Influencer marketing isn’t just a niche; it’s a substantial part of the marketing industry. In 2024, U.S. influencer marketing spending reached $8.14 billion, growing more than three times faster than social ad spending. As we move into 2025, influencer marketing is expected to continue leading the way. Here’s a look at some of the top trends shaping influencer marketing in the coming year.
The Surge of LinkedIn Video
LinkedIn is creating a more robust content ecosystem for business professionals with its new short-form video feature. These videos, up to 60 seconds long, are designed to provide users with professional advice and quick resources to improve their skills or stay updated on industry trends.
How Your Brand Can Leverage LinkedIn Video Marketing
Brands can use this feature to create a more personable face for their business. Position your brand leaders as thought leaders and experts in your videos, and work with B2B influencers to create short, engaging videos. Think of it as a very short-form podcast where leaders and influencers share advice and information, making your brand more approachable.
Faceless Content Creators
Faceless influencers share content without ever showing their faces, a trend growing in popularity as people reconsider digital privacy. Faceless content can work well in specific niches, like cooking, where the focus is on the recipe and the how-to process. This content still has personality, as creators find ways to be humorous and engaging without focusing on themselves.
The Rise Of B2B Creators
While influencer marketing is often seen as a B2C realm, new tools like LinkedIn short-form videos indicate the growing value of influencers in the corporate world. B2B influencers provide social proof and relatability, shortening the review process and making it easier for decision-makers to see products in action.
A More Democratized Influencer Strategy
In 2024, brands made it a priority to open up events to customers in addition to influencers. This trend is expected to continue in 2025, with brands inviting top customers to join influencer trips. This approach provides twofold benefits: influencers bring their engaged communities and content creation skills, while top customers support the brand from a monetary standpoint.
The Rise of Social Commerce
Marketers have only scratched the surface when it comes to social commerce. Affiliate marketing has proven successful for brands and is an enticing monetization stream for creators. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have shown the success of creator-led campaigns with affiliate marketing driving significant retail sales.
Influencer Brand—and Platform—Extensions
Expect to see more influencers expanding their businesses beyond static and video posts. This could include founding a brand, starting a podcast, or creating newsletters and subscription-only content. Creator content on platforms like LinkedIn, particularly in the B2B and tech space, is also on the rise.
Long Form > Short Form
Long-form audio and video content is expected to be big in 2025, considering the popularity of episodic content. More creators are likely to invest in highly produced series with sponsorship budgets aligning to network television levels. YouTube is anticipated to continue growing as older demographics choose the platform over traditional TV.
Influencer marketing continues to be one of the most personable, connected ways of promoting products, highlighting brand differentiators, and increasing engagement. As 2025 progresses, influencers will likely play an even more pivotal role in how brands connect with their audiences. We expect brands to become even more creative and dialed-in as they connect with influencers, audiences, and potential buyers.
Sources: https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2025/01/03/influencer-marketing-trends-2025
