metrics, while others are looking to increase affinity or loyalty."

Harry adds an interesting perspective on engagement, particularly in the context of social media platforms. "If the influencer's content is engaging their own audience and beyond (e.g., attracting new engagements through the 'For You Page'), then this is very successful," he says. 

According to Harry, metrics like views and the length of time a viewer spends watching content are becoming increasingly important. "As the attention span of our upcoming generation continues to fall, holding them for a period of time to actually watch the content is becoming harder and harder."

With the growing saturation of influencer content, authenticity is becoming one of the major factors in maintaining strong relationships between influencers and their audiences. For this reason, Danielle emphasises the importance of sharing "real, unfiltered stories that reflect their actual lives - warts and all”. While aspirational content still has its place, it’s the genuine moments that build lasting trust and engagement. "When audiences see true authenticity, they're more inclined to trust recommendations," she explains.

Brad supports this, pointing out the trend of co-branded or co-developed products. "When executed correctly, this provides the influencer greater incentive to deliver the best work possible against the KPIs, while also allowing their fans to feel like they can be part of the influencer's success." Co-creating products not only deepens the connection between influencers and brands but also strengthens the relationship with audiences who feel involved in the process.

Harry explains how, for his influencer led social media agency, TSA, the most effective strategy for building trust and engagement has proven to be allowing influencers to be themselves. "The more honest, open, and potentially vulnerable you are, the more another individual will engage with you," he says. "It's all subjective to who you are as an influencer and who you're trying to engage with."

Stressing the importance of authenticity in every collaboration, Harry suggests that brands ensure any influencer partnerships align with the influencer’s true persona.

The future of influencer marketing is a dynamic landscape marked by shifting roles, new technologies, and an increased focus on authenticity. As brands and agencies continue to evolve, the most successful campaigns will likely be those that maintain the human connection at their core, while embracing new tools to deliver more personalised and engaging content. 

Whether through Creator Generated Content, innovative co-branded partnerships, or strategic use of emerging technologies, the next generation of influencer marketing will continue to be shaped by creative collaboration, authenticity, and trust.