Influencer marketing is bigger than ever, but can it survive economic ups and downs?
Spoiler: absolutely. Let’s break down why it’s unstoppable — and what exactly social commerce and AI have to do with it.
I also got the ultimate insight toolkit: top platforms, key metrics, and tips based on my XP as a Creative Director at an influencer marketing agency — why kick off your campaign 3-6 months early? why you shouldn’t be writing the script for the influencer? and more secret sauce for marketers.
Follow the Leader
In the world of digital marketing, influencers are the big bosses. 81% of consumers act on their feed recommendations, and around three out of four shoppers in the U.S. have hit "add to cart" after an influencer put them on to something.
They are gaining more sway by the day: nearly half shop daily, weekly, or monthly with influencer recs in mind, and 30% trust them even more now than they did just six months ago.
Big social media platforms are already the top spots for product discovery — for one, YouTube is ranked as the second largest search engine. And 90% of brands are gearing up to boost their presence in the realm where influencers shine the brightest — Instagram.
Top creators are making the jump from entertainers to entrepreneurs. Take MrBeast, who’s turned his fame into a business with everything from clothing to Feastable candy bars. Dhar Mann co-founded LiveGlam, a beauty subscription service, and comedian Matt Rife is packing theaters with his digital clout.
Rising Through the Squeeze
Influencer marketing has exploded, its value tripling since 2019. In 2024, it hit a record of $24 billion. Yet, 2025 has brought about some change…
Rising costs and unexpected social media regulations — brands are playing it safe now: budgets are down 10%, contract sizes are shrinking, and the focus is now on smaller, more trackable partnerships. But it's not all doom and gloom: influencer marketing remains a top priority for many, and nearly half of brands still plan to invest more.
So, back to the bright side of things: influencer marketing is universally predicted to soar higher than ever. Estimations vary — some say it’ll shoot up by a jaw-dropping 35% growth rate and peak at $32 billion this year, others think it’ll reach 31 billion not earlier than 2027, still others predict it’ll skyrocket to over 70 billion in 7 years. One thing is clear: it grows strongly each year and shows no signs of slowing down.
Boosters Behind the Boom
Technology brings about the true revolution. For one thing, apps are constantly rolling out new features that make it easier for newcomers to get started or help influencers streamline their work — like YouTube Hype or Instagram DM filters. Looking ahead, here are two tech-powered trends already driving the next wave of influencer marketing.
Marketplace Influence
TikTok Minis, Instagram Shopping — social media platforms actively integrate commerce features that make shopping through influencer content a breeze. Moreover, marketplaces are ramping up their tech and launching affiliate programs to bring influencers into the fold. Chinese platforms like Taobao, which have been leaning on influencers for years, have set the stage for Western giants like Amazon and eBay to follow suit.
Some influencers will use marketplaces for extra visibility, while others will thrive within a specific social commerce platform getting rewards from loyalty programs. One question remains, whether marketplace influencers can stay independent or will be tied to platforms and sellers — likely, they’ll still land external deals because the market wouldn’t work any other way.
AI
These days, you can’t find a trend report without this one popping up. But indeed, two-thirds of experts call AI a game-changer and, above all, a powerhouse for saving time: it helps with campaign management, influencer discovery, data analysis, ROI prediction, EVM calculation — you name it. In a word, it cuts down hours of manual work.
Then there’s virtual influencers, a whole new frontier. People are digging them faster than expected — more than half of their followers have followed their recommendation — and the avatars are evolving to break unrealistic beauty standards, moving toward inclusivity, like the environmental activist Leya and the influencer with Down syndrome Kami.
Trending Now in Influencer Marketing
Tech innovations might be driving the ship, but there are a few other trends you’ll want to hop aboard.
1. Meaningful ROI & The Power of EMV
Companies used to pour money into brand awareness, but tighter budgets and competition have changed the game: it’s not just about fun, native content anymore; it’s about proving that content brings real results. That’s why experts call for moving past surface-level metrics to focus on sales, loyalty, trust, or any other KPI you’ve got.
One of the MVPs for measuring PR success is Earned Media Value (EMV), which measures all the buzz your content generates — likes, shares, comments — and translates it into a dollar value. In short, it shows how much impact your brand gets for free, so you can gauge the campaign’s business impact and predict ROI.
2. There’s Nothing Stronger Than… Community
Influencers are no longer just promoters — they’re community leaders. That’s a no to quick, transactional deals, and a yes to long-term partnerships where niche audiences and authentic engagement take center stage. Building relationships over time can turn your brand into a key part of the community or even help create its own, like Glossier or Airbnb did with some influencer magic.
Micro- and nano-influencers create real connections larger creators may miss. Even with smaller followings, nano-influencers make a massive impact by connecting with each follower personally. On TikTok their engagement rates can soar above 10%, while larger creators hover around 7% or less. Why? Because nano-influencers build tight-knit communities where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.
3. Advertainment in Its Prime: Videos & Interactivity
Short-form videos on TikTok and Instagram are booming, grabbing attention with quick, powerful storytelling. Platforms make full use of that: Instagram’s new editing tool gives a boost to the content created with it, so creators will find it harder to go viral on multiple platforms. And don’t count out long videos: TikTok, for one, now supports hour-long uploads — a smart play, especially with YouTube being banned in some corners of the globe. As platforms adopt each other's tricks, familiar formats could make a comeback with a fresh twist!
It’s all about interactive experiences, not just promos. Streaming brings real-time connection, so live events and influencer-led tournaments may lead the charge. Immersive formats like AR/VR, engaging challenges, offline events, and transmedia campaigns: in a world of short attention spans, your ads need to be just as entertaining as the content your audience loves.
Platform Power: On
Last year, YouTube and Instagram delivered the best ROI, with Facebook trailing behind but leading in monthly active users. At the same time, YouTube and TikTok offer the sweetest CPM rates. Still, Instagram is the most preferred platform, followed closely by TikTok, with YouTube coming in third.
That doesn’t mean there’s a magic platform formula. Take gaming: mobile may take off better on YouTube and TikTok, PC may rule on YouTube and Twitch, while console may shine on YouTube, Steam, and Discord — but naturally, there are lots of exceptions, and each audience has its playbook. There’s one rule though: to really win, zoom out and go multi-channel to tap into each platform’s unique power.
Instagram: The Influence King
With over 2.11 billion monthly active users worldwide, it’s a powerhouse, raking in a whopping $71 billion in ad revenue last year. 87% of users take action after spotting product info — whether it’s following a brand, checking out a store, or buying. No wonder 68% of marketers swear by it for influencer campaigns!
Early Zoomers and late Millenials are at the heart of Instagram, as nearly 45% of users are between 25 and 34. Top content spots go to romance and entertainment (gaming included), with shopping and fashion hot on their heels.
Nano influencers rule Instagram, making up over 75% of all influencers and boasting engagement rates three times higher than other tiers. Celebs and macro creators hold just 0.3%, so looks like Instagram is the playground for everyday creators to shine! And with the new features, it’s easier than ever.
- Instagram Edits with AI Power: In-built editing tool not only offers fresh creative possibilities but also promises to boost the content generated with its help
- DM Filters for Easy Flow: New messaging filters help creators sort DMs by follower count, verified accounts, and brand inquiries
- Hashtag Following Gone: Influencers can focus more on direct engagement
- Inactive Profile Purge: A cleaned-up follower list will help boost engagement and refine ad targeting
TikTok: The Engagement Ninja
Who’s on fire and shows no signs of stopping? TikTok’s growth! It has got 1.6B monthly active users worldwide and ad revenue reaching $23 billion. Plus, 68% of Gen Z adults are all about shopping on the app — and they are the core crew here, as over half of all TikTok users are under 24 years old.
Nano-influencers rule the roost here even more than on Instagram, making up 87% of influencers and rocking the highest engagement rates in the house (11.9%). Mid-tier creators and celebs are also doing great too with over 7% ER — all thanks to TikTok's design that makes creating and interacting a breeze. And some new features are adding to the hype.
- TikTok Shop Boom: The platform's sales skyrocketed, pulling in $100M on Black Friday 2024. Now, brands and influencers can turn content into cash effortlessly.
- AI Video Magic: TikTok’s Symphony Creative Studio uses AI to help influencers create high-quality, trend-perfect videos in a snap.
- Mini Apps, Big Impact: TikTok’s testing Mini-Apps for food orders and ticket bookings — a fresh way for brands to slip into users' daily TikTok routines.
YouTube: The Diversity Titan
It got a record-high number of monthly active users (2.7B) and a whopping $34 billion of ad revenue thanks to its rich content palette. Over half of internet users hit play before they pay, and YouTube is leading the charge in shaping those buying decisions! Marketers agree — 75% say it’s a must for driving sales, and 56% believe YouTube videos lead the pack for influencer marketing.
A massive 63% of the audience is aged 18 to 34. But don’t count out the 35 to 44 crew — they’re still rocking the platform with a solid 15% share. When it comes to content, video games snag the #4 spot, making up 6% of all videos. But the ultimate YouTube royalty are entertainment-heavy Music & Dance, Animation, and Movies.
The gap between nano and celebrity influencers is a bit less striking here but still, it’s 69% of nano influencers versus 1% of creators with 500K+ followers. However, the latter remain key for the platform because, and here’s the twist, unlike on Instagram and TikTok, engagement on YouTube rises with follower count. And YouTube actively helps up-and-coming creators reach epic heights!
- AI-Powered Auto-Dubbing: Global audiences are now at your fingertips with YouTube’s auto-translate.
- YouTube Hype: It boosts videos from smaller creators and spots trending content on a leaderboard, giving a much-needed visibility boost.
- Shop the Shorts: Creators can tag products directly in their videos, so viewers can shop without ever leaving the app.
- Partner Program 2.0: Its expanded program now lets even more creators monetize with ads, memberships, and merch.
Ready, Set, Market!
…But first, take these quick tips along the way!
- Kick off your influencer campaign 3-6 months ahead of launch — it usually takes about 2 months to start seeing the magic happen.
- Keep an eye on those engagement numbers! Big follower count, low engagement? Looks like someone’s audience is in nap mode! If you don’t have the tools, check the comments or ask for story view stats. A solid story view conversion rate is around 7-10%.
- Keep it flexible — lay down the dos and don'ts, but don’t hand over a script! Influencers aren’t teleprompters: let them unleash their inner creators because that’s what their followers need.
- Experiment! Broaden your influencer profile and explore fresh audiences. Who knows — maybe fishing enthusiasts in their 50s are the next big fans of your mobile game!
- If you're a brand teaming up with an agency, spill the beans on everything — from the consumer's pain points to developer insights. The more they know, the sharper the strategy.
- Don’t expect instant traffic from influencers. Your audience may come slower but it’ll be the highest-quality audience in place: they’ll be your loyal crew, giving you feedback, sticking around, and spreading the word!
