Influencer marketing is a form of digital marketing, meaning it’s constantly changing. You need to stay on top of the trends to get the best results for your campaigns. Thus, check out the hottest influencer marketing trends happening right now. Once you learn about the trends, you can add them to your influencer marketing campaigns.
Creators Are on the Rise
One of the biggest trends you’ll notice right now is how people talk about influencers. Not that long ago, “influencer” referred to anyone who had a large social media following. Now, the term “influencer” means someone who uses his or her following to make money through deals and sponsorships.
And that’s not the only change. Some influencers are dropping that label altogether in favor of the term “creator.” Instagram and other social media users who identify as creators often have large followings, but they put more value on the content they create. They are professionals both on and off social media, often photographers, writers, artists, videographers, and other creative types.
If you want to run a high-quality campaign, going with a creator is a must. They’ll be engaged throughout the process in an effort to create the best content possible.
Paid Ads Are Being Used to Amplify Campaigns
Influencer marketing is often thought of as the “anti-ad” marketing campaign. Because real people are promoting products, it has an authentic feel you can’t get with standard ad campaigns. Thus, it might surprise you to hear that more and more brands are using paid ads to amplify influencer marketing campaigns.
Brands often don’t start promoting the content immediately. Instead, they wait to see how the campaign performs organically. When a campaign does exceptionally well, the brand pays to amplify it to reach even more people. With social media targeting, the company can choose who those people are, narrowing the audience to increase conversions.
As strange as this concept seems, it’s a hot trend for a good reason. It allows brands to level up their influencer marketing campaigns and increase their return on investment.
Relatability and Engagement Are Invaluable
Relatability and engagement are trending when it comes to influencer marketing. The more relatable and engaging the influencer is, the more successful you expect the campaign to be.
Because of that, many brands are choosing to partner with micro and nano influencers instead of mega influencers. Due to the smaller follower counts, these influencers tend to be more relatable and spend more time engaging with their audience. Also, the audience is usually highly targeted, meaning you can reach more potential customers when running nano or micro-campaigns.
As a bonus, these campaigns cost much less than you’d pay if you worked with someone with a million or so followers. In fact, you can find some influencers who will promote your products in exchange for free merchandise. Now, that’s a partnership most businesses can afford.
Campaigns are Becoming Increasingly Diverse
You’ve likely noticed that advertising campaigns are becoming more inclusive and diverse in general. That trend has extended to influencer marketing. Thus, evaluate the diversity of your past campaigns and make changes if needed. By becoming more diverse, you’ll reach your entire target market instead of just a segment of it. That, in turn, can help you explode on social media.
Social Media Sites Are Making Collaborations Easier
It wasn’t that long ago that brands and creators had to work hard to connect. Now, though, social media channels have recognized the value in these collaborations. Because of that, Instagram, TikTok, and other networks have introduced tools that help brands and influencers find each other and enter into collaborations. These tools also allow brands to vet influencers and measure success. Since finding partners is easier than ever, now’s a fantastic time to start your first influencer marketing campaign.
Video Is Becoming Increasingly Popular
Video is growing in popularity across all social media channels. Thus, more creators and brands are entering into video partnerships on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and more.
If you want to boost engagement, consider adding videos to your collaborations. Then, you can get more engagement and a higher return on investment. You’ll also impress your audience by staying on top of a hot trend.
Brands Are Making a Bigger Effort in Driving Engagement
In the past, brands let influencers control entire campaigns. Now, though, brands often take a more hands-on approach to drive engagement at the beginning of these campaigns.
Brands understand how beneficial the campaigns can be, but they have to reach an engagement threshold to get off the ground. Thus, it’s not unusual for brands to buy Instagram likes or TikTok views to get these campaigns started. By giving them a little nudge at the beginning, brands find that the campaigns reach more users. Then, the campaigns start generating organic engagement and can potentially go viral.
Perfection Is No Longer a Priority
Have you noticed that some influencers have gotten a little looser with their posts? They no longer strive for the perfect photo or video. Instead, more and more creators are letting their natural sides shine through, which is much more authentic and engaging. That same trend is carrying over into sponsorships. You can expect the influencers you work with to be less polished and more authentic than ever before. That, in turn, can help you achieve your marketing goals.
Long-term Partnerships Are Becoming Commonplace
A few years ago, it wasn’t unusual for influencers and brands to partner for a single campaign. Then, both would move on to the next one without each other. Now, though, long-term collaborations are on-trend. Many brands are choosing a handful of influencers to be the faces of their campaigns. If you find an influencer that represents your brand well, you might want to consider jumping on this trend.
Stay on Top of Influencer Marketing Trend
Keep these trends in mind when running influencer marketing campaigns. By embracing the trends, you can expand your reach and meet your marketing goals.
