Influencer marketing trends
Influencer marketing trends: what’s next?
Some of the most successful influencer marketing campaigns have clear objectives and target audiences. However, if you’re looking for more creative ideas, influencer marketing trends will be worth your while.
Influencers have different demographics than traditional marketers and can often create within-brand engagement beyond advertisement. So, whether you’re looking for inspiration, advice, or just an insight into the next wave of marketing trends, here are some of the hottest influencer marketing trends.
„Influencer Marketing Trends“ [LIST]
Let’s dig deeper into these hottest influencer marketing trends…
1. Rise in Micro-Influencers:
Micro-influencers are becoming more popular due to their higher engagement rates, lower costs, and more authentic relationships with their followers. Companies are increasingly turning to micro-influencers to promote their products and services.
Micro-influencers are a new trend in influencer marketing. They are individuals with a smaller following, typically between 1,000 and 100,000 followers, who have highly engaged audiences. They are often seen as more relatable and authentic than traditional celebrity influencers and are able to generate more organic engagement from their followers. Micro-influencers are also more cost effective than celebrity influencers, as they usually charge less for collaborations and sponsored posts. Brands have found that micro-influencers are more successful in driving sales, as their followers are more likely to trust their recommendations and take action on them. Overall, micro-influencers have become a popular choice for many brands looking to leverage the power of influencer marketing.
For clarity, let’s look at this issue as a case study.
5 Successful Micro-Influencer Campaign Examples
• Urban Decay:
Urban Decay partnered with a number of micro-influencers to promote its new range of vegan and cruelty-free beauty products. The campaign was a huge success, with the influencers creating content that showcased the products and engaged their followers with product-related discussions.
Stats & Figures
Urban Decay’s micro-influencer campaign was a successful effort to increase brand awareness and sales. Over 300 micro-influencers from around the world helped spread the word. They shared images and videos on their social media channels, giving their followers an inside look at the products. During the campaign, the average follower count increased by 25%, sales increased by 6.5%, and overall brand recognition and engagement increased. Over 250,000 comments and 11 million likes were generated.
• Nike:
Nike ran a campaign using micro-influencers to promote its new line of running shoes. The influencers posted pictures of themselves wearing the shoes and shared tips on how to get the most out of them. The content was shared widely and resulted in a significant increase in sales.
This was a huge success for Nike’s micro-influencer campaign. In the campaign, Nike sought out micro-influencers worldwide to share their love of Nike products. Using micro-influencers helped Nike increase its following and brand engagement.
Stats & Figures
Nike collected data showing a 28% increase in brand awareness and a 35% increase in engagement from the campaign. Nike made over 15% more website visits and over 8% more sales.
As a result, Nike was able to drive more people to their stores and entice them to buy. Overall, Nike’s micro-influencer campaign was a success. The campaign also successfully marketed the brand and created a positive image of Nike among potential customers.
• Herschel Supply Co:
Herschel Supply Co. partnered with a number of micro-influencers to promote their travel collection. The influencers created content that showcased the product and their experiences with it, giving their followers an inside look at the new products.
During the summer of 2020, the company launched a campaign to reach out to new and potential customers individually. Herschel Supply Co. reached a much more diverse and engaged audience by targeting micro-influencers than it would have by using traditional marketing techniques. To find the right influencers, Herschel Supply Co. used social media marketing and influencer marketing platforms. This allowed the company to identify and target micro-influencers with the highest influence.
Once identified, the influencers were given product samples, asked to post content about the products, and invited to participate in various events and product launches.
Stats & Figures
This campaign generated 9.8 million impressions, over 400,000 engagements, and an average engagement rate of 4.2%. The numbers demonstrate just how successful the campaign was. A significant increase from the original $100,000 goal was achieved with the campaign, driving $450,000 in sales. Micro-influencers were a huge success for Herschel Supply Co. As a result of the campaign, the company generated significant revenue, reached a diverse audience, and generated impressive results.
• Old Navy:
Old Navy ran a campaign with a number of micro-influencers to promote its new line of summer clothing. The influencers created content that showed off the new styles and gave their followers styling tips to get the most out of the collection.
Stats & Figures
This campaign allowed Old Navy to leverage the current relationships that the influencers had with their followers, amplifying the reach of their Spring collection. As a result of the successful campaign, Old Navy saw a marked increase in website visits (by 20%) and sales (by 30%), indicating that their choice to focus on influencers with small, highly engaged followings paid off.
Old Navy sought to track the project’s success thanks to the unique coupons the influencers shared with their followers. The campaign generated more than $25,000 in sales for Old Navy.
By understanding the preferences and interests of their audience, their marketing team was able to create more effective campaigns. It was a success for Old Navy to use micro-influencers in their campaign. While gaining valuable insight into their customers, they were able to reach their target audience and drive sales. This resulted in Old Navy achieving both its sales and customer insight goals.
• Microsoft:
Microsoft ran a campaign with micro-influencers to promote its new line of PCs. The influencers created content that showed off the new hardware and explained the benefits of using them. The campaign was a huge success and resulted in a significant increase in sales.
Microsoft recently ran a micro-influencer campaign in order to increase awareness of their new Office 365 suite. The campaign was targeted at small business owners, and was designed to demonstrate the benefits of Office 365 for their businesses.
Stats & Figures
The campaign was successful in reaching its target audience, with over 6 million impressions across the influencers’ social media accounts. Microsoft was able to generate a total of 2.5 million engagements, with an average engagement rate of 41%. The campaign also achieved impressive results in terms of conversions, with over 14,000 Office 365 subscriptions generated. This translated to a conversion rate of 4.2%, which was well above their target of 2%. In terms of cost efficiency, the campaign was able to reach its goals with a cost-per-conversion rate of $0.20, which was significantly lower than the industry average of $2. Overall, Microsoft’s micro-influencer campaign was a great success. It was able to reach its target audience, generate significant engagement and conversions, and do it all at a cost-efficient rate.
2. Increased Focus on Authenticity:
The trend towards increased focus on authenticity has been growing in recent years. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of buying products and services that are authentic, either in terms of their origin or their quality. Companies are responding by finding ways to prove that their offerings are genuine. This can include product certification, third-party verification, or clear labeling.
Consumers are increasingly looking for influencers who are genuine and authentic in their content. Brands are recognizing this and are focusing more on collaborating with influencers who have similar values and beliefs as their own.
The problem
Tracking the effectiveness of influencer posts can be challenging if they are not genuine, resulting in wasted resources and lost returns on investment. As a result, influencers may be tempted to exaggerate or even lie about endorsing a product or service. Ultimately, this can damage the brand’s reputation by leading to distrust between customers and the brand.
The solutions:
The solution to this issue is to ensure that influencers are held to a high standard of authenticity. To ensure that influencers are honest about their endorsements, brands should require them to sign contracts. It is also necessary to conduct background checks on the influencer to ensure they are who they claim to be. Brands should also keep track of influencer engagement levels and posts, and take swift action if they detect inauthentic influencers.
Influencers should be transparent and honest about their relationship with brands, and brands should be able to provide proof that they are genuine partners. For instance, brands should provide proof of payment for services or supply influencers with a customized code for their followers to use when ordering products. A real relationship between the influencer and the product allows customers to trust that the influencer is authentic and not just promoting a product to make money.
3.Influencers will become more reliant on video content
Video marketing has become an increasingly important part of influencer marketing, as it is a great way to showcase a product or service in a creative, engaging way. Video content is more easily digestible than text-based content, making it ideal for influencers to quickly and effectively communicate a brand’s message to their followers. they also allows influencers to showcase their personalities and create a connection with their followers. This connection is crucial in influencer marketing, as it helps to build trust and loyalty between the influencer and their followers. In addition, videos are more likely to be shared across social media platforms, as people are more likely to engage with them than they are with a text-based post. This makes it easier for influencers to reach a wider audience and get more exposure for the brands they are promoting.
4. More Social Platforms:
In 2021 and beyond, influencer marketing will increasingly be focused on following preferred creators across multiple platforms. This trend is partly driven by the emergence of social media platforms that allow users to connect with influencers in ways that were not previously possible. The rise of TikTok, for example, has created a platform where influencers can create short-form content and build relationships with their followers. Instagram and YouTube are also experiencing this trend, where influencers produce long-form content and make deeper connections. Podcasts, member-only content, and virtual events are just a few ways influencers engage their followers.
As a result, brands and marketers are becoming increasingly focused on finding creators who can engage their audiences across multiple platforms. This means that influencer marketing campaigns must be designed to reach audiences on multiple channels, rather than just on one platform. Furthermore, brands and marketers are using influencer marketing in more creative ways. It involves creating authentic brand experiences through influencer-generated content, leveraging influencers to build brand loyalty, and using influencers to promote products. This will require brands and marketers to be even more creative.
5. ROI-driven Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a powerful tool for brands. In a time where consumers are overwhelmed with advertisements and mistrustful of marketers, the power of influencers can help to shift perceptions from „pushy salesman“ to „trusted friend.
In the years to come, influencer marketing will focus more on the ROI. This will allow businesses to manage their campaigns and ensure they get the most out of their marketing efforts.
Due to the increasing financial stakes in influencer marketing, it is now more important than ever to manage the ROI properly. This new media topic has shifted the focus of PR efforts from being a PR topic to a media discussion.
6. Long-Term Partnerships:
An Influencer Marketing Hub report found that 63% of marketers and brands prefer long-term relationships with influencers.
• 78% of influencers are interested in long-term partnerships.
• 46% of brands were willing to pay more for influencers who had a longer relationship with them
• 94% of brands and marketers believe that long-term partnerships lead to higher returns.
• the report found that long-term partnerships lead to better content that resonates with audiences, leading to higher engagement and ROI.
Brands are now focusing on building long-term relationships with influencers in order to gain more loyalty and trust. This involves creating mutually beneficial partnerships that are mutually beneficial to both parties.
Towards achieving common goals, both parties work together in a mutually beneficial partnership. In some cases, brands and influencers may come to an agreement on a set number of posts or videos that the influencer will create. Influencers are also expected to promote the brand’s products and services positively. Brands may also provide samples or discounts to influencers as additional compensation. A long-term partnership can benefit both parties by building a relationship that is mutually beneficial
7. Brand and influencer collaborations to create products (co-creatin between brand &influencers)
Brands and influencers are increasingly co-creating products to leverage each other’s strengths and reach a wider audience. Brands can benefit from influencers’ credibility, authenticity, and trust with their followers, while influencers can gain exposure and access to new audiences.
Co-creation success example
Cam & Line, a London-based sustainable fashion brand, was founded in 2018 by two young women who wanted to create a stylish, ethical brand. The founders’ goal was to create an affordable, eco-friendly, and sustainable fashion label that would appeal to millennials and Gen Zers. To reach this goal, they decided to collaborate with ethical bloggers, such as Céline from Iznowgood, who have a substantial online presence and an engaged following. The collaboration between Céline and Cam & Line was a success, with Céline’s followers engaging with the brand and becoming interested in the company’s mission and values. Through this collaboration, Cam & Line was able to reach a larger audience, as well as raise awareness about the importance of ethical fashion. Céline was also able to spread her message about ethical fashion to a larger audience, and in turn, help Cam & Line grow their business.
The collaboration between Céline and Cam & Line is a great example of how successful co-creation strategies can help businesses grow and reach a larger audience. It is also a testament to the power of collaborations between ethical bloggers and sustainable fashion labels. Through such collaborations, brands can reach new audiences and spread their message, while ethical bloggers can use their influence to advocate for the importance of sustainable fashion.
influencer marketing in 2023: What do the experts predict?
Experts suggest that the use of influencers for marketing purposes will become more sophisticated, incorporating more data-driven strategies to target specific audiences. Additionally, influencers will be increasingly used to promote products or services, as well as to build a stronger connection with customers. This will lead to more direct conversations between brands and consumers, and a greater emphasis on creating authentic relationships. Furthermore, influencers will likely be used to create content that is tailored to a specific audience, as well as to measure the impact of their campaigns.
Best practices in influencer marketing
With the rapid changes in the influencer marketing space, what exactly should you focus on today and beyond?
1. Choose the right influencer:
It is important to select the right influencer who aligns with your brand values and has a large, engaged following that is interested in the products and services you are offering.
2. Establish clear objectives:
Establish clear objectives and goals for your campaign before you start. This will help you identify the best influencers for your campaign and measure the results of your efforts.
3. Have a detailed plan:
Have a detailed plan of action for your influencer marketing campaign. This should include the budget, timeline and content that you want to produce with the influencers.
4. Offer creative freedom:
Offer creative freedom to your influencers so that they can create unique content and audience engagement
5. Monitor performance:
Monitor the performance of your influencers regularly and make adjustments to your campaign if needed.
6. Measure ROI:
Measure the return on investment (ROI) of your influencer marketing campaigns. This will help you identify which influencers are driving the most sales and engagement.
7. Leverage influencer data:
Leverage the data that influencers have access to, such as audience demographics, interests, and preferences. This will help you target the right audience with the right message.
8. Foster relationships:
Foster ongoing relationships with your influencers. This will help you build trust and loyalty with them, and ensure that your campaigns are successful in the long run.
Reach your Audience in meaningful way:
We understand the power of influencers to help spread the word about your product, and the importance of finding the right influencer to reach your target audience. CoCo helps you identify and connect with the right influencers to promote your product in a creative and effective way. We offer a platform that collects data on influencers and their audience to help you make the right decisions.
