The global health crisis of 2020 dramatically changed the way we use social media and exploded the use of influencer marketing over traditional marketing. It is assumed that this trend will not stop anytime soon. So what does influencer marketing have in store for us in 2022?
Influencer Marketing: Definition
More and more companies are shifting a larger part of their marketing budgets to influencer marketing. Recently released figures show that the industry has more than doubled in value since 2019, from $6.5 billion to $13.8 billion in just three years.
And this trend will not slow down. The influencer industry is estimated to be worth up to $15 billion by 2022, up from $8 billion in 2019.
Why ? Simply because influencer marketing has enormous potential. By definition, this process involves the use of external content creators or influencersto defend and interact with your brand message. As part of this, influencers showcase their content to their audience, increasing brand awareness and helping convert their audience into customers.
According to the data:
- 17% of companies spend more than half of their marketing budget on influencers;
- 80% of users bought a product or service based on an influencer’s recommendation;
- Two-thirds of consumers use ad blockers, but those same people are happy to seek advice from influencers.
(Source: SendPulse)
However, influencer marketing is not limited to Instagram posts or YouTube videos. It can include:
- Content (video, blog article, ads) on social networks distributed by the influencer;
- reviews of products on social networks;
- Product placements in creative content (with or without direct mention of the influencer);
- sharing brand campaigns and launching new products;
- Sharing a unique promo code so the influencer’s audience can get a lot;
- Partnering with the influencer to create a co-branded product or campaign;
- giveaways on influencer platforms;
- Promotion of events that the influencer or brand will be attending.
Influencer marketing is therefore closely related to social media marketing as most opinion leaders gather their audience on social networks. Even better, influencer marketing lets you reach people you can’t reach with traditional advertising.
Now let’s dive deeper into the key emerging trends of 2022.
Influencer Marketing Trends in 2022
1. Data-driven influencer marketing
In order to keep up with the rapid development of the influencer marketing industry, a data-driven approach to the channel is becoming increasingly important. Data-driven influencer marketing brings you more efficiency and generally higher returns. As audience feeds become increasingly saturated, data will become key to influencer marketing success in 2022 and beyond.
2. Optimization of e-commerce functionalities
Despite feeling more comfortable shopping in-store, consumers still rely on e-commerce to meet their shopping needs. In recent years, more and more social networks have added features that create new seamless shopping experiences for consumers. Each user has a customized algorithm to show him products that fit his lifestyle. Products can also be tagged in posts, just like tagged people. These small tweaks make it easier than ever for consumers to find product information and buy directly.
3. Permanent (long-term) influencer marketing
A short-term approach has always been something of a norm in influencer marketing. One-off promotions lasting a few weeks or even days are not uncommon. However, more and more companies are moving away from campaign-based influencer marketingan always active strategy to ensure you show up in your consumers’ feeds (and lives) during their “times of need”. It also allows you to lay the groundwork over time to ensure you’re at the top of the list when consumers move to purchase.
4. Employees as influencers
A product of evolution and innovation, as well as a consequence of the need for authentic content in space of influencer marketing is encouraging employees to act as influencers.
In the past, we’ve seen various examples of user-generated content (UGC) and how it can have a huge impact on sales and overall brand perception. Employee-directed or employee-created content works the same way. Especially when an employee endorses their brand, theConfirmation seems real. Because employees are already involved in content, marketing, and business operations, The result gives reliability and trust to the campaign. H&M, L’Oréal and Starbucks are some examples of brands using employee advocacy programs.
5. Social Justice in Marketing
2020 was a year that significantly changed the way consumers think, shop and entertain. Alongside historic events like lockdown gestures and inevitable economic uncertainty, social justice movements like Black Lives Matter have come to the fore.
To date, most brands have chosen to avoid hot topics like politics or social justice, or simply remain silent. But now silence is perceived as the equivalent of complicity. consequently, More and more brands will recognize this lack of equality and diversity in influencer marketing. The social platforms Instagram and TikTok in particular have already made the anti-black and anti-fat movements known.
6. Podcast Brands and Influencers
Brands will do too Partnering with podcast influencers a priority. Non-musical audio has exploded as a format for content consumption since the global pandemic of 2020. As users flocked to podcasts to find content to entertain and engage them during lockdown, more and more influencers and content creators have started adding audio as a medium to reach their audiences. Partnering with podcast influencers gives brands the opportunity to get their name and products known to knowledgeable, high-income consumers. Of these, 94% are active on at least one social media channel and 54% have already considered buying a product to promote on a podcast.
7. Direct Purchases
This is an influencer marketing trend that has taken off in recent years, with influencers creating social commerce posts and making the content 100% buyable. To make the process easier, social networks offer multiple features for live shopping experiences. Facebook and Instagram, for example, introduced live shopping features this year to streamline and encourage social commerce. Meanwhile, Amazon and Pinterest offer similar features that allow brands to collaborate with talented influencers Create engaging live streams.
In 2022, brands will also become much smarter when it comes to working with influencers. Either way, they need to define their goals and prioritize authenticity. One thing is for sure, influencer marketing has become a mainstream marketing method that is growing rapidly. As one of the big trends of the coming year, it is therefore essential to include influencer marketing in your strategy for 2022!