Matters of Influence: Week of 9/7/20

Influencer marketing news moves at the speed of social media. Every platform update, algorithm tweak, and current event makes a huge difference to the influencer marketer. We’ll help you keep up.

Featured headlines

87% Of TikTok Users: Instagram Reels Is “Basically The Same” (Forbes)

While TikTok deals with controversy surrounding a still-uncertain future and threats to the impending sell-off deadline,, it’s no surprise that the new release from Instagram, Reels is gaining traction and quietly slipping into TikTok’s shoes. But if there’s one thing they’ve made clear, it’s that they’re not going down without a fight: TikTok has launched a marketing partner program, a feature allowing creators to sell merchandise through the app, and a new “stitch” feature to facilitate content creation.

New Report Says B2B Influencer Marketing Still Has Massive Room For Growth (Forbes)

While brands of all kinds have found success with influencer marketing, it remains critically underused in B2B campaigns. With traditional in-person and word-of-mouth marketing reduced as a result of the pandemic, there has never been a more opportune time to incorporate influencers into B2B marketing strategy. Brands looking to seize the opportunity can look to other successful influencer campaigns for inspiration, and get involved in the community by starting a conversation.

Influencer Culture Is Changing. Who Will Influence Us Now? (Refinery 29)

While many brands have built their reputations by marketing limited-edition exclusivity and FOMO, it doesn’t feel the same in 2020. Consumers left disillusioned by a lack of personality in traditional marketing are turning to new forms of influence, searching for down-to-earth figures who share their moral values. Priorities shifting from exclusive products to inclusive marketing indicate the rise of a new kind of influencer–one who values community, collaboration, and caring for your fellow human beings.

Featured blog

Based in storytelling and communication, the influencer marketing industry has a unique opportunity to represent inclusion and shift the cultural conversation for the better. We’re proud to announce the launch of #InfluencersForInclusion on Instagram, an initiative to uplift underrepresented voices from the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ community. We’re excited to share creators who inspire us, celebrate inclusion through their stories, and inspire others to get involved. Read more.

Julius product spotlight

Influencer marketing can pack a powerful punch. Creators on social media are the best at telling stories and creating powerful content that drives engagement from audiences across social media. The thing is, those engagements are worth something! That's why we've built Earned Media Value (EMV) into our Reporting tools to help marketers determine how much value they're getting out of influencer content, and ultimately determine if they've made an efficient spend for the influencer's post on social media. Want to find out more about EMV? Check out this Help Center article.