How Strong Is the (Social Media) Influence in 2019? The Answer May Surprise You

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While the casual user may not notice (or care about) this update, this does concern

. Not all influencers struck lucrative licensing deals like LaurDIY,

and scored licensing deals from

; or esports influencer “Ninja,” who is now

The Brand Central and has a number of licensing deals; and YouTuber Jake Paul, who spoke about his licensing program at the

2018. Most influencers’ livelihoods depend on the number of likes their posts receive. It’s the most instant hard data to show companies just how many people see–and approve of–their posts.

The

” deals to

) as well as business watchdogs.

In 2017, the

a guide for influencers to follow when creating sponsored content. In short, influencers must disclose company affiliations within their captions and hashtags, or face possible consequences. The FTC might bypass the influencer and go directly to the ad and marketing firms working with the offending influencer, who could subsequently lose revenue when companies’ public relations teams drop them from PR lists.

Still, many influencers aren’t upholding the stricter standards. Advocacy group

followed more than 1,400 influencer advertisements published from 20 influencers between May 2017 and Dec. 2018 who received official warning letters from the FTC. In the study, TiA found that not one example met the standards laid out in the guidelines.

Some influencers may think they’re above the standards, but their impact isn’t the same. In a

SocialMediaToday.com

, the power of influencer marketing has waned. Timelines are now flooded with sponcon, making consumers wary of not just the influencers but the product they’re promoting.

Businesses may want to instead tailor their marketing to Generation Z, according to

. Gen Z has more in common with Gen X (their parents’ demographic) than Millennials: Gen Z has less debt but is more cautious. They won’t go broke emulating an influencer’s lifestyle. So, companies will have to try harder and be more earnest while getting their dollars.