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- Influence Weekly #363
Influence Weekly #363
Nii Ahene
November 15, 2024
Spotlight Stories
What To Know About TikTok's Future Under Trump
Target Joins Forces With 35+ Major Brands On This Popular Influencer Sales Platform
How Gen Alpha Feels About Influencer Marketing [REPORT]
MagicLinks Launches First Healthcare Support Program For Content Creators With CreatorCare
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Great Reads
President-elect Trump could reverse course on the bipartisan law mandating Chinese divestment from TikTok, potentially saving the popular app’s future in the U.S. Despite previous concerns about TikTok’s China ties, Trump opposed banning the app during his campaign and has hinted at not enforcing the divestment law.
While the law set a January deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban, Trump’s transition team suggests he will deliver on promises made during the campaign, signaling the potential repeal or non-enforcement of the divestment mandate.
However, Trump’s China hawk cabinet picks like Marco Rubio and Michael Waltz could influence the administration’s stance. ByteDance has lobbied lawmakers against the ban, and Trump’s allies Yass and Conway advocate for TikTok’s interests. The situation remains fluid as legal battles over the law’s constitutionality continue.
In the 2024 election, Donald Trump’s campaign invested heavily in building relationships with online influencers like podcasters and livestreamers, giving him unprecedented reach and ultimately playing a key role in his victory.
While the Democrats also courted creators, their strategy focused more on short-form content that failed to resonate as deeply with audiences. The shift towards personality-driven digital media is accelerating, with influencers gaining immense power to shape political narratives and erode trust in traditional journalistic institutions.
As legacy media declines, this influencer-driven media landscape raises concerns around lack of transparency, sensationalism driven by algorithms, and lack of oversight on how campaigns engage with creators. The election marks a watershed moment for the growing influence of independent digital creators in driving political discourse.
AfterShip’s 2024 Shopper Sentiment Report reveals that 22% of male consumers make weekly social media purchases compared to 13% of women, highlighting an unexpected gender disparity in social commerce adoption. The study surveyed 1,000 American shoppers to analyze buying patterns across demographics.
Creators can target male audiences through social shopping features, with particular focus on households with children where 30% shop weekly via social platforms. Platform security messaging presents a key opportunity, as only 19% of men cite security concerns versus 33% of women.
The research identifies specific purchase drivers, with 87% of consumers motivated by sales/promotions and 78% by reviews. New features include enhanced security measures and streamlined checkout processes, with full platform rollout expected through 2025. U.S. social commerce sales are projected to exceed $100 billion next year.
Creators should optimize content for traditional shopping motivators while building trust through transparent security practices. With 44% of consumers indicating they would increase social shopping with greater platform trust, focusing on security messaging could unlock significant revenue growth potential.
Campaign Insights
Influencer-turned-entrepreneur Danielle Bernstein, the force behind the WeWoreWhat fashion brand, is venturing into the fragrance market. Bernstein has partnered with Parlux to launch WeWoreWhat 001, her debut scent featuring notes like cedarwood, fig, and amber. The $28 travel spray and $79 full-size bottle will initially launch on WeWoreWhat’s website on November 18, before rolling out at Ulta Beauty in 2025.
Industry insiders anticipate the fragrance could generate between $15-20 million in sales during its first year. With steady brand growth through apparel and accessories expansions, the fragrance marks WeWoreWhat’s evolution into a full lifestyle label appealing to Bernstein’s engaged following. Parlux was drawn to her influential platform and the real-time customer input shaping the brand. Both companies are confident the direct-to-consumer launch will resonate strongly with Bernstein’s loyal fan base.
Target has expanded its social commerce reach by partnering with Linktree, an influencer marketing platform. The deal allows creators to earn commissions on Target products in categories like fashion, beauty and home goods. Linktree already collaborates with brands like Nike and now adds Target to its roster of over 35 partnerships.
As creators are projected to earn $1 billion from affiliate marketing this year, the platform offers streamlined landing pages to potentially boost conversion rates. Target builds on existing influencer initiatives like its affiliate program and past collaborations with personalities. With more consumers relying on influencer recommendations, especially younger demographics, the partnership taps into this growing trend. Target’s influencer moves also include an upcoming exclusive product release with Taylor Swift.
The creator economy is evolving with brands bankrolling multi-day influencer trips to generate viral content. Cosmetics brand Tarte has sent influencers on lavish trips to Dubai and Bora Bora, while Guess flew influencers to Coachella on a private jet. Though some trips attract criticism for being unrelatable or greenwashing attempts, they succeed in generating attention and views.
Evan Wray, CEO of influencer marketing firm Mavely, and content creator Cici Michele Haith share tips for successful influencer trips. They suggest creating valuable networking opportunities, avoiding trips that feel unattainable for the target audience, paying attention to small details, and allowing organic content rather than mandating posts. Balancing work and play, meeting industry leaders, and offering reasonable posting expectations can make trips more authentic and impactful for influencers and their followers.
Marketing veteran Zachary Murray founded Foreplay in 2021 to address creative workflow challenges for brands. The platform now serves over 30,000 users, including major brands like Lululemon and Paramount Pictures, with what Murray calls “the largest curated ad library in the world,” adding 100,000 new ads weekly.
Key features include Swipe File for saving ad inspiration across platforms, Discovery for robust ad search capabilities, Spyder for automated competitor monitoring, and Briefs for streamlining creative execution. Foreplay focuses on optimizing user experience and creative workflows rather than just adding features.
While serving enterprises, success depends more on execution capability than company size. Future plans include facial recognition technology to identify influencers in competitor ads and expanding enterprise offerings by 2025. Murray advocates using inspiration intelligently rather than simply copying ads verbatim.
Miyaeva Renae, a creator who found success by turning simple home videos into content reaching millions, shares her multi-platform strategy and insights on navigating the creator economy. From starting on YouTube in high school to now partnering with a talent management company, Renae focuses on authentic brand collaborations and tailoring content for different platforms like Instagram for personal connections and TikTok for broader reach.
As a new mom, she adapts her schedule while aiming to inspire other parents through her home organization and lifestyle content. Renae emphasizes professionalism, consistency balanced with self-care, and a genuine approach to both content and partnerships as keys to her journey from casual vlogs to a flourishing multi-platform career.
Gen Alpha, aged 10-14, shows increasing recognition of influencer marketing with age, though many remain indifferent unless content directly interests them. Around half report confidence identifying ads, but actual recognition rates averaged only 3.25 out of 5 examples. Despite this, most maintain positive views of influencers post-disclosure and oppose banning promotional content, viewing it as necessary for creators’ professionalization.
Entertainment value supersedes promotional intent for this audience, who prefer clear but subtly integrated disclosures. Age, personal interest, and parasocial bonds with influencers significantly impact how Gen Alpha processes promotional content across popular platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Researchers suggest current regulations may not fully address complexities of persuasive messaging targeting young audiences.
Interesting People
Former military servicemember Che Jim has transformed TikTok into a powerful platform amplifying Indigenous voices and advocacy through entertaining content. With 2.6 million followers, Jim merges comedy with education to engage audiences while addressing crucial issues like tribal sovereignty and Native representation.
His genuine approach and diverse content strategy spanning comedy skits, horror, education, and politics have driven success. Jim thoughtfully tackles sensitive topics through humor, prompting constructive dialogue in comments. Facing limited mainstream exposure, he leverages his large followership to provide a direct Indigenous perspective previously denied traditional media channels.
Jim advocates for greater creator support from platforms, citing challenges like content theft impacting income stability for full-time creators. He emphasizes evolving from skits to more conversational content by listener demand.
Looking ahead, Jim will host a 25-part Crash Course YouTube series on Native American history, advancing his mission to educate audiences while amplifying Indigenous stories and voices through an entertaining, impactful lens. His unique content approach underscores the rising role of creators in filling representation gaps and shaping societal narratives.
The creator economy is rapidly growing, with user-generated content (UGC) creators like Paulina Plankeviciute building successful careers. Plankeviciute discovered UGC unexpectedly in 2022 while seeking freelance income, and quickly found success. After going viral with 27.3 million views, she learned to leverage her accomplishments.
Plankeviciute faced initial challenges with limited social media experience but overcame them through the supportive UGC community. She advocates developing a portfolio showcasing skills and style, and pricing based on experience level. Plankeviciute is now expanding her brand, set to launch a comprehensive UGC guide for aspiring creators detailing all aspects from scriptwriting to promotion. Her journey exemplifies how determination and utilizing available resources can lead to full-time success in this evolving space.
Meet Timothy “SoupTimmy” Huynh, a content creator who has amassed a global following by creating mesmerizing Rubik’s Cube art and lifestyle videos. Initially starting as a means to market his personal training services during COVID-19, Timothy’s Rubik’s Cube hobby evolved into a successful content creation career.
He shares insights into his early steps, creative process, brand partnerships, and advice for aspiring creators. Key takeaways include Timothy’s unique pixel art style using Rubik’s Cubes, his flexible yet structured approach to content development across multiple platforms, strategies for managing brand relationships aligned with his values, and emphasizing consistent innovation over repetition for long-term success as a creator.
Social Studies, founded by former magazine editor Brandon Perlman, has transitioned from a simple Instagram curation newsletter into a respected force. Their Community Clustering™ approach leverages data analytics and human expertise to identify authentic influencers relevant to a brand’s target audience.
Social Studies emphasizes micro and nano-influencers, generating impactful branded content across multiple creators. Despite industry challenges around defining influence and maintaining authenticity, Social Studies remains committed to innovation. As social commerce grows, they see opportunities for creators to cultivate communities and monetize their personal brands. Overall, the agency plots a future focused on forging genuine brand-creator partnerships that resonate.
Industry News
TikTok has launched the “Veteran Voices” initiative, pledging $10 million in support for veteran-focused non-profits and new creator partnerships. The platform will provide $1 million each to ten organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project, split between direct funding and advertising credits.
TikTok aims to leverage the engagement of veteran users on the platform through content partnerships with ten military creators spanning diverse backgrounds. New programs include a donation sticker, a veteran business accelerator, a veterans internship program, and specialized training for non-profits on platform features. The initiative addresses challenges faced by veterans such as mental health, housing, and employment.
YouTube is calling on the UK government to offer more support and resources for creators. The platform is running a survey with research firm Public First, asking UK creators to share their experiences to raise awareness of the economic impact creators have. Initial feedback reveals challenges like needing more industry education, resources, and access to financial products.
YouTube plans to publish a comprehensive report next year with findings to share with the government, industry leaders, and advertisers to drive meaningful change supporting the creator economy’s growth. The Culture, Media and Sport Committee Chair welcomed the timely consultation, noting the need to understand ideal conditions to support UK creator talent. The survey aims to represent diverse creator perspectives across the country.
TikTok has launched a new feature called ‘Share to TikTok’ that allows users to directly share music, podcasts, and audiobooks from Apple Music and Spotify to TikTok. The integration enables sharing content through posts on the TikTok Feed or Stories using green screen or Photo Mode, as well as through direct messages. Shared content includes a link back to the source streaming platform.
This builds on TikTok’s existing capability for users to save tracks discovered on the app to their preferred music service. The new feature aims to drive further discovery and engagement on streaming platforms while expanding creative options for TikTok’s user base. It comes as TikTok prepares to discontinue its own music streaming app TikTok Music on November 28th to focus on driving value for artists and the music industry through partnerships with major streaming services.
StatSocial has launched a new influencer marketing platform that allows brands to find influencers based on their actual audience reach and engagement, rather than just content topics. The platform analyzes over 45 million influencers and maps their audiences to verified identities at scale. This audience-first approach aims to help brands understand who follows an influencer and gets exposed to their content organically.
The platform offers tools for creating target audiences, filtering influencer recommendations by demographics and interests, retargeting across paid channels, and measuring campaign performance against purchase data. With rising concerns about maximizing influencer engagement, this data-driven solution promises to connect brands with the right influencers to drive better ROI.
Influencer marketing platform Glewee has launched Glewee 2.0, a major update aimed at streamlining collaboration between brands and creators. The new version introduces gifting campaigns allowing brands to send products to influencers without payment. It also integrates with Shopify, automating discount code creation and distribution. Christian Brown, Glewee’s co-founder and CMO, states the update stemmed from user feedback on improving usability.
A key addition is a comprehensive dashboard providing brands actionable data on influencer engagement, sales metrics, and ROI tracking. The platform uses AI algorithms to recommend top influencers based on brand objectives. Glewee has attracted over 5,000 brands and 12,500 vetted influencers since launch.
The update streamlines campaign creation with simplified processes for social posts, user-generated content, and gifting. A new content library lets brands access and reuse all influencer content. Glewee is exploring AI integration to assist with automated content creation, captioning, and personalized pitching.
To drive adoption, Glewee offers a 30-day free trial of the full platform. Christian Brown emphasizes proving concrete sales results, stating “We’re giving the entire platform...to every small business that wants to join.”
Amazon has launched Creator Central in India, a new platform that consolidates tools for content creation, analytics, and account management for members of its Influencer Program. Key features include automated product recommendations, performance tracking, scheduling capabilities, and integration with Amazon’s Creator University training resources. The company plans to roll out access to over 50,000 creators across India in the coming weeks, aiming to boost creator earnings through enhanced commissions across categories like fashion, beauty and home goods.
The platform will be available on both mobile and desktop, allowing creators to manage multiple accounts, upload content to personal storefronts, monitor metrics and participate in workshops aligned with major shopping events like Prime Day. This launch signifies Amazon’s commitment to the growing creator economy in India as it competes with platforms like YouTube and Instagram in facilitating influencer marketing and social commerce.
Social commerce platform MagicLinks is introducing CreatorCare, offering up to $300 monthly toward health insurance for qualifying creators. This marks the first program providing healthcare stipends in the creator economy.
MagicLinks maintains close communication with creators and identified healthcare coverage as a major need, especially for full-time creators. The program aims to ease this burden.
In 2025, established creators earning over $50,000 combined from MagicLinks sponsorships and commissions qualify. Emerging creators earning $35,000 plus 50% recent growth also qualify.
Once accepted, creators lock in the stipend for the full next year regardless of future earnings changes. MagicLinks hopes to expand with more qualification tiers in 2026.
The B Corp-certified company sees this as supporting creator wellness long-term while demonstrating commitment to the community beyond just brand partnerships.
MagicLinks VP Melissa Roer hopes this pioneering program influences broader industry practices around comprehensive creator support. She says, “We want to be the first, but we don’t want to be the last.”
Registration Required
Sara Samaniego, a 32-year-old Colombian influencer known as “Marce the Recycler,” has gained hundreds of thousands of followers across social media platforms by promoting recycling through her vibrant aesthetic and energetic persona. In Bogotá, where the city relies on around 26,000 informal recyclers to collect recyclables, Samaniego educates her fans on proper waste separation and recycling practices.
Her work has drawn attention to the often-overlooked community of informal recyclers who make a living from redeeming recyclables. Through collaborations with celebrities and international awards, Samaniego has successfully made recycling a trendy topic, attracting a passionate fan base while raising awareness about sustainable waste management in developing cities.
TikTok strategically shifted its content moderation policies to attract conservative users ahead of the 2024 election, with significant internal changes driven by U.S. policy chief Michael Beckerman and CEO Shou Zi Chew. The platform relaxed restrictions on election-related content and modified guidelines around controversial topics, leading to the departure of trust and safety leadership.
The strategy included actively courting Trump, who joined in June, and Fox News, which gained 1.4 million followers shortly after launching. These changes came amid mounting pressure from U.S. lawmakers threatening to ban the app, with executives viewing conservative support as crucial for survival. The platform’s policy shifts mirror broader changes in social media moderation, suggesting a potential industry-wide trend toward looser content restrictions.
The influencer economy has exploded over the past decade, growing from a $200 million industry in 2014 to a $250 billion powerhouse today. Gone are the days when creators solely relied on ad revenue from platforms like YouTube. Now, the savviest influencers leverage multiple income streams, including brand partnerships, merchandise, subscriptions, and equity deals.
While follower count was once the prime metric, engagement and authenticity have become key, as audiences grow tired of incessant ads. Top creators are also launching their own companies and products, monetizing their influence beyond just sponsorships. However, issues like delayed payments, burnout, and shifting marketing strategies persist. Solutions like faster payouts, ownership opportunities, and diversified offerings aim to help creators capitalize on this rapidly evolving landscape.
Vivian Tu, known as “Your Rich BFF” on social media, is part of a new wave of female influencers using TikTok and Instagram to spread personal finance knowledge to millennials and Gen Z. The 30-year-old has mastered a candy-coated style of financial advice, with videos embracing TikTok trends while explaining complex topics like the Federal Reserve’s interest rate moves and the Inflation Reduction Act.
With over 2.6 million TikTok followers and a popular podcast, Tu has become a money role model, promising “no dry economics lessons” as she teaches economics and how it affects her audience in an engaging, relatable way. Her content ranges from mortgage refinancing tips to designer handbag shopping advice, appealing to young women seeking accessible financial literacy.
Meta’s text-based platform Threads reaches 275 million monthly active users, yet struggles to define its identity in the social media landscape. Despite significant growth driven by international markets and cross-promotion from Instagram, creators remain uncertain about the platform’s core purpose. Meta incentivizes content creators with bonuses up to $5,000 for high-performing posts while deliberately avoiding political content, contrasting sharply with X’s influential role in political discourse.
The platform’s strategy focuses on promoting non-controversial topics and engagement through replies rather than original posts. This approach has yielded mixed results, with even successful creators like Gigi Robinson and Matt Navarra noting inconsistent performance metrics and unclear direction, despite the app’s substantial user base.
Canada has ordered TikTok to shut down its offices in Toronto and Vancouver over national security concerns, following a review by the country’s intelligence agencies. However, the move does not ban Canadians from using the Chinese-owned app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne cited legal restrictions for not disclosing the specific security risks found during the review. While Canada can regulate foreign investments, it lacks authority to restrict apps directly, leaving individual usage of TikTok unaffected for now. The mixed signals raise questions about the true extent of the perceived threat and the government’s ability to address it fully.