
Influencer marketing is now an integral part of the marketing mix and shows no sign of slowing down
The huge rise of short-form video sharing features such as TikTok and Instagram Reels has completely shifted the way brands communicate with audiences, especially the younger demographic. As with earned media, third-party recommendations from people we trust are considerably more powerful than above-the-line advertising. Data reveals that 74% of Gen Z spend most of their time online and influencers are their primary product discovery sources (Shopify, 2025). The power of influencer comms, comes from the time and care they have taken to build their communities over longer periods, consumers often see influencers as more of a peer than a marketing mechanism.
Outlined below are our top 2025 predictions for the influencer marketing industry:
Increased Measurement Expectations
With investments into influencer strategies increasing at pace, companies are going to require stronger measurement metrics.
The industry needs to get much stricter on KPIs and measurement metrics to ensure that businesses can measure the true ROI of their influencer marketing campaigns. With standard metrics including reach, impressions, shares and engagement rate – stronger metrics such as recall and brand love will be measured. Other measurement techniques such as brand lift studies, which measure an audience’s positive feelings towards a brand post-campaign, will gain popularity to truly understand if the influencer work has been successful.
The Rise of Community-based Micro-influencers
Micro-influencers typically have a smaller following but often with a more engaged follower base. We expect the popularity of this influencer type to continue growing and see a spike in specialist micro-influencers who serve specific communities. The result: a stronger and more authentic relationship with their followers over the target of broader reach.
But for this to work, the right influencers must be used for the correct brief. Influencer campaigns need to have a set measurement target to ensure influencers hold the correct audience. For reach campaigns, focus on macro-influencers to access a wide audience. Conversely, engagement-driven campaigns should target micro-influencers aligned to specific, niche communities specific to the brand.
A Climb in Authentic Content
Authenticity is everything. More so than ever, creators are steering away from the classic ‘aesthetically pleasing’ content and sharing natural, unfiltered content that is deemed to be more relatable, sharing real-life and real-time situations.
Brands will be posting less polished content in a bid to connect with their audiences further, driving greater engagement and brand love. In the UK, short-form content is leading the way due to its snackable, engaging nature. With the growing popularity of short-form content across TikTok, Reel and YouTube Shorts, we will continue to see a large transformation in purchasing behaviour through impulse buys and trend-led product discovery.
More to come – let’s see what 2025 brings!