Influencers: LinkedInfluencers Will Define Influencer Marketing in 2025

And while Trump is negotiating with himself whether to remove the Asian giant TikTok from the American market or allow it to operate because it generates revenue for hundreds of thousands of American content creators, companies continue to invest in influencer marketing. Regardless of which platform aspiring users will use to distribute their content now or in the future, brands will continue to reward them with their generous budgets in exchange for advertising.

The fact that this is true is evidenced by the data that more than $9.3 billion will be allocated to influencer marketing in the U.S. alone, and companies working with creators are continuously receiving financial injections. For instance, just in January, the influencer startup ShopMy secured an additional $77 million in Series B funding, and the influencer marketing agency Later plans to acquire competitor Mavely for a mere $250 million. Given the hundreds of millions of dollars being invested in this lucrative market, Adam Rossow, co-founder of the American company specializing in measurement in the influencer marketing arena, Group RFZ, listed several interesting predictions for AdWeek that will make 2025, as he says, transformative for creators and their investors (read: brands).

Moving to YouTube

To begin with, he touched on the famous TikTok and its potential exit from the large American market, which remains the main source of all consumer and cultural trends in the rest of the world. If it is indeed banned, the billion-dollar question is: where will its 170 million American users (over a billion globally) go? According to a study conducted by Group RFZ, it seems that YouTube will be the first stop for creators leaving TikTok. If faced with a ban, 46% will use YouTube more, 39% Instagram, 38% YouTube Shorts, 30% Facebook, and 23% X (formerly Twitter). It appears that YouTube’s features are most similar to those of TikTok, as its algorithm learns about user interests in a similar way and provides recommendations based on content interaction. Since it is currently difficult to predict how the situation will unfold, Rossow advises brands not to wait but to act. Instead of investing and positioning themselves on one channel, they should shift their content and collaboration with influencers more towards them, opting for a multichannel strategy.

Therefore, when it comes to this type of marketing, the old adage about not putting all your eggs in one basket holds true, as one never knows which platform will be the next target. While, on one hand, brands need to diversify their strategy across multiple channels, they should pay greater attention to LinkedIn, which has so far been popular among business professionals as a more serious version of Facebook. However, in recent years, especially since video formats have been tested on that platform, LinkedIn has produced full-fledged influencers. Owners have adapted their algorithms to prioritize creators and original content, offering new tools and analytics to make the platform more interesting and appealing to content creators, as well as agencies and brands.

LinkedInfluencers

It is quite clear, emphasizes Rossow, why LinkedIn’s popularity is rising – the user base is professional, engaged, and influential. Moreover, the pandemic has prompted them to be more active and innovative. More and more creators are trying to capture that audience, and brands are finding new ways to advertise their products. This successful transformation of LinkedIn from a sparse, business platform into an innovative, fun playground for creators is also reflected in the emergence of agencies and specialists focused exclusively on influencer marketing on LinkedIn. This trend will continue and even intensify this year – more agencies specializing in LinkedIn will emerge, and more strategies will be tailored exclusively for the ecosystem of that platform. Brands have little time to think; they need to head in that direction while the platform is not yet overly saturated and the algorithms are favorable. When it comes to industries, expert Rossow stated in AdWeek that influencer marketing has significantly increased in most sectors over the past decade, but none have grown as rapidly as in the pharmaceutical industry, characterized by strict regulations and limited rules of engagement when it comes to marketing.

Unstoppable Growth

However, recently it seems that circumstances are changing as agencies and brands have found clever ways to operate successfully within that limited system. They have been aided by influencers who establish and build relationships with end customers on their behalf. In the pharmaceutical industry, they are particularly important as consumers easily identify with their personal experiences, health challenges, and trust the stories about how brands have positively impacted their lives. This is significantly more than with traditional marketing messages. This year will see the growth of two types of so-called pharmaceutical influencers: patient influencers and medical influencers. The former, as one might expect, are influencers who have personally tried certain products and services. By sharing their experiences, they become a credible source of information for consumers. Medical influencers, on the other hand, have credibility and can speak scientifically and professionally about treatments and products.

As concludes the co-owner of Group RFZ, companies will continue to increase investments in influencer marketing while also seeking measurable evidence of its effectiveness. The industry will become more serious in this regard, and traditional data measurements such as reach, impressions, shares, and engagement will be joined by more sophisticated, technologically advanced measurements that include data on brand awareness, purchase intent, and similar metrics.

– This year will be a wild ride for influencer marketing. While more marketing professionals will rely on tried-and-true practices, expand to additional channels, and experiment and learn in new industries, one thing is certain: influencer marketing will grow unabated – concluded Rossow in AdWeek.

Due to this growth, the regulation of advertised content will again be called into question, as it is still not adequately labeled, often misleading users (the influencer is paid for the advertisement, it is not (always) sincere and authentic). However, influencer marketing is developing so slowly that the surge in 2025 will not be hindered in the slightest.