Top brands suspend influencer affiliate programs, how social-media viewer habits are changing, and running sponsored posts during a crisis
Welcome to this week's Influencer Dashboard newsletter!
This is Amanda Perelli, writing to you from my desk at home, and here's an update on what's new in the business of influencers and creators.
This week, my colleague Dan Whateley and I reported on influencer affiliate marketing and how that side of business has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Although many brick-and-mortar stores are closed, people haven't stopped shopping.
Some influencers are seeing a big bump in affiliate link sales as online shopping surges while people are stuck at home, Dan wrote.
RewardStyle, a top influencer affiliate program, told Dan that the company saw a spike in sales this month, and noted a 30% increase in the number of influencer campaigns it set up in March to drive ecommerce sales for brand partners. (Read the full post on that here.)
Affiliate marketing has long been a popular monetization tool for creators - like fashion influencers on Instagram, or tech experts who review products on YouTube. And especially now, affiliate commission has become an important stream of income, as brands cancel influencer-marketing campaigns or put projects on hold.
But this bump could be threatened as some retailers suspend their programs.
I recently reported that an update on RewardStyle's member-only page showed at least 10 retailers including Macy's, Patagonia, and Victoria's Secret had suspended their affiliate programs with the platform.
If more retailers cut programs, it could be devastating for some online creators who rely on them. (Read the full post here.)
You can read most of the articles here by subscribing to BI Prime. And if this is your first time reading Influencer Dashboard, subscribe to the newsletter here.
Top talent managers explain how brands can find the right gaming influencer to hire for a successful sponsorship deal - and the biggest mistakes they see
My colleague Kevin Webb spoke to some of the gaming industry's top talent managers for their advice to brands looking to hire influencers for deals and the common mistakes they should avoid.
The gaming industry is a global powerhouse that generates more than $100 billion in annual revenue. Viewers also spend billions of hours watching gaming content on YouTube and Twitch each year.
And Jeffrey Greller, a YouTube partner manager, said gaming influencers wouldn't choose partnerships that could alienate their audience, regardless of the how much the deal offers to pay.
"I have seen creators pass on opportunities that will massively benefit them financially if they sense that it will have a negative impact on their community," Greller said. "That's how important their fan base is to them."
Read the full post on how brands can hire gaming influencers, here.
How TikTok 'nano' influencers with fewer than 10,000 followers can make money from sponsored posts
As TikTok grows in popularity among influencer marketers, creators who have smaller followings are looking for opportunities to earn revenue from the app.
The creator marketplace Heartbeat recently announced that it's accepting TikTok creators into its network of hundreds of thousands of lower-follower-count influencers.
Dan spoke with the company, which has previously connected brands like Dunkin, Bose, and Kettle Foods with its influencers to run sponsored posts on Instagram.
They told him that at launch, the platform is paying TikTok creators with fewer than 500,000 followers a rate that ranges from $25 to $750 per sponsored post depending on their follower count, average engagement rate, and a few other key metrics.
Check out the full post on how nano influencers on TikTok can earn money, here.
A top TikTok influencer was shopping for a $15,000-per-month 'collab house' but his plan is now on hold. Here's how he's preparing to launch when it's safe.
I caught up with popular TikTok star Josh Sadowski, who has 4 million followers and manages 11 other creators, on his plans to launch a creator collab house for his group.
Collab groups and houses, like Sway LA or Hype House, are a popular trend among TikTok influencers, and a way for these stars to create content together.
Sadowski is looking to rent an LA-based place once it's safe to do so, and this place will be home to him and three other influencers he manages.
He shared what the process has been like to develop a TikTok collab house - and have his plans derailed by the coronavirus pandemic - and what he wants to do differently from other creator groups.
They are looking to sign a short-term, month-to-month lease. And once they are settled in LA, they may move into a larger $30,o00-a-month house that Sadowski "has his eyes on," he said.
Read the full post on launching a TikTok collab house, here.
More industry updates on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic:
JanSport hired a Gen-Z 'think tank' to help launch a TikTok influencer campaign during the coronavirus pandemic without appearing tone deaf: Dan spoke to the backpack brand JanSport on its recent campaign that has generated 3.7 million video views, hundreds of thousands of "likes," and thousands of comments.
A new survey of 389 influencers shows how much engagement on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok has increased in recent weeks: Dan reported on a survey conducted by the marketing firm Influence Central which found that 26% of respondents reported seeing an increase in views and engagement on Instagram, 9% saw an increase on TikTok, and 37% reported a jump on Pinterest.
7 key lessons for brands that want to run sponsored social-media posts during a crisis without appearing tone deaf, according to an influencer-marketing exec: Dan spoke with the influencer-marketing agency Linqia to learn how the firm was guiding brands and digital creators on how to create sponsored content during a crisis.
We need your help:
Dan and I are seeking nominations for the top talent managers and agents for TikTok creators. Please submit your ideas through this form by April 7. Email: aperelli@businessinsider.com and dwhateley@businessinsider.com with any questions. Check out our top talent managers for YouTube creators and influencers power list for a sense of how this list will look.
Creator Spotlight: Lindsay Silberman (@lindsaysilb)
Lindsay Silberman is a lifestyle and travel blogger with 166,000 followers on Instagram.
Silberman transitioned from a career as a journalist to working for herself full time as a blogger last year.
"I'm operating my own mini magazine the way I used to work with creative directors, photographers, stylists, and graphic designers," she said.
Silberman said her business has changed due to the coronavirus outbreak. She's had two projects postponed, she said, and has been challenged to rethink and reposition how her content is being created.
"Rather than me doing a travel partnership or something that I would shoot in a beautiful beachy location, now I've had to reframe what I am doing and have it be things I can do at home, like a beauty tutorial or workout," she said. "It's been interesting for me because in a way I always default to travel content, so when that gets taken away it's been a creative challenge to figure out how I can still engage with my audience and show them new sides of me."
She's been thinking about categories of brands that she previously may not have worked with, like fitness brands or apps for new sponsorships. She's also been sending out care packages to those in need, and she has teamed up with brands to send over free products to include, she said. Along with that, Silberman has joined the personalized video shout-out app Cameo, and has been donating 100% of what she earns from the app to the nonprofit organization Feeding America.
Here's what else we're reading:
Doctors Find Instant YouTube Fame During the Coronavirus: Andrew Zaleski writes for Medium that doctors like Dr. Pimple Popper are tackling the coronavirus on YouTube.
Night Media Hires Fullscreen Exec Michael Gordon To Open L.A. Office, Expand Client Roster (Exclusive): James Hale from Tubefilter wrote that Fullscreen's longtime director of talent, Michael Gordon, has exited the company to join Night Media, a talent management firm that represents top YouTubers like MrBeast.
A Network Tries to Mash Up TV Style and YouTube's Youth: Amelia Harnish from The Wall Street Journal wrote about digital upstart Brat TV and how it puts social media stars in more traditional scripted series.
Americans are sewing homemade masks to fight coronavirus: Rebecca Jennings from Vox wrote about DIYers on Facebook creating cloth masks and mask covers for healthcare workers.
One of the internet's oldest fact-checking organizations is overwhelmed by coronavirus misinformation - and it could have deadly consequences: Paige Leskin from Business Insider write about how Snopes is fighting "the deadliest information crisis we might ever have," as it struggles to keep up with the high demand for coronavirus answers.
Thanks for reading! Send me your tips, comments, or questions: aperelli@businessinsider.com.
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