Under the Influence (with Dalyn Ward)

Influencers have become a lasting fixture of the social media marketing world—but in a loosely regulated space, marketers are wary of jumping into a pool of unknowns. Catapulting into the spotlight in the 2010s, influencers have become a valuable component of the social media marketing world. Once a niche space targeting younger audiences, influencer marketing is now on pace to reach ad spend levels between $5 and $10 billion by 2022. These social-first spokespeople market products and services to targeted followings that range from a few thousand to tens of millions. The potential for influencers to reach a variety of ever-expanding audiences remains strong. However, since influencer marketing is a loosely regulated space, agencies may hesitate to jump into a pool of unknowns. To bring clarity to the haze, we chat with Dalyn Ward, the Director of Product at influencer marketing platform Popular Pays. Dalyn speaks to how marketers should be approaching the influencer space—from measurement options to bots and AI, to the infamous Fyre Festival.