Influencer marketing took a huge leap forward in 2016, as brands began to fully realize the power behind social media and those with loyal and engaged followings.
As the CEO of an influencer marketing platform for five years, I?ve seen firsthand how brands have successfully and unsuccessfully navigated these previously unchartered waters.
I?ve watched brands and agencies morph from skeptics, to inquisitive, to trying out every influencer company as if they are all new flavors of the month.
I?ve watched brands and agencies become believers from the campaigns they have tested, and I?ve watched them learn best practices to set influencer campaigns up for success from the start.
With all of the positive progress made in 2016 within the industry, I know 2017 will be a revolutionary year for advertisers. Advertisers now understand that continual brand mentions, endorsements and sponsored conversations by authentic people living authentic lifestyles that the brand can stand behind to be their social voice is the future. They understand that celebrities are a wasted expense, that influencers are not exclusive, that influencer networks are very limited in their potential reach since they rely on ?in-network? influencers that have signed up for all of the influencer networks and that marketplaces hose them on the influencer prices, often at four to 10 times the cost.
That?s why brands and agencies will be creating their own influencer networks in 2017. Brands are sick of the limitati...