2024 outlook for digital influencers, content creators
THE realm of digital influencing in the Philippines is marked by rapid technological advancements and shifting consumer behaviors. I recently conducted a Digital Influencer Survey in connection with the Digital Influencer Summit to gain insight into the current state and future trends of this dynamic industry. The survey is still ongoing, but here are some insights uncovered so far:
Diverse age, geographic representation
The respondents, the majority fall within the 24 to 41 age bracket, indicating a mature and experienced cohort. Geographically, the National Capital Region (NCR) leads, followed by Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, painting a picture of a predominantly urban-centered influencer base.
Platform preferences, digital savvy
In terms of digital platforms, Facebook reigns supreme among respondents, followed by a mix of YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. This multi-platform proficiency underscores the adaptability of influencers in navigating various digital landscapes.
Experience, aspirations, goals
The respondents’ experience in digital influencing varies, with many having over five years in the field, signifying a deep-rooted presence in the digital sphere. Their goals for 2024 are diverse and ambitious:
A significant 31.6 percent aim to grow their audience, increase monetization, explore new content formats, collaborate with others, and focus on specific niches. About 10.5 percent focus solely on growing their audience. Other goals include exploring new content formats (6.3 percent) and increasing monetization in collaboration with brands (6.3 percent).
Audience growth. Many influencers aim to expand their audience reach and enhance their monetization strategies. This includes exploring various revenue streams like sponsored content, affiliate marketing and brand collaborations.
Exploring new content formats. There’s a focus on experimenting with new forms of content, such as video, podcasts and interactive media, to engage audiences more effectively and stand out in a crowded digital space.
Collaborating with other influencers and brands. Influencers are looking to collaborate more with peers and brands. These collaborations could offer mutual benefits in terms of audience expansion and diversified content.
Focusing on a specific niche. Some influencers intend to concentrate more on their specific niche areas, aiming to become authorities in those fields and cater to a more targeted audience.
Improving engagement strategies. Influencers also aim to develop more effective strategies for audience engagement, community building and retention, recognizing the importance of fostering a loyal and active audience base.
Personal and professional development. Many are also focused on personal growth, skills enhancement and professional development, recognizing the need to continuously evolve in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
Facing challenges
The biggest challenges for influencers in 2024 are varied: Adapting to new technologies, maintaining authenticity, navigating social media algorithms, finding monetization strategies, and balancing content creation with personal life, as highlighted by 20 percent of respondents. 10.5 percent see maintaining authenticity and trust with the audience as their biggest challenge. 9.5 percent find adapting to new technologies and trends, particularly challenging.
Adapting to new technologies and trends. This is seen as a significant challenge, reflecting the need for influencers to stay abreast of rapid technological advancements and shifting digital trends.
Navigating changes in social media algorithms and policies. Influencers face the challenge of keeping up with and adapting to the ever-changing algorithms and policies of social media platforms, which could greatly impact content visibility and engagement.
Finding effective monetization strategies. With the digital space becoming increasingly competitive, influencers are looking for innovative and sustainable ways to monetize their content and platforms.
Balancing content creation with personal life. Managing the workload of content creation while maintaining a healthy work-life balance is another key challenge identified by influencers.
Maintaining authenticity, trust with the audience
Influencers are concerned about retaining their authenticity while adapting to new platforms and content styles. Building and maintaining trust with their audience remains a top priority.
Authenticity is highly valued among the respondents of the survey in their digital influencing work: 71 percent view authenticity as crucial, believing it fundamentally defines their brand. This indicates a strong emphasis on genuine and transparent content creation, which is integral to their identity and audience connection. 28 percent consider it as a key factor in their content.
This overwhelming inclination toward authenticity reflects a broader industry trend where trust and genuineness are pivotal in building and maintaining an engaged audience. Influencers recognize that authenticity not only resonates more deeply with their followers but also sustains longterm credibility and influence.
Embracing AI, ML
A remarkable trend is the influencers’ growing familiarity with AI and ML, with many using these technologies for content creation, including text generation and data analysis. The survey reveals a positive outlook on AI and ML’s role in enhancing content quality and creativity. Many influencers plan to integrate these technologies to enhance content quality, personalization, and efficiency.
Ethics, authenticity
A crucial finding is a high value placed on authenticity, seen as pivotal to influencers’ brands and content. This emphasizes the need for ethical practices and genuine engagement in an industry often criticized for superficiality.
In conclusion, the 2024 Philippine digital influencer landscape is marked by experienced, versatile individuals keen on leveraging technology and creativity to forge deeper connections with their audience. The insights from this survey are invaluable for businesses seeking to collaborate with influencers, offering a roadmap to navigate this vibrant and complex domain effectively. You could help complete this survey at https://bit.ly/influencersurvey24