How you can thrive in 2025…with influencer marketing

Influencer marketing has become a cornerstone of modern digital marketing. No longer the new kid on the block, it has evolved significantly from celebrity endorsements to a sophisticated network of niche creators who shape consumer decisions and help drive brand loyalty.

Research shows a 143% increase in creator marketing investment over the past four years alone. Now more than 85% of marketing professionals believe influencer marketing is an effective form of marketing – shifting from a one-off investment to sporadically boost sales, to a powerful tool in building long-term brand awareness and overall business revenue growth. And its popularity is only going to continue, with estimates that the global influencer marketing sector will grow from $6bn in 2020 to $24.1bn by 2025.

As we look ahead to next year, there’ll be several emerging trends reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. It is those brands that adapt to these developments that will reap the rewards of this thriving industry.

Taking an holistic approach to influencer marketing
Despite its popularity and significant power as a marketing tool, influencer marketing typically remains siloed from brands’ media plans. But as it now reaches critical mass, a sophisticated approach is needed – it’s time for influencer marketing to be planned in a similar way to other media. Influencer marketing shouldn’t be considered as a standalone channel, instead, brands need to look at how it fits into the wider marketing mix.

It’s not unusual for new marketing channels to fall into the same trap in the initial stages of popularity. Marketers can be forgiven for wanting to test the effectiveness of their shiny new toy and see how it works for their brand. But if they place it in a silo with its own budget lines, tone of voice and objectives, it can be a tricky place to escape from. In other media, the layers of channels are planned in combination; what is the priority in terms of messaging, what follows and a detailed media plan which optimises media channels as a single system to achieve the best outcomes for a brand.

With influencers, all too often it’s a more ragtag approach –  a handful of people all going live at different times, who appear to have roughly the right audience demographics, tone of voice and analytics. Imagine what could be achieved if  influencer marketing broke out of its silo and had the benefit of proper media planning.

 The power of fandom and niche communities
As the world becomes more fragmented, niche communities of often die-hard fans are on the rise. Modern marketing is about building genuine connections with targeted audiences who have an interest and passion for a brand. As beacons of emerging culture, fans are bound together by shared love and enthusiasm – creating a new breed of dedicated consumer.

The proliferation of social media, especially TikTok, has seen a rise in influencers on the platform building communities across every passion point. From ‘Booktok’ to ‘Swifties’, these online groups are opening up new audiences for brands to tap into.

But if fandom is to continue to be successful for brands in 2025, they need to play a credible role in its creativity and contributing to its growth. This could be anything from helping fans with the brand journey (new services and product launches) to using AI to make content creation easier and launching real-life experiences to support online strategies.

B2B influencer marketing will get a glow up
The year ahead will be a tipping point for B2B influence, particularly as niche communities continue to grow online. We are already seeing B2B creators become an important part of the marketing mix, as B2B brands look to better connect with younger, digital-first customers. Over 75% of B2B marketers now actively employ B2B influencer marketing but its approach requires different tactics to B2C.

The so-called ‘ideal’ influencer, with huge generic reach or celebrity status, is not necessarily going to hit the mark for B2B marketing. It’s more important for these brands to collaborate with creators who are professionals in their industry and are relevant to their target audience. From micro-influencer videos on YouTube showing us how to use Bosch Power Tools to GE letting Instagrammers give tours of their turbine, jet engine and locomotive warehouses – the focus for B2B marketing is very much based on trusted, authentic value creation. 

And while LinkedIn will continue to be the dominant platform for B2B marketing, particularly with its algorithms now favouring video content, B2B creators are gaining ground on platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram thanks to improved search functions making content more accessible for brands and users.

Trend-based marketing is on the rise, but watch out for saturation
Trends, by their very nature, are transient but more recently brands have been jumping on them for big marketing moments. They’re an opportunity for brands to be part of cultural conversations and can be the difference between fly or die. Think about the retailer Currys. Following a brand identity crisis from the PC World merger, the brand (rarely associated with humour) has been tapping into funny viral online trends to appeal to Gen Z customers, while using it as a tool for long-term brand building.

But as with anything viral, the more brands that weigh in, the greater the risk of saturation and commercialisation, meaning it rapidly loses its cut through.

If a trend doesn’t align with a brand’s values and image, it may not be the right one. But if it does, it pays to have the right creative partner to deliver standout campaigns – whether that be an agency or influencers who are already living the trend.

Melissa Chapman is CEO of Jungle Creations and The Wild by Jungle