2016: The Year in Influencer Marketing
2016 certainly was a big year in the world of Influencer Marketing. Join us in taking a look back at these memorable moments that we’ll be sure to keep with us long after the ball drops.
The FTC Crackdown on Influencer Marketing
You can’t talk about 2016 without mentioning the Federal Trade Commission’s crackdown on disclosures in influencer marketing. The year kicked off with a new native advertising guideline fresh off the presses at the FTC. The guideline issued serious advice for those looking to engage in native advertising while steering clear of the law. After the debut of their recommendations, The FTC made an example out of Lord and Taylor in a settlement for charges against the department store. The agency flexed their muscles to let brands, advertisers, and influencers know that they are serious about enforcing advertising disclosure laws. Later, they would get even more specific reminding us all that not even the top celebrities (we’re looking at you Kardashians) are above the law.
Blogging: The Pulse Is Strong
This year, with the continued rise of Snapchat, Instagram, and shiny new platforms, blogging has once again asserted itself as a veteran social media platform with serious staying power. To put it simply, blogging is alive and well. While the term “blog” may not be as Google searched as before, the phrase “how to become a blogger” is only growing in popularity after having increased on average each year since 2008.
As a matter of fact, 94% of 2,500 up-and-coming influencers we surveyed as part of the 2016 Bloglovin’ Global Influencer Survey regularly publish original content to a blog. By the same token, Blogs are where 54% of influencers are being paid to created branded content. Not to mention, we at Bloglovin’ see over 25,000 new blogs being added to our platform month-to-month. In all, blogs allow influencers to own their own creative spaces, tell their stories true to their authentic selves, and keep all their content in one place. What more could you ask for. It’s safe to say, blogs aren’t going anywhere.
Small But Mighty: Micro-influencers Begin To Show Their Strength
After mega-influencers’ many years of dominance, in 2016 brands began to take notice of micro-influencers, the small but sizable content creators known to pack a punch with their loyal followings and quality content.
Their diverse reach, niche audiences, cost-efficiency, and less sponsorship saturation have made them prime choices for brands. In some cases, micro-influencers are making such a name for themselves that they’re being selected to work alongside huge influencer celebrities. In other cases, brands have forgone activating mega influencers altogether in lieu of the multiple micro-influencers that they can activate with the allocated budget. Long story short — don’t underestimate micro-influencers. They may be small but they certainly are mighty.
Can’t We All Just Get Along: Vogue.com Editors Take Digs At Influencers
Lastly, who could forget the Post-Milan Fashion Week recap on Vogue.com that took a turn for the worst when editors made sharp remarks about influencers and their worth in the fashion industry.
Here’s a snippet of some of the things that Vogue’s Creative Digital Director, Vogue.com’s Chief Critic , Vogue Fashion News Editors, and Director of Vogue Runway had to say:
“(Note to bloggers who change head-to-toe, paid-to-wear outfits every hour: Please stop. Find another business. You are heralding the death of style.)”
“…It is that we even still call them “bloggers,” as so few of them even do that anymore. Rather than a celebration of any actual style, it seems to be all about turning up, looking ridiculous, posing, twitching in your seat as you check your social media feeds, fleeing, changing, repeating . . . It’s all pretty embarrassing…”
“…the street style mess. It’s not just sad for the women who preen for the cameras in borrowed clothes, it’s distressing, as well, to watch so many brands participate.”
As you might’ve guessed the article sparked huge backlash in the influencer community. Some of the biggest influencers like Bryanboy and Peace Love Shea fired back with their own choice words. Others expressed continued support for Vogue and hoped that the words of a few editors didn’t represent the stance of the legendary publication as a whole.
Keeping Our Eyes on 2017
And just like that, we’re on to 2017. Again, 2016 was big for Influencer Marketing. This Google Trends chart for “Influencer Marketing” shows interest in the industry in a huge upswing that’s only expected to increase next year. Needless to say, Influencer Marketing has certainly shot up to the top of everyone’s lists among brands, influencers, and marketers alike.
It’d be an understatement to say that 2016 got us excited. With that enthusiasm in mind, we can’t wait to see what 2017 has in-store.
Happy New Year!
Many thanks to Samone Wheeler for her contributions to this article.
Want to learn more about Bloglovin’ or Activate? Just drop us a note at advertising@bloglovin.com.
