Influencer marketing has been one of the most prominent trends in digital marketing over the last few years, if not the previous decade, and it simply keeps growing, and for a valid reason.
Social media influencers are basically the leaders of the online environment, with the capacity to affect their audience and consumer habits by collaborating with companies to create engaging, exciting, and inventive content.
It’s no mystery that a lot of companies were harmed in 2020, with some being hit harder than others. Many firms have gone out of business, have temporarily closed, or have seen a significant slowdown in activity and sales as a result of COVID-19.
It was a terrifying time for everyone (for some it still is), and while the influencer marketing industry has been directly damaged and may never be the same again, the global pandemic has allowed the industry to go a somewhat different path so now, more and more companies and industries have been recovering in recent months.
How Has COVID-19 Affected the Influencer-Related Industry?
During a lockdown in some nations in 2020 and 2021, social media proved almost indispensable in keeping home-schooled youths and furloughed professionals linked and giving them a source of pleasure during such difficult and unique circumstances.
Influencers recognized the need to generate material for individuals who were in need. They altered and evolved in order to keep their audiences engaged and give a type of distraction from the worrying reality that we were all facing.
With more people staying at home, whether as teens or as part of the government’s layoff program, they had more free time than usual to watch YouTube videos or scroll through Instagram and Facebook. As a result, both companies and influencers have been able to keep the influencer marketing sector afloat.
Influencer marketing will stay basically unchanged for consumers, if not more targeted and personalized than it used to be. Influencers have been capable of adapting and developing creative content for their audiences by utilizing the resources available to them at home or in their immediate vicinity without having to travel far.
Many influencers moderate their content at home normally, so the pandemic hasn’t caused them too much trouble. As a result, they’ve simply shifted their focus to life and wellness, cuisine, and fitness to better suit their target demographic.
Influencer Sector Has Evolved During Pandemic
Understandably, going somewhere on a regular basis may not be something that everyone is comfortable with just yet. Yes, the borders have reopened significantly since the beginning of 2022. Despite this, marketers have recognized the lack of passion for travel as a barrier and have effectively established a number of alternatives to continue without having to travel.
To commemorate the debut of a new product or service, many influencers and brands have become accustomed to attending press events, outings, and even trips abroad.
The moment the industry has realized that these things are unlikely to happen in the near future, if not longer, which was in 2020, it has devised a simple remedy.
Brands and influencers may now virtually attend launch days and press events, much like office workers do on Zoom or Google Meets for their weekly meetings. Rather than giving out invitations and renting locations, brands are hosting everything online.
This not only helps to keep the influencer marketing sector afloat but also makes the entire process more accessible to all parties involved. Influencers may not have been able to travel to an event in the past owing to other commitments or because they lived too far away. Everyone, regardless of postcode or schedule, can now attend.
A campaign with Vodafone is a perfect example of the influencer marketing industry responding to the current situation. Instead of holding a series of events across the UK, Vodafone collaborated with high-profile influencers to create a virtual game to commemorate the debut of 5G.
The campaign was a huge success, reaching over 3.2 million people and showcasing the power of virtual events and campaigns.
If you’re still wondering whether influencer marketing is still relevant and whether it can still deliver good results – there’s no reason to worry. Over 90% of respondents in a survey conducted by renowned sources for digital marketing believe that influence marketing is an effective form of marketing.
Influencer Marketing Trends for 2022
We’ve identified 5 trends to help you keep updated and design new ideas in order to help your influencer marketing initiatives achieve enviable outcomes in 2022 as well.
1. The Video Is Still the King of Content
Influencers are creating more and more videos and podcasts. This trend of influence marketing isn’t a surprise if we look at the trends of consuming content around the world. The video has been king for several years, especially short videos such as Instagram Reels, TikTok, and live streams – and we don’t see that trend slowing down in 2022.
This is a compelling argument for businesses to keep making videos and, in some cases, to devote the majority of their marketing budget to video production.
Video marketing on social media is here to stay and will continue to be a lucrative tool for influencer marketing strategies. Podcasts and videos allow influencers and their followers to communicate more directly.
Precisely because of that personal relationship, the video is a great opportunity to present or promote a product.
2. New Tools for Influencers
Social networks are developing many new functions day by day, but most of them are often oriented toward influencers. In addition, social networks are offering new content publishing formats such as Shorts or Reels, along with new professional tools to generate more revenue.
We can mention the creation of Instagram/Facebook shops, as well as Instagram badges that allow you to show support to the creators during the live video.
A heart icon appears next to your name in the comments when you buy a badge during a live video. Influencers employ creative methods to enhance engagement among potential customers, even persuading corporations to invest in such efforts.
As a result, creating new tools for content creators and influencers to interact and work more readily on social media is a trend that we expect to continue in 2022.
3. The Numbers Are No Longer the Most Important
Influence marketing is no longer just about the number of followers. Now the emphasis is on the quality of engagement and connection. Due to this trend of influence marketing, it’s logical that micro-influencers and nano-influencers have an increasing impact.
Despite their relatively small following base compared to celebrities, these social media influencers usually have a highly engaged audience.
They may appear insignificant in comparison to celebrities, yet they can have a significant impact on your marketing campaigns.
This trend of influencer marketing became popular for the first time in 2019, and it certainly intends to stay there.
4. Influencers Are Becoming Key Partners
Consumers are looking for the easiest way to buy the things they need. People are less likely to buy straight from businesses as a result of this.
A new shopping regimen brings with it new purchasing habits, and this has demonstrated a stronger proclivity for Internet shopping. This is especially on the rise during a pandemic.
Influencers will be key partners in providing a seamless shopping experience and turning brand awareness into shopping. By 2022, as trade and payments in apps and social networks continue to grow, not only will marketing initiatives be important in creating brand awareness, but they will also be important in enabling proceedings online.
Don’t forget that you’ll need to know how to approach influencers, such as by emailing them to endorse your products. Why’s that? Because influencers receive hundreds of influencer outreach emails every day, your influencer outreach email must stand out.
Use snappy email subject lines, keep the email length short, produce engaging email content, discuss compensation, and personalize the email to capture influencers’ attention.
A piece of advice: on VerticalResponse, choose an appropriate template to personalize your communication with the influencer.
5. The Role of Influencers Will Become More and More Professional
If you thought influencers were a passing fad, it’s time to admit you were completely mistaken. Influencer marketing trends is taking on more and more professional forms.
Further professionalization of participants, standards, and processes is essential for the continued growth of the industry. This involves focusing on influential people’s material and tagging advertising stuff.
This is the only way to maintain authenticity and credibility as the most important assets of influential persons. Social media platforms are well aware of the value that influencers provide to their audiences.
One of the biggest trends in influencer marketing trends in 2022 will be the continuous professionalization of content creators. Exactly one step in this direction is platforms whose creators recognized the need for such a system and offered an ideal solution for influencer marketing, offering a monetization of influencer campaigns in an automated environment.
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