New Altimeter Industry Report Recommends Brands Spend 25 Percent of Digital Budgets on Influencer Marketing
Sponsored by Linqia, Report Provides Tools and Tips for Brands and Agencies to Successfully Run Modern Influencer Marketing Strategy
SAN FRANCISCO, MAY 29, 2019 – “The Power of Influence” report, an overview on the state of influencer marketing from research firm Altimeter, recommends brands spend 25 percent of digital marketing budgets on influencer marketing, an industry that is expected to reach $10 billion by 2020, a 5X increase from 2017. The report, sponsored by performance-based influencer marketing leader Linqia, provides brands with guidance on influencer marketing best practices by defining the four characteristics of a modern influencer strategy and identifying the Six Key Success Drivers.
Altimeter found that brands are becoming advanced in their use of influencers, with 50 percent in the “mature” stage of their influencer programs compared to 20 percent who are in their first year. Further, the report includes the key drivers for success including how to allocate the right budget, the value in repurposing and redistributing influencers’ content, and setting up a process to allow influencers to post quickly without prohibitive review cycles to maintain authenticity.
The report demonstrates how leading companies including McDonald’s, Hain Celestial and Talking Rain are currently using influencer marketing. “The Power of Influence” also showcases how these leaders see future trends in influencer marketing, how to ensure ROI, and how to optimize insights from campaigns.
“To be successful, a modern influencer campaign should be integrated with the brand’s other marketing functions and not be siloed,” said Omar Akhtar, author of the report and digital marketing analyst and research director at Altimeter. “Leveraging the campaign across multiple channels and driving audiences from one platform to another will help to ensure its success.”
To help support marketers as they enhance their influencer marketing strategy, Altimeter also outlines the four characteristics of a next generation influencer approach including:
- Always-on execution
- Inclusion in a holistic digital marketing strategy
- Delivering business impact beyond awareness
- Leveraging micro-influencer content
“The influencer market is growing at an impressive pace as influencers effectively connect with target audiences on behalf of brands in the most relevant and trusted ways,” said Daniel Schotland, COO, Linqia. “Micro-influencers, in particular, are on the rise. They are considered highly authentic since they look and act like their peers, and, as a result, have higher engagement rates than even those with over a million followers.”
About Altimeter
Altimeter is a research and consulting firm owned by Prophet Brand Strategy that helps companies understand and act on technology disruption. They give business leaders the insight and confidence to help their companies thrive in the face of disruption. In addition to publishing research, Altimeter analysts speak and provide strategy consulting on trends in leadership, digital transformation, social business, data disruption, and digital marketing strategy.
About Linqia
Linqia is the industry leader in delivering influencer marketing content that performs and provides guaranteed influencer marketing results to brands and agencies for over seven years. As the first performance-based influencer marketing platform, Linqia is an effective and efficient way to achieve a brand’s goals by driving greater ROI across the path to purchase. Founded in 2012, Linqia works with over 350 leading national brands, including Kimberly-Clark, McDonald’s, Nestle, Unilever, and Walmart. Linqia is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Bentonville. For more information, visit https://www.linqia.com.
