Exploring Professional Practices in Influencer Marketing: A Study of Advertising Agencies in Nigeria

Influencer marketing, as an emerging trend with the rapid growth in technological platforms, makes use of ordinary people who are considered thought leaders and inspirational to others on various social media platforms to be used by companies in brand marketing. The influencer marketing trend is likely to explode as a marketing strategy in the next couple of years. Despite the growing global relevance of influencer marketing, there is a paucity of empirical research data establishing the professional practices of influencer marketing in advertising agency practice in Nigeria. Therefore, this study explores the components of professional practice of influencer marketing, a study of contemporary advertising agency practice in Nigeria. The mixed method research design was adopted, along with the survey method and Key Informant Interview (KII). A total of 122 respondents and 11 key informants participated in the study. Based on the findings, this study recommends that: the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) should embark on comprehensive seminars and workshops to enlighten influencers on the core components of professional practice of influencer marketing in the advertising industry in Nigeria; advertising agencies should collaborate with influencers in other to help maintain the standard of advertising practice.