Happy New Year from Obviously!

2018 has been our most exciting year yet. We’ve worked with hundreds of iconic brands and have secured our place as an industry leader. We’ve forged relationships with the best influencers in the business and we couldn’t be more proud of our incredible Obviously family. We’ve also learned a ton along the way, establishing ourselves as the true influencer marketing experts. As always, we have our finger on the pulse of the industry and we’re looking ahead to see what’s next.

Here are our top 5 predictions for influencer marketing in 2019.

5) Brands Will Stress Sales

Each year, as influencer marketing has become more established and less experimental, brands have had higher and higher expectations for their collaborators. 2019 will be no different. You can expect brands to be giving you swipe-up links, discount codes, and promotions throughout the year, and measuring success based on these metrics, rather than just engagement rate. This idea can be intimidating at first, but the good news is that this system really does work. As long as your followers are engaged, you’re going to do great.

4) Brands Will Work Together

While collaborations between influencers and brands have been common from the beginning, there is a rising trend of brands coming together for joint collaborations, working in tandem with influencers to create truly original content.

For example, Google has teamed up with Levi to create the Jacquard Jacket, an innovative design with technology woven into the clothing. Brand collaborations such as this are increasingly popular because they present a more positive face to buyers who are becoming more interested in the story of a brand, rather than just the products.

3) Influencers Will Take Advantage of Curated Residential Spaces

2018 saw the rise of experiential spaces, such as the Rose Mansion, designed with social content in mind. Recently, this trend has evolved to include curated residential spaces which can serve as backgrounds for influencer content.

One marketing agency, Village Studio, transformed their office into a staged apartment entirely fitted by Wayfair. Influencers can rent the space for brand activations or simply to create photos they would not otherwise be able to achieve. These carefully styled spaces reflect the influencer’s ideal aesthetic and mark a significant new direction for aspirational content.

2) Influencers Will Flourish as Entrepreneurs

Successful influencers have devoted audiences who have trusted their recommendations for years, so it’s no surprise to us that these same followers would jump at the chance to try an influencer’s own personal line. Audiences feel more connected to an influencer’s brand than a celebrity brand, because they want to support the influencer personally and hope to see them succeed. Influencers such as Emma Chamberlin and Chriselle Lim have capitalized on their built-in customer base to launch their own fashion and beauty lines, many selling out within days or even minutes.

And our #1 Prediction for 2019 is….

1) The Rise of The Nano Influencer

As you’ve probably heard, Obviously is betting on 2019 being the Year of The Nano Influencer. (And if you haven’t heard, check out our New York Times hit!) The rising popularity of these smaller influencers- some with less than 1,00 followers- will be the next major shift in the industry. This is a great opportunity for up-and-coming and aspiring creators to get in at the ground level, and to make influencer marketing even more personal and authentic. It’s also a trend that could really only be possible because of companies like Obviously, which allow brands to collaborate with a huge group of influencers at the same time. We’re thrilled to be a part of the future and we cannot wait for what’s to come.