As we enter a new decade, the landscape of influencer marketing is undergoing a transformation. Over the past few years, we witnessed an explosion of influencer collaborations across various industries, ranging from travel and fashion to food and politics. However, like any booming trend, influencer marketing is not immune to its own set of challenges.

The Rise and Fall of Influencer Marketing Trends

In the case of influencer marketing, the problem is a trident of fake followers, inauthentic content, and prices that are through the roof. When someone like Kylie Jenner can command $1 million for an Instagram post, you have to wonder...do her followers really care anymore?

They know she’s only doing it for a pay day. They all are. “All these paid posts make you question whether influencers are genuine or just doing it for the money,” said JaLynn Evans, a 19-year-old student at Virginia Commonwealth University, in a recent Wall Street Journal article.

So, has influencer marketing had its day? NO. But it does need to be rethought.

The Need for Rethinking and Authenticity

Despite these challenges, influencer marketing is far from reaching its expiration date. However, it requires a fundamental rethink to remain effective. The future of influencer marketing lies in embracing "real fans" who are genuinely engaged with a brand and genuinely excited to be involved.

These are the individuals who showcase unwavering loyalty, whether by traveling long distances for a concert or even permanently tattooing a brand's logo on their body. To tap into this dedicated audience, marketers are turning to User Generated Content (UGC) and leveraging crowdsourcing tools like Cinebody to shape the future of influencer marketing.

Unlocking the Potential of User-Generated Content (UGC)

The combination of UGC and platforms like Cinebody offers a powerful solution to the challenges faced by influencer marketing. By relying on real fans rather than micro influencers with questionable authenticity, brands can cultivate a loyal and engaged following. While the numbers may not be as massive as those associated with high-profile influencers, every follower is genuine and genuinely interested in the content.

The benefits of UGC, when combined with the interface and features of Cinebody, make it the ideal solution to that trident mentioned earlier.

First, the fake followers are gone.

Anyone tapping into these kinds of microinfluencer and nanoinfluencer fans are all-in for the content. The numbers may not be as huge, but every follower is real and wants to engage.

Second, authenticity is guaranteed.

Fans can sniff out half-hearted content a mile away. When you have fans filming themselves, whether it’s a Slash concert or a yoga retreat, it’s 100% genuine and a pleasure to watch. And because of this, it gets shared.

And finally, costs.

While you should entice these fans with swag and other treats, they’re just happy to be involved. Their phone is the equipment. The location is wherever the event is happening. And the speed of production is usually same-day turnaround.

A huge indication that the tide has started to turn comes from Ipsy, a pioneer of influencer marketing that is now pulling back on the very content it used to build a following. As the Wall Street Journal reports, Ipsy is moving away from that traditional “pay for play” content and is instead looking to real people with genuine excitement for their products. That’s huge.

In a nutshell, this next generation of UGC is creating the next iteration of influencer marketing. And this one is going to be more powerful and more effective than its predecessor.