Influencer marketing 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.

Stories to follow:

‘We have to get the knowledge in-house’: Why Malibu does its own influencer marketing (Digiday)

Continuing the trend of influencer marketing moving in-house, Malibu, the global liqueur brand, is taking control of their campaigns. In the tightly regulated alcohol industry, it’s important to Malibu to have as much say in their influencer marketing campaigns as possible.

Welcome to the Era of Branded Engagements (The Atlantic)

After fashion influencer Marissa Fuchs' meticulously planned and perfectly executed three-day branded marriage proposal unfolded on Instagram, The Atlantic took time to reflect on the cultural implications. For some, such a public proposal might seem more like an SNL parody of influencer marketing than anything else, but the viral sensation attracted 20,000 new followers and is perhaps a natural extension of the extravagant flash-mob style proposals that have become more common in recent years.

Insights to digest:

Peer-to-Peer Is the Next Wave of Influencer Marketing (Entrepreneur)

Barrett Wissman, Chairman of IMG Artists, argues that peer-to-peer marketing is the next frontier for influencer marketers. As the industry has narrowed its focus from celebrities to micro influencers to nano influencers, the power of friendly recommendations can’t be ignored.

The hired guns of Instagram (Vox)

Facebook and Instagram forbid retailers from advertising firearms of any kind on social media. So, gun companies turn to influencers, many of whom are scantily clad women, to advertise them instead. Influencer marketing allows firearm companies to skirt regulations by making “the gun lifestyle as attractive and aspirational as all the others on Instagram.”

On the horizon:

China’s influencer incubator (BBC)

Ruhnn is a Chinese startup that helps “create” influencers in exchange for exclusive rights to their content. They raised $125M in an April IPO, and have been leading the charge in professionalizing influencer marketing in China. Their intense selection process is followed by a four-month “bootcamp” that gives aspiring influencers all the tools and skills necessary to make it big.

Influencer Agency Shows That Influencers' Screen Time is Shockingly High (Influencer Agency, via PR Newswire)

Influencer Agency conducted a study on the time spent on mobile devices by top influencers. They discovered that on average, an influencer spends over nine hours on their phone a day, compared to the three hours spent by the average US consumer.

What’s Julius up to?

This week, we released a new ebook, “Building Brand Trust: FTC Guidelines for Influencer Marketing” We wrote it to teach marketers everything they need to know about the FTC guidelines, including what they are, how to follow them, and why they matter. Download it here!

And just in time for your holiday commute, we’re releasing another episode of the Julius Profiles podcast on Wednesday, July 3. This mini episode features our content marketer, Stephen Elliott, talking about his experience with influencer marketing, his love for reddit, and more. Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform!