10 years ago, Instagram was just a fun, silly sharing platform for mobile pictures. I don't think any of the early users of this social media platform could have imagined what it would become in the years to follow.

Imagine it's 2013, and you just took a picture of your favorite Arizona iced tea can. You decide to share it on your Instagram, cue the OG Valencia filter and a strong vignette around the edges. * Brilliant, chef’s kiss * and you click post without thinking twice.

an arizona iced tea can posted to instgram in 2013 with condensation and a valencia filter — yes, this was a photo I posted on my Instagram, and yes it’s still up for everyone’s viewing pleasure if they choose to go back into the time capsule that is my page!

We all posted seemingly pointless photos - sunsets, cheesy low-exposure edits, inspirational quote pictures, Pic Stitches, and memes - straight onto our main feed without a care in the world. There were no rules yet. You could double, triple, or even quadruple post, and your 50 Instagram followers wouldn't blink an eye. It was too new for societal pressures to exist; everyone was just having fun.

a screen grab from the writer's instagram in 2012. there are a lof of sunsets, flowers, a meme, and Italian ice on the instagram feed, and another arizona iced tea can — It’s okay, you can laugh…

As time went on, Instagram's function and purpose began to shift. It soon became a perfect place for businesses to interact with their customers. It allowed companies to build rapport directly with those purchasing their goods or services. While it was primarily local businesses in the beginning, it wouldn't be long before we all uttered the word "influencer."

The History of Influencer Marketing highlights the vital detail that influencers have been around since the 1700s. Of course, it looks pretty different from having a "Royal Approved" seal on a tea set, but it's still the same concept. An influencer today is "a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media," specifically for businesses and brands to increase profits and engagement with their audience.

The influencer marketing industry has absolutely flourished in the last 5 years. It is progressing at a rate that is hard to keep up with for creators, brands, and even their consumers. While celebrities make up a large portion of influencers, smaller creators have allowed the industry to reach far and wide. Along with new terms like nano influencer, micro and macro influencer, and brand ambassadors, there has also been a shift in the types of content they produce. Below is the google trend graph for the term "influencer marketing" since 2004. You'll see the highest peak in April of 2020, early during the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown, when many people were home, out of work, and consuming content at an alarming rate, rising to nearly double in 2020 at a whopping 7 hours a day. COVID-19 lockdowns, coupled with the rise of Tiktok and Instagram Reels’ addicting video content, gave way to a boom of new influencers.

a screenshot of google analytics showing a line graph showing interest in the term "influencer marketing" from 2004 to 2020

Influencers now post across many platforms- Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter (less and less), Pinterest, Facebook, Twitch, and Discord. To say that brand campaigns are essential to businesses is a gross understatement. Social sharing and having influencers partner with your brand to get your products or services past the organic audience you've built and into a new market of people who have yet to see your business online. If you're still not convinced, here are 6 reasons why influencer marketing is important:

Brand Awareness
Influencer marketing increases brand awareness and reach online. Influencers can reach a large audience that isn't already looking at your social media content, making them a great tool to help your brand gain visibility. It helps your business stand out in the marketplace, making it easier to attract customers and build loyalty. You can build lasting relationships by creating an identity and story that resonates with customers. The more people who get eyes on your brand- who are interested in it- the better. As customers become familiar with your brand, they may be more likely to purchase your products and services and recommend them to others. Therefore, brand awareness is an essential part of any business strategy.
Trust & Credibility
Influencers build trust and credibility for you and your business or brand. Since influencers already have a loyal following of engaged followers, they can help create a relationship for your brand among their followers. Consumers should trust a company or brand because it builds confidence in the products and services. When customers have faith in a brand, they are more likely to purchase products or services to begin with, and become repeat customers. Trust also helps build a positive reputation for the company, which can lead to more customers and increased brand recognition. When customers trust a company, they are more likely to recommend it to others, allowing for more organic growth. Ultimately, trust is a significant factor in determining whether or not a customer will decide to support a company.
Creative Content
Influencers create authentic, meaningful content that their followers are already interested in. Creators produce content that is not only genuine but also creative and engaging. Engaging content is vital for a brand's social media strategy because it helps build relationships with potential customers, increases brand visibility, and provides an opportunity to showcase the brand's unique personality. Creating content that resonates with your target audience can generate more interest in your brand, products, and services. This, in turn, can lead to increased conversions, better customer retention rates, and higher brand loyalty. Additionally, engaging content can help you capture the attention of influencers and key industry players, leading to more organic growth and increased brand awareness. Compelling, share-worthy content is essential for any successful social media influencer strategy.
Audience Engagement
Influencers have an intimate understanding of their audiences, allowing them to create content that powerfully resonates with them. Influencers have specific audience niches that can make it easier to target particular markets. It's essential to think carefully about the niche you choose when working with influencers. Taking the time to identify the right niche can lead to better engagement and success for your marketing efforts. A surefire way to do this is to work with an agency that can find you the perfect influencer(s) for your brand.
Sales & Conversions
Influencers can help you increase sales by driving more targeted traffic to your website and social profiles. A conversion rate is a metric used to measure the success of an online marketing campaign. It measures the percentage of visitors to a website who take a desired action, such as downloading a file, making a purchase, or filling out a contact form. By tracking a website's conversion rate, businesses can better understand how successful their marketing campaigns are and make adjustments to improve results. The goal of influencer marketing brand campaigns is to increase conversions, as influencers can positively showcase the product or service and make it more accessible and desirable to their followers. Furthermore, influencers can also offer valuable insights into customer preferences and needs, which can help brands improve their products and services and further increase conversions.
Competition
Influencers can help you stay ahead of the competition by leveraging their power to reach your target audience. Influencer marketing is an excellent way for companies to stand out. It allows them to tap into a different audience and create relationships with influencers who can help spread the word about their brand. Influencer marketing also helps to create trust, as influencers are seen as more reliable sources of information than traditional advertising. This can help companies build a positive reputation and loyalty among their customers. This can increase visibility and recognition, allowing a company to stand out from its competitors online.

It is honestly wild how much social media has changed over the last 10 years. Social media's growth is astronomical and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. With younger generations growing up using this technology that wasn't introduced to us until our late teens, twenties, and thirties, we can expect them to be more active on social media as time goes on. As influencers and digital marketing take control of the industry, more traditional forms of advertising will continue to fade. Being proud of your online presence is more important now than ever.

More About Influencer Marketing:

Why Influencer Marketing is Important

Influencer Marketing Budget Predictions for 2023

Influencer Marketing 101