Diversification and responsibility

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80% of our customers still want to stay with Instagram . TikTok is becoming more and more present, but people think of it as an entertainment platform, not to really have a serious conversation with the community,” says Ecklé. “It’s also hard to understand the reach, and [whether] a video is going to go viral or not. It’s very difficult to do any kind of analysis and that’s really scary for some brands .”

But the impact of Instagram’s well-documented algorithm tweak is being felt across the industry. In particular, the platform is pushing more recommended content into feeds; Song Schmidt says the changes to Instagram are particularly evident in the decline in story views .

“ Instagram is a bit of a mess at the moment. Stories are what drive sales and if you’re looking to use influencer marketing in a performance-driven way, you can’t avoid Instagram Stories. There’s been a lot of fluctuation ,” he says.

« Some brands and agencies are trying to deal with it by implementing different paragraphs in contracts, saying that if there is a fluctuation beyond a certain point it has to be compensated. But it is very difficult to do because the influencer says it is not their fault, it is the algorithm .»


The evolution of the KOL marketing landscape in Germany has seen a vice president software email database significant diversification of the organisations and business sectors operating in the channel. From a previous focus on fashion and beauty, there is a growing awareness that influencer marketing can be used for any number of purposes, says Ecklé, noting that she recently led a campaign for the European Commission aimed at raising awareness of the need to reduce energy consumption.

Consumer pressure on brands to behave responsibly is also more evident in influencer content in Germany. The growing popularity of BeReal is an indicator that the public is looking for greater authenticity from influencers on social media.

“People want more real content. I’ve had clients ask me for no facial retouching or Photoshop, they want the raw files. This shows a trend towards more normal content, not overloaded content,” says Ecklé.

Baecker points out that the popularity of female rappers such as Shirine David and Katja Krasavice is partly due to the fact that they play with codes of “hyperfemininity […] which in Germany is perceived as female empowerment for many women.”

Hardening
Looking ahead, influencer marketing in Germany is set to tighten as more brands not only enter the fray, but look to data as a means to plan, operate and analyse the success of campaigns . Fewer KOLs in the market means competition for those with strong communities will increase, as will the prices brands are willing to pay for quality content.

“Collecting data like reach, impressions, clicks, hashtag clicks, engagement – ​​it’s becoming not just a trend but a necessity. Brands have understood this. They’ve been fooled in the past. They’ve invested in the wrong horses and never really understood why,” says Baecker.

The way out? Defining a data-driven strategy for KOL marketing in Germany is paramount , and must be done in parallel with developing and maintaining strong, long-term relationships with high-performing KOLs to ensure you weather the storm of competition ahead.

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About Kolsquare
Kolsquare is Europe's leading influencer marketing platform, offering a data-driven tool that enables brands to scale their KOL (Key Opinion Leader) marketing strategies through authentic partnerships with top creators.

Kolsquare’s advanced technology helps marketers seamlessly identify top content creators by filtering their content and audience, while allowing them to build, manage, and optimize campaigns from start to finish. This includes measuring results and comparing performance to competitors.