1. Before we dive in, can you define Social Influencers?

Social influencers are individuals with a specific expertise and passion that they share with an engaged following through their social media channels. A following/audience which they have built up themselves by sharing their own unique voice through the power of social media. 

2. How do you see the use of Social Influencers intertwining with Branded Entertainment?
Influencers are powerful because they tap into the most effective form of marketing: word-of-mouth. They’re like that friend who went on vacation, recommended their hotel to you and you book it. Influencers provide consumers with trusted recommendations. We as consumers value human connections above other forms of marketing - a study by Nielsen confirms that 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations, whereas only 33% trust ads. For brands to leverage this trust that influencers have with their audience is golden. To combine influencers and Branded Entertainment is a great way for brands to communicate their identity in an engaging format and establish an emotional, meaningful connection with consumers.

3. Where do you see the future of Social Influencers going?
The influencer marketing industry is predicted to be a $5-10 billion industry by 2020. So the industry is only going to grow, and with it, the number of marketers investing more in influencer marketing. We’ve seen a lot developments in the past year with regards to the algorithm changes, greater demand for transparency with regards to FTC regulations and a universal crack-down on fake followers. But these developments are helping to move us towards a more professional, transparent and quality-driven future.   
We’re going to see influencers becoming more involved with the creation of products and services. Micro-influencers will become key in helping brands reach niche, local audiences. Instagram and Facebook have already led the way with shop-able tags and swipe-up to buy links but we’ll continue to see social platforms strengthen an influencer’s ability to drive value throughout the whole customer journey. We’re also already seeing the value of influencers in the B2B space, helping drive customer advocacy and strengthen employee branding propositions. Above all, influencer marketing will become more measurable and data will play a key role in determining the real value of an influencer.