Next-level influencing: these are the trends for 2024

2024 will be the year of exclusivity in digital marketing. Communication will move into closed spaces, like Instagram broadcasts or WhatsApp channels. You can respond with emojis, but you can't reply. This keeps the channels clean and focused on the sender's message. In these private channels, influencers and brands share exclusive content - promotion codes, competitions, and insider information that no one else gets. This boosts follower engagement and possibly also sales.

No more superficiality, 2024 is about taking responsibility! So-called greenfluencers are taking the stage. Unlike traditional lifestyle influencers, greenfluencers focus on sustainable lifestyles and use their reach to create positive change in society. Climate change, environmental protection, organic food, fair trade clothing, and sustainability in general are the focus. It can be said that social media reflects the growing attention to sustainable lifestyles in global society.

The hype has shifted from mega-influencers to micro-influencers – from people with huge reach to those with smaller, but super-focused communities of around 10,000 to 100,000 followers. It ain’t just a coincidence, it’s the response to 2023's reality check when mega-influencers were criticized for a lack of authenticity. In 2024, we will see even more love for micro-influencers with a tighter reach because they appear more authentic and are perceived as specialists in their field of interest due to their usually very limited subject area. The close connection to their community is based on their high credibility and ultimately leads to a higher engagement rate.

Long-term collaborations are the hype! Brands are ditching the one-time gigs with different influencers and getting into ongoing relationships with their faves. Having a trusted influencer regularly vouch for a brand can significantly increase brand loyalty and credibility, as opposed to short-lived appearances from a bunch of changing faces.

While the principle of short videos is no longer an innovation, vertical videos and short formats will continue to dominate in 2024. Instagram Reels and TikTok, in particular, have shown that short clips are often ahead of the curve. The ideal length? Short and sweet – between 15 and 30 seconds. Why? These short clips go hand in hand with algorithms. Because of short attention spans, shorter videos are clicked, liked, and shared more often.

Artificial intelligence has also become indispensable in the world of influencers. From tailored content recommendations to audience behavior analysis, AI streamlines interactions and increases the effectiveness of influencer campaigns. It enables authentic connections between brands and their audiences, while data-driven insights make success measurable. But hey, the tech boom has its downsides, such as the proliferation of deepfakes. This makes it difficult for users to distinguish between real and fake. Trust is becoming an absolute must – brands and content creators need to earn it and be sensitive with their content, especially news.AI can even create custom personalities. Virtual influencers are computer-generated characters created by algorithms and artificial intelligence. Unlike real people, virtual influencers exist only digitally but can also be used for marketing purposes, especially in social media campaigns.