A quick study on the impact of COVID-19 on influencer marketing and what to expect going forward.

1. Influencer Marketing
Mingwei Ma

2. 2
I. Influencer Marketing
before COVID-19
II. Influencer Marketing
During COVID-19
III. Future of Influencer
Marketing
What
We’re
Covering
Today

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Influencer
Marketing
BEFORE COVID-19

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Influencer Marketing Pre-COVID
An already rapidly increasing segment of brands’ integrated marketing strategies continues to grow.
● In 2019: influencer marketing was an $8 billion industry
● Marketers began measuring new KPIs including word of mouth, sentiment, operational ROI
and affiliate link tracking.
● Instagram dominated the influencer industry over Twitter (24%) & Facebook (46%).
Influencer marketing market size worldwide from 2016 to 2019 (in billion
U.S. dollars)

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Influencer Marketing Pre-COVID
Influencer marketing is seen as a way to effectively reach consumers as they continue to block more ad
content than ever.
Impact of Influencer Posts on Consumer Purchase Decisions

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Changing Landscape
A shift from celebrities to everyday influencers, new metrics, and new forms of content.
New kinds of influencers emerged: kidfluencers,
micro & nano-influencers, and virtual influencers.
New forms of motion content emerged:
cinemagraphs, boomerangs, stop motion, Stories,
GIFS and AR filters.
Share of global marketers using influencers in 2019,
by tier

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Changing Qualifications
Leading factors determining the cooperation with influencers
Emphasis on quality over quantity and
rate of engagement, less on trendiness
and follower count.
Leading methods of measuring influencer marketing success
Emphasis on engagement and brand
awareness, less on product sales and
audience sentiment.

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New Challenges Faced
New challenges emerged alongside new opportunities, including bot followers and an ever-changing,
hard to navigate algorithm.
Leading challenges of influencer marketing according to industry professionals in the
United States as of January 2019

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Influencer
Marketing
DURING COVID-19

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Increased Media Usage During Pandemic
● 80% of people say they have consumed
more content during the pandemic.2
○ Web browsing increased 70%,1
○ Traditional TV viewing increased
63%
○ Social media engagement
increased 61%
● 63% have spent more time viewing
and/or posting on social platforms
● 58% of consumers are noticing more
sponsored content from influencers
Extended reach of influencers due to increased media consumption.

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● Consumers expect advertising to make a
positive contribution to society:
○ 77% want companies to ‘Talk about
how the brand is helpful in the new
everyday life’
○ 75% want companies to ‘Inform about
their efforts to face the situation’
○ 70% want companies to ‘Offer a
reassuring tone’.
Changing Expectations of Brands
Consumers expect brands to be ethical, empathetic, and supportive of their employees, communities,
and customers.

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● Consumers want to support genuine brands
that are looking beyond their bottom line.
○ 75% said brands ‘Should not exploit
coronavirus situation to promote the
brand’
● Gen Zers’ compulsion to purchase is based
on connection, ethical responsibility,
authenticity, and an expression of self,
making communities mandatory.
○ 76% of Gen Zers have bought a
product to support issues the brand
supports
○ 67% have either stopped buying a
brand or would consider boycotting
one if a company’s values clashed
with their own.
Changing Expectations of Brands
● According to McKinsey & Company, quality and
purpose (desire to support local businesses, for
example) are the more important
considerations when choosing new brands.

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● 68% of respondents said that when a brand
earns their full trust (product, customer
experience and societal impact) they will
buy first, stay loyal to, advocate for and
defend that brand, compared to just 47%
who trust only the product alone.
● Additionally, during this time of crisis, 29%
of Americans agree with the statement: “I
have recently started using a new brand
because of the innovative or compassionate
way they have responded to the virus
outbreak.”
Trust is Growth
Consumers value company ethics more than competence.

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63% of consumers (18-34
across the U.S., U.K and China)
trust what influencers say about
brands more than they trust the
brand’s advertisements.

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● 60-70% of consumers prefer
influencers with relatable
personalities
● 50-58% of consumers prefer expert
personalities
● Micro-influencers know their
audience, making their
recommendations hyper-targeted
towards a particular market.
How Influencers Create Trust
Similarly, consumers prefer influencers that align with their values, viewing them as trustworthy friends
rather than “influencers”.

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● Influencer content offers more value, encouraging
users to interact with the content in a positive way
without tuning out.
○ Offering a livestream workout class in
partnership with a brand.
○ Showing how a product is helping them get
through the pandemic.
○ In-depth tutorials showing how to use a
product.
● In a time of isolation and crisis of trust, authentic
influencers offer a source of community, positivity,
and support.
○ Creating a long-term relationship with an
influencer and their community can greatly
increase brand trust and exposure.
Influencers’ Role in a Pandemic
Consumers want and expect value, not empty
advertisements.

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● Shortening the buyer’s journey:
○ See the product in use → read their
“genuine” review → purchase directly from
the influencer’s affiliate link (Shop on
Facebook/Instagram, Swipe Up Links, etc.)
○ This streamlined purchasing process is
convenient and ideal for consumers stuck at
home.
● Partnering with influencers to offer a discount
code or giveaways is a way to “give back” during
hard times.
● Introducing followers to lesser known brands,
small businesses, and/or minority-owned
businesses that reflect their shared values.
What Are Influencers Doing Right?
How are influencers adding value to the consumer journey?
Skincare guru @gothamista (Renee)
is a trusted source of information on
all things skincare. Her audience
relies on her recommendations to
inform their purchase decisions.
Here, she is promoting small
business brands, offering a discount
code, and an in-depth review in her
video/caption.

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Influencer
Marketing
2021 & BEYOND

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For Brands and Businesses
Will consumers continue to behave the same way when things
return to “normal”?
● Connect Locally
○ 75% of Americans plan to support small businesses as much as possible
once restrictions on non-essential businesses are lifted in their areas
○ Consider ways to weave local messaging and events into their campaigns.
● Preference for relatable over aspirational content
○ Influencers will create less polished content and offer more realistic views
of their lives.
● Continue integrating ethics
○ Consumers expect results, not just sympathetic sentiments.
○ Be proactive instead of reactive.

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For Influencers and Content Creators
● “Cancel Culture” goes both ways
○ Influencers need to choose partnerships
wisely and only work with brands they
personally advocate for and would use
themselves.
● Increased community interactions
○ Consumers recognize the importance of
community and will retain their connections
to online and offline communities that
helped them through the pandemic.
○ Remember the community aspect even as
your reach grows larger.
● Continue creating valuable and diverse content
○ With so many creators emerging, it’s
essential to continue adding value.

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Thank You!