If you're like me, you always have your eye on the future. In a fast-paced industry like influencer marketing, it's necessary to keep up with the latest trends.
Who would have guessed that influencer marketing will become the core of every digital marketing strategy?
Not me. But once the pandemic hit last year, marketers around the world quickly realized that people would be glued to their phones, and they decided to leverage that by launching influencer marketing campaigns.
According to the latest article from InfluencerMarketingHub, 75% of brand owners have invested in influencer marketing, and that number will only grow in 2022.
We at Brybe Marketplace have seen drastic changes in the last year, and we believe that these positive changes will continue next year as well.
So, without further ado, let's check some of the next influencer marketing predictions.
1. Building long-lasting relationships with influencers
Investing in long-term relationships with influencers is one of the best investments you can make for your brand. This kind of connection has all the relevant benefits for brands and influencers:
- Increased credibility;
- Increased trust;
- Increased brand awareness;
Customers want to see your brand making connections and building long-lasting relationships with niche-oriented influencers. It ensures that you're investing an excessive amount of time into finding not just any type of influencer but also the right one.
2. A rise in the demand for micro-influencers
This trend has been ongoing since micro-influencers appeared. And it's all due to their higher engagement rates and loyal relationships with their followers.
The demand for micro-influencers will continue to grow next year too. Micro-influencers remain as one of the influencers with the highest ROI per campaign. Their authentic, original approach to influencer marketing makes them irreplaceable. Additionally, they're more affordable - even small business owners can hire them. They're more approachable and friendly than macro-influencers, and that makes them the ideal partners for accomplishing business-related goals.
If you're still unsure about the benefits of hiring micro-influencers, perhaps reading a blog post about the pros and cons of hiring micro-influencers vs. macro-influencers can help you find the answer.
3. The dominance of the short video content
Another thing that's constantly on the rise is the consumption of video content, especially short video content. In 2020 alone, 96% of consumers increased their online video consumption.
Online users love to watch videos, and this trend will continue next year. Like the ones influencers post on Instagram and TikTok, short videos can have a substantial effect on your customers. TikTok and Instagram are designed to keep the users scrolling on the networks, and influencers should leverage this feature by creating funny and educational short videos.
4. Access to premium content
Influencers creating premium content - now that's something that we couldn't imagine happening two, three years ago. But once again, the pandemic hit hard. It shouldn't come as a surprise that by the third semester in 2021, OnlyFans had more than 170 million registered users. People need those authentic human experiences, even if they have to pay for them.
Influencers who create paid subscription business models have one goal in mind - creating a more genuine experience for their followers. If the followers are willing to pay, why not?
It can certainly help influencers create more stable and long-lasting relationships with their followers.
However, it's essential to clearly distinguish between influencers and creators, as these two terms are often used interchangeably.
5. The use of NFTs will skyrocket
NFTs are getting quite popular among influencers. We even have a dedicated filter at our Marketplace, labeling all the influencers whose services fall into the NFT category.
As more and more people get involved in the crypto world, more influencers will sell their art as an NFT. It's another way for them to earn, besides the traditional way of being paid by brands and individuals.
However, influencers can use their art to promote your brand as well.
Think about it. Your brand will get promoted in the NFT world, while the influencers will receive regular payments. It's a win-win.
6. More authenticity, less perfection
This is perhaps the most significant change we witnessed last year. Again, it has something to do with the pandemic - people just stopped pretending. For many people staying at home meant reflecting on things and behavior, which resulted in more unfiltered content on social media.
One such example is the influencers involved with the skincare industry and the beauty industry. Many started posting unedited, unfiltered images and videos of themselves, encouraging others to do it. The message behind it was that real life is far from what most of us publish on social media.
And, as the results show, users love this type of content. It gives them the liberty to be themselves and not strive for a too high standard. Brand owners need to have this in mind to launch successful influencer campaigns next year.
Of course, there are many more trends to come. These are just predictions based on our analytics and feedback from Buyers and Influencers and general industry knowledge.
If you're searching for professionals to help you with your influencer marketing campaigns, look no further - Brybe has all the Freelancers you need!