6th March 2025
Influencer marketing is just one of many industries that have been affected by the impact of Covid-19. Brand deals have been delayed or cancelled, influencers’ sources of income have been reduced and logistics and manufacturing operations for those who manage their own brands have either come to a virtual standstill or have been shut down completely.
Although the extent of the impact on the industry cannot be overstated, it is important to note that it is temporary and most experts expect to see a significant turnaround start to emerge during the second quarter of 2020. Alongside those who don’t rely solely upon their influencer income to survive, influencers who have investments or savings should be in a position to ride this temporary storm with ease. Unfortunately, however, influencers who are entirely reliant upon the income they make through advertising might find the coming weeks a struggle.
But it’s not all bad news.
Although monetisation is down dramatically, many influencers are experiencing something of a boom in terms of content. As more people are spending time at home, consumers are actively looking for ways to engage and connect with others. As a result, online traffic has vastly increased and influencers creating comedy, cooking and fitness content are currently experiencing the most significant growth. So, although Covid-19 disruption has certainly impacted China’s very strong influencer marketing sector in unprecedented ways, it has also presented influencers with a series of new opportunities to explore.
The benefits of postponed brand deals
The primary incomes of many influencers are driven through brand campaigns. Many campaigns have been postponed until at least May. Whilst this will undoubtedly have an impact on short-term earnings, many influencers will make this money back later in the year. In the meantime, with fewer commercial articles ready for publication, influencers now have the opportunity to create and share more unique editorial content, which is something that the industry has been sorely lacking for some time.
Maximising unprecedented levels of engagement
Many influencers are clearly feeling the effects of Covid-19 financially; however, many are also seeing significant increases in terms of viewers and engagement. Influencers who have sensitively shared content directly related to the virus have seen significant growth, but even those who have focused on creating entirely unrelated content are also seeing similar levels of success.
Certain content niches are driving more gains than others, with gaming, comedy, celebrity and food content currently seeing the most significant growth. People are spending more time at home but they aren’t simply looking for ways to passively fill their time. This means that in addition to increased viewerships, influencers are also seeing unprecedented levels of engagement. As people have stepped outside of their usually fast-paced lives, they are not only eager to properly digest content, but they are demonstrably more willing to both leave comments and to actively participate in conversations.
Covid-19 has affected the world in myriad ways and has highlighted the need for businesses across a range of industries and sectors to remain adaptable to highly changeable and unexpected situations. Management teams are facing an unprecedented level of pressure to make the right decisions at the right times. If your organisation is struggling with senior digital resourcing, why not contact our experienced team here at Clifford Associates to learn more about how our services can help to alleviate some of the pressure in today’s markedly more complex digital landscape.