Social media and influencer marketing combined have been a great tool for companies to promote their products and services. In addition, they are perfect for communicating with your customers. In recent months, the world has been tremendously impacted by a health crisis and because of this, many businesses are struggling to adapt to the rapidly changing economic environment. Because of this, there has been an impact on social media and influencer marketing in multiple areas.
Social media and influencer marketing are key assets of many companies. Many of your clients will turn to Instagram or other social media channels for support. They will continue to review their favorite brands to see how they are working through this crisis. On our influencer marketing platform, we have been tracking the impact of social media and influencer marketing since this pandemic began and it seems that these channels are becoming more important than ever. In this article, we will tell you our findings on analyzing user behavior in social media and influencer marketing. In addition, we will give you some tips on how to navigate this situation in your business.
Some numbers first
Increase in the number of publications on Instagram
Since December, there has been a steady increase in the number of publications for major coronavirus-affected countries. With fewer options to do outside, Instagram has become a great channel for people to follow the different news, online stores, and their favorite influencers. Everyone has been covering the impact of the pandemic in their Instagram stories. Influencers have used their popularity to initiate mass funding campaigns and to share ways to help the most vulnerable citizens.
Different hashtags in different countries
The use of hashtags allows us to follow different trends, news, or challenges around the world. Since the beginning of the crisis, there have been several hashtags that people and companies have been using. People have used #coronavirus or #covid19 but other hashtags like #Istayathome or #yomequedoencasa have been a powerful message to spread awareness. Fashion brands share messages with their customers on social media, telling them that they can still buy their products online, but that it may take longer than usual. Restaurants are using these hashtags to share that they are taking delivery orders so people can be safe at home. Italy and Spain had a higher number of posts with these hashtags in February, while other countries had this increase at the end of March.
More publications... but only a few types of them
Since the pandemic began around the world, there has been an increase in some types of publications. For example, beauty and makeup publications had a 17% increase in Instagram posts. Mainly because people are sharing different ways to be creative with makeup while staying home. Wedding publications also had an 18% increase as many companies and couples are struggling to find new dates. Media has been another category with an increase in publications as people are following Instagram news more than ever.
Social media in demographics
According to our data, the majority of people using Instagram over these months are Millennials with 29.7% and Gen X with 28.7%. Other generations, such as Gen Z, seem to be another popular group of users who spend their free time on applications such as Tik Tok. This channel can be a very good tool if your target users fall into that age range.
The most important categories of influencer marketing
The most important categories in social media today for influencer marketing are fitness, games, food, home decor, and music. Consumers follow their favorite fitness influencers as they make live broadcasts of their workouts. Spending time at home means more time to play board games. Because of this, the games category has been very popular in recent months. If you have a food product or business, you've probably seen how people spend their time preparing recipes they like or trying new ones. There is definitely a positive impact of influencer marketing around various brands. Home decoration has been another popular category as people follow DIY tutorials to change different parts of their home.
The impact of technology
There have been several industries that have increased searches through social media and the Internet in general. Media has increased by over 35% over the last month as people are more concerned about their financial situation. Financial searches increased by 30%, food by 20%, and pharmaceuticals by 15%. Other industries are not as popular in terms of searches such as construction, real estate, or transportation. Those make sense in terms of consumer behavior and home-stay situation.
Tips for companies working with influencer marketing
As all sectors are struggling with this, we have compiled a list of tips that you can apply in the coming weeks. Remember that this is temporary and there is still a lot to work out. However, it is very important to work together and support each other:
Communicate clearly with customers
In times of crisis, communication is key. If you are a company that has moved its office to work from home, it is important that you let your users know. Share how your team is still together and helping each other. If the delivery time is going to take longer than before, let your users know so they can wait for their orders with some delays. Details are important, so let users know how everything is going in your company.
Getting your brand to the right people
Maybe you're a brand that has done influencer marketing and built lasting relationships. Contact the influencers to get some support and branding during this time. The impact of influencer marketing can be seen in the way your product is beneficial to people working from home. Also, for people who want to make plans later. There may be a social cause you want to work for in terms of collective funding or helping your local hospital with some of its sales; one influencer can help you get the word out and communicate your plans to thousands of people.
On the other hand, as we have mentioned in this research, there are many categories that are increasing in number and people are following them more than ever. If your product or business falls into one of these categories, you can communicate with your users and influencers. Your products can help them during this time. People are spending more time on social media than ever before. If your brand can help them in any way, you can partner with influencers to get your audience the right message.
So what does all this mean?
As more people stay at home and work from home today, our influencer marketing platform has been able to confirm that we are spending more time on social media than ever before. It's important for companies to work as a team. Consider these tips we mentioned as influencers and marketing are profitable options for those brands looking for ways to get back to normal. Although there is a marketing impact of influencers due to this crisis, influencers can be a valuable option for companies that need to rethink their marketing strategies.