Decoding Influencer Marketing:
Influencer marketing is an effective method for brands to communicate and connect with their target audience. Since social media has become deeply integrated into people’s lives, influencer marketing has been the main strategy for brands from different industries and regions. Over these past 10 years, we have gone from zero marketers using influencer marketing to 93% of marketers using influencer marketing. Below are six influencer marketing trends for 2020.
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More audio and video content
Previously, many influencers prioritized sponsored posts. Now, with the rise of video marketing and podcasts, they are moving towards engaging video and audio content. Videos engage the senses more than plain images and texts. Brands are working with influencers for their video series and podcasts to attract the influencers’ audiences. Video series and podcasts allow for influencers and their audiences to interact.
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CGI Influencer
A significant influencer trend in 2020 is using influencer stars that are not even real. Audiences have been open to cartoons, mascots and animated film characters as representatives. With Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) stars, programmers, designers and social media managers have worked together to give them life. Due to their attractiveness and malleability, these realistic-looking influencers appeal to young people in contemporary marketing. CGI influencers also give brands complete autonomy over their story, actions and behavior.
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Employees as influencers
With the evolution of influencer marketing, many companies are urging their employees to become social media influencers. Companies are looking to develop their talent as an alternative to seeking contract marketers. This approach benefits the company by making internal relationships stronger and giving brands more say and control over how their campaigns are run. This trend also allows companies to acquire more visibility and include more content on social media.
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Twitch is on the rise
If you want to be up-to-date with the latest influencer marketing trends, you should look past the conventional platforms of YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. There are new platforms for engagement, like Twitch. Twitch is a video live streaming service run by Twitch Interactive, a daughter company of Amazon. Typically used as a refuge for gamers, it has extended its scope to serve different interests and activities, including cooking, music and painting. Twitch may seem similar to YouTube but Twitch wants to offer a community experience to its users. For advertising, brands can sponsor an influencer’s gaming session or a tournament.
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TikTok is becoming a relevant influencer channel
TikTok is a short-form, video-sharing app that has grown rapidly over the last year. It has become a platform favored by Gen Z audiences. TikTok has a particularly young audience, as 66% of its users are younger than 30 years old, so it’s an excellent marketing platform for brands looking to appeal to that demographic. Some brands have started using the network for advertising. With popular TikTok performers gaining a following of almost half a billion followers, more brands will likely become interested in TikTok as its user base increases.
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Stricter guidelines for influencers
Government agencies and watchdog groups have brought up concerns with transparency in influencer marketing. Incidents, where influencers have promoted products without disclosing their inherent risks, have led to calls for more transparency. Influencers need to use hashtags like #ad or #sponsored for partnered posts. With more attention to customer-centered marketing and privacy, the trend of more strict policies surrounding influencer marketing is likely to continue.
