Influencer marketing feels like a modern phenomenon — Instagram stars hawking products, YouTubers unboxing gadgets, TikTokers starting viral trends. But the truth is, influencer marketing has been around for centuries, just in different forms.
The story of influencer marketing is really the story of human psychology: we trust people we admire, and we want what they have. Let's explore the fascinating evolution from royal endorsements to Instagram influencers.
The Ancient Roots: Before "Influencers" Existed
The Original Influencers: Royalty and Nobility (1700s-1800s)
The concept started long before social media — or even mass media.
Josiah Wedgwood (1760s) is often credited with the first documented influencer marketing campaign:
- Created pottery for Queen Charlotte of England
- Marketed his products as "Queen's Ware"
- Nobles and wealthy citizens wanted what royalty used
- Result: Built a pottery empire through royal endorsement
The strategy: If the elite used it, everyone else wanted it.
Why it worked: Social aspiration and status signaling — the same psychology that drives influencer marketing today.
Early Celebrity Endorsements (1800s-1900s)
As mass media emerged, brands began leveraging fame:
Pears Soap (1882):
- Hired actress Lillie Langtry
- One of the first paid celebrity endorsements
- Controversy: Many saw it as "selling out"
- Set precedent for celebrity-brand partnerships
Patent Medicine Era:
- "Doctors" and "experts" endorsed dubious products
- Often fake credentials and exaggerated claims
- Led to modern advertising regulations
The shift: From royal association to paid celebrity partnerships
The Madison Avenue Era (1920s-1980s)
Radio Stars and Movie Icons (1920s-1950s)
As radio and film grew, so did celebrity endorsement:
Cigarette Advertisements:
- Doctors endorsed cigarette brands (yes, really)
- Movie stars in Chesterfield and Lucky Strike ads
- Baseball legend Babe Ruth for Red Rock Cola
The power dynamic: Celebrities had massive influence, but brands controlled the message entirely.
Television Takes Over (1950s-1980s)
TV brought celebrity influence into every home:
Bill Cosby for Jell-O (1970s-1980s):
- One of the longest celebrity partnerships
- Made Jell-O synonymous with family values
- Showed power of long-term brand ambassadorships
Michael Jordan for Nike (1984):
- The Air Jordan partnership changed everything
- Created $4.7 billion Nike subsidiary
- Proved athletes could be brand builders
The formula: Celebrity + Product + TV Ad = Sales
What was missing: Authenticity. These were clearly advertisements, and consumers knew it.
The Digital Revolution (1990s-2000s)
The Internet Changes Everything (1990s)
The web democratized influence:
Personal Websites and Blogs:
- Anyone could publish content
- Early bloggers built followings
- No gatekeepers needed
Online Forums:
- Community opinions shaped purchases
- "Power users" became micro-influencers
- Amazon reviews changed shopping
The shift: From broadcast to conversation
The Blogger Era (2000s)
Blogs created a new type of influencer:
Mommy Bloggers:
- Shared parenting advice and product recommendations
- Built loyal communities
- Brands started sending free products for reviews
- Authentic voices, trusted recommendations
Fashion Bloggers:
- Street style photography
- Personal outfit posts
- Democratized fashion beyond magazines
- Brands noticed and started partnering
Tech Bloggers:
- Product reviews shaped tech purchases
- TechCrunch, Engadget, Gizmodo gained influence
- Unboxing videos emerged
Key innovation: Two-way communication. Readers could comment and engage.
Social Media Era: The Birth of Modern Influencer Marketing (2005-2015)
YouTube (2005)
YouTube created the first modern influencers:
Early Beauty Gurus (2007-2010):
- Michelle Phan's makeup tutorials
- Built millions of followers
- Launched brands (Em Cosmetics)
- Showed ordinary people could become influential
Video Bloggers (Vloggers):
- Daily life content
- Intimate connection with audience
- Product placements felt natural
- Brands started reaching out
The game-changer: Video created deeper connection than text ever could.
Facebook (2006) and Twitter (2008)
Social platforms enabled mass reach:
Facebook Pages:
- Brands and influencers built communities
- Share functionality amplified reach
- Paid partnerships emerged
Twitter Influencers:
- Real-time influence
- Thought leadership
- Breaking news and trends
- Quote tweets and viral moments
Instagram Launches (2010) — The Turning Point
Instagram changed everything:
Why Instagram was perfect for influencer marketing:
- Visual-first platform (perfect for products)
- Easy to use and scroll
- Built-in discovery features
- Aesthetic curation
- Direct messaging for brand outreach
The Rise of Instagram Influencers (2012-2015):
Fashion and Lifestyle:
- Chiara Ferragni (@chiaraferragni)
- Started as blog, exploded on Instagram
- Built multimillion-dollar fashion brand
- Showed influencer → entrepreneur path
Fitness and Wellness:
- Kayla Itsines (@kayla_itsines)
- Workout posts built massive following
- Launched BBG program → $17M business
- Proved niche expertise could scale
Travel:
- Murad Osmann (@muradosmann)
- #FollowMeTo series went viral
- Travel brands clamored for partnerships
The moment: By 2015, "Instagram influencer" was a recognized career.
The Influencer Marketing Industry Emerges (2013-2018)
The Gold Rush Era
Brands realized influencers worked:
Key Developments:
2013: Term "influencer marketing" enters mainstream
2014: First influencer marketing platforms launch
2015: Influencer marketing becomes $500M industry
2016: FTC issues first disclosure guidelines
2017: Industry reaches $2 billion
2018: $5 billion industry, 65% of brands use influencers
The Wild West:
- No regulations or standards
- Fake followers epidemic
- Unclear pricing
- Massive opportunities for early adopters
Success Stories:
Daniel Wellington (2013-2015):
- Sent watches to thousands of micro-influencers
- #DanielWellington became massive hashtag
- Built $200M+ brand primarily through influencers
- Blueprint many brands tried to copy
Fashion Nova (2013-present):
- Constant stream of influencer posts
- Micro to mega-influencer strategy
- Reached $400M in revenue
- Showed saturation approach could work
Flat Tummy Tea Era:
- Controversial detox tea brands
- Paid celebrities huge sums
- Kardashians posting sponsored content
- Eventually faced backlash for dishonesty
The Professionalization (2016-2018)
The industry matured:
Regulations:
- FTC requires #ad disclosure (2017)
- Countries worldwide implement rules
- Transparency becomes mandatory
Tools and Platforms:
- Influencer marketing platforms emerge
- Analytics tools for fake follower detection
- Campaign management software
- Rate transparency increases
Media Coverage:
- "Influencer" becomes mainstream term
- Career path legitimized
- Business schools teach influencer marketing
The Authenticity Shift (2018-2020)
Problems Emerge
The industry faced challenges:
Fake Followers:
- Influencers buying followers exposed
- Brands realizing they'd been scammed
- Trust eroded
Oversaturation:
- Every post seemed sponsored
- Audiences developed skepticism
- Engagement rates dropped
High-Profile Failures:
- Fyre Festival (2017) — influencers promoting scam
- Numerous product scandals
- Celebrity influencer credibility questioned
The Solution: Authenticity and Micro-Influencers
Smart brands adapted:
Shift to Micro-Influencers:
- Smaller audiences, higher engagement
- More authentic connections
- Better ROI
- Niche targeting
Long-Term Partnerships:
- One-off posts felt transactional
- Ambassadorships felt genuine
- Brands focused on fewer, deeper relationships
Content Over Perfection:
- Polished posts felt fake
- Raw, real content performed better
- Behind-the-scenes gained traction
TikTok Era and Beyond (2019-Present)
TikTok Changes the Game (2019-2020)
A new platform, new rules:
What's Different:
- Algorithm prioritizes content over followers
- Nobodies can go viral overnight
- Entertainment value matters most
- Shorter, punchier content
- Gen Z authenticity standards
New Influencer Type:
- Younger, more diverse
- Less polished production
- More accessible and relatable
- Trend-driven content
Brand Adaptation:
- Traditional ads don't work
- Native, entertaining content required
- Hashtag challenges and trends
- User-generated content campaigns
The Present: Mature Industry (2021-2025)
Where we are now:
Industry Stats:
- $21.1 billion industry (2023)
- 93% of marketers use influencer marketing
- Projected $30B+ by 2025
- Mainstream marketing channel
Current Trends:
1. Video Dominates:
- Short-form video (Reels, TikTok, Shorts)
- Live streaming commerce
- YouTube remains powerful for long-form
2. Nano-Influencers Rise:
- 1K-10K followers
- Highest engagement rates
- Maximum authenticity
- Accessible for small brands
3. Platform Diversification:
- Not just Instagram anymore
- Multi-platform strategies
- Platform-specific content
4. Data and Analytics:
- Sophisticated tracking
- Fraud detection tools
- ROI measurement standard
- Performance-based pricing
5. Creator Economy:
- Influencers as businesses
- Influencer → founder pipeline
- Platform features for monetization
- Professionalized content creation
The Future: Where Are We Going?
Emerging Trends
AI and Virtual Influencers:
- CGI influencers like Lil Miquela
- AI-generated content
- Ethical questions emerging
Social Commerce Integration:
- In-app shopping
- Direct purchases from posts
- Seamless attribution
Authenticity Premium:
- Raw, unfiltered content valued more
- Smaller, engaged communities over large audiences
- Long-term relationships standard
Regulation and Transparency:
- Stricter disclosure rules
- Platform-enforced labeling
- Consumer protection measures
Creator-First Platforms:
- Tools empowering individual creators
- Direct brand-creator connections
- Reduced need for agencies/middlemen
Lessons from History
Looking back at influencer marketing's evolution:
What Hasn't Changed:
- Human psychology: we trust people we admire
- Social proof drives decisions
- Authentic recommendations work
- Status and aspiration motivate purchases
What Has Changed:
- Who can be influential (anyone now)
- Speed of influence (viral overnight)
- Measurement capability (precise tracking)
- Accessibility (brands of all sizes can participate)
The Constant: Trust and authenticity win. Whether it's Queen Charlotte's pottery endorsement in 1760 or a TikToker's product review today, influence comes from genuine connection and credibility.
The Bottom Line
Influencer marketing didn't start with Instagram. It started with human nature.
The tools changed — from royal courts to social media platforms — but the fundamental truth remains: people trust people more than they trust brands.
The evolution from royal endorsements to Instagram influencers is really a story of democratization. Influence was once limited to royalty, then celebrities, then media personalities. Now, anyone with authenticity, expertise, and audience connection can be influential.
That's the real revolution.
Be part of influencer marketing history Join GetCollab today →
Ready to launch your influencer campaign?
Join thousands of brands connecting with verified creators on GetCollab.