You’ve come to the right place if you want to learn about the influencer marketing trends that will affect you in 2022. Influencer marketing is already popular and will continue to grow. New social media networks, content categories, and communication channels for brands to interact with potential customers are introduced every year. The top influencers follow the latest trends so they can provide brands with the tools they need to succeed. Due to the quick changes in the social media landscape, influencers must act quickly to take advantage of the hottest trends in influencer marketing in order to establish their authority and expertise and increase their appeal to brands. To grow their audience, attract new leads, and increase their revenue, brands will want to take advantage of these influencer marketing trends.
The year 2022 holds a lot of promise after 2020 and 2021, which saw brands scrambling to update their marketing and advertising campaigns to connect with a consumer base that was unexpectedly stranded at home. Businesses have discovered that they can operate virtually, and more and more customers are using the internet to fulfill their eCommerce needs. The effects of a global pandemic were incompatible with a number of traditional marketing strategies, so companies looked for influencers and content producers who are skilled at producing reactive content. Influencers saw a 46% increase while the IPA reported a 20% decline in advertising overall. That’s a big deal, and it explains why influencers have seen their profile rise.
Let’s now explore the influencer marketing trends you can rely on to maintain a booming economy all year long.
10 Influencer Marketing Trends Taking Off In 2022
Marketplaces For Creators And Brands
To facilitate collaboration between brands and creators, TikTok introduced a platform called Creator Marketplace. Instagram joined the trend by releasing a new set of tools that facilitates interactions between businesses and creators and new business collaborations.
Small-business owners now have the opportunity to streamline communication with influencers thanks to the introduction of these new platforms. Marketing professionals predict a change in the market for influencer marketing agencies due to the platforms themselves. Because it is so simple to find collaborators on one platform, agencies may become less common. That is just a personal opinion, but it’s unquestionably a trend to be aware of.
The Growth Of Video Content
Instagram Reels and TikTok are becoming more popular. For niche communities, brief videos are incredibly compelling. In light of this, influencer marketing in this space ought to be a priority for small businesses in 2022.
The best way to approach video is to maintain flexibility in your content strategy. Give your collaborator partners room to express themselves. Sincerity is rewarded on TikTok and Instagram. Perfectly polished content repels audiences. As a way to engage with your community, concentrate on providing valuable and pertinent content.
Nano And Micro-influencers
Because they have millions of followers, influencers are frequently referred to as social media celebrities. Nevertheless, having a sizable following is no longer as important when recommending products.
The majority of brands are currently focusing on nano- and micro-influencer collaborations. They excel at influencing consumer choices because they have a highly specialized audience and niche community.
Kristal Heredia, a plus-size micro-influencer who promotes Forever 21’s plus-size brand, has partnered with the fast-fashion company Forever 21. Authenticity is appealing to consumers these days. They prefer to rely on referrals from close friends and reliable colleagues.
In addition, the algorithm favors users who have fewer followers because their content is more frequently engaged with. Your campaign’s outcomes might be improved by switching to a micro-influencer.
Twitch Influencer Marketing Is On The Rise
It’s crucial to look outside of the typical social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to stay on top of the shifting influencer marketing trends.
New social media platforms are being tested by marketers in 2022 for influencer marketing.
As of now, the hottest new influencer marketing trend demonstrates that Twitch’s popularity is growing.
What is Twitch?
Influencers can live stream videos of their activities on the social media site Twitch.
Influencers are able to stream videos of a variety of activities on the platform, including gaming, cooking, painting, and music.
It might be difficult to understand why the Twitch platform is becoming so popular if you are not familiar with influencer marketing.
Twitch may initially resemble YouTube in terms of sound. Twitch, however, aims to give its users a sense of community. Therefore, sponsored links are not permitted on the social media platform.
Both tournaments and influencer gaming sessions are suitable venues for brand sponsorship. Another developing influencer marketing trend on Twitch is brand mentions and sponsored videos.
Twitch was initially designed as a platform for gaming streams, but it has since grown to include more. Brands in the food and beverage sector are also taking notice of it.
The partnership between UberEats and Tyler Blevins, a Twitch influencer, was a huge success. UberEats had to end the promotion early because they received so many responses in just one day.
Influencers As Entrepreneurs
The deliberate creation of business owners is one of the newest trends in influencer marketing. While influencing itself can be a full-time job, some people are also starting their own businesses. For instance, Instagram recently saw the brand launch of beauty influencer Elanna McGowan.
This is good news for brands because it creates a fresh set of partnership opportunities. Make contact with them to see if you can work together on a giveaway. It’s advantageous for both parties if it makes sense to capitalize on their new brand.
Reposting User-generated Content
The use of user-generated content (UGC) as a marketing tactic is very popular. Compared to branded advertising, it is regarded as more reliable. It can aid in establishing the trustworthiness of your goods and the majority of alluring content.
Using user-generated content images of their products as their sole form of advertising, Lush completely did away with traditional advertising. This is appropriate given that influencer marketing is an excellent way to connect with Gen Z and millennial customers.
The legality of UGC reposts, however, is still unclear. There is eagerness for additional discussions regarding this. For example, some authors prefer to request credit in the first two lines of a caption rather than at the bottom. This emerging pattern reflects the change in how content is produced. People aim to have their names appear above the fold.
Cgi Influencers Are Here
Have you heard of CGI influencers?
They are, after all, the newest celebrities in the field of influencer marketing. Computer-generated imagery is referred to as CGI. Even though they aren’t real, it can be challenging to distinguish them from influencers who are.
CGI influencers are given life by designers, programmers, and managers of social media. On their social media pages, they can be seen hanging out in beautiful settings and expressing their views on relevant topics.
Influencer marketing now has more options thanks to CGI influencers. By doing this, they guarantee that brands have total control over how their stories are presented. They get to decide on everything, including post ideas and captions.
Brands are already collaborating with CGI brands as they become more aware of their potential. For their 40th anniversary, UGG teamed up with Lil Miquela, one of the most well-known CGI influencers.
Along with this, Lil Miquela has collaborated with expensive labels like Diesel and Prada.
Not only that, but she has also appeared in issues of GQ and Vogue. Her growing popularity demonstrates how influencer marketing is about to undergo significant change. This cutting-edge influencer marketing fad is here to stay.
Long-lasting Influencer Partnerships
Long-term influencer relationships are a priority for brands. One-off marketing collaborations will always have their place, but ambassador programs are more likely to help businesses forge sincere bonds with their customers. These collaborations make use of influencer knowledge that gains trust over time.
Driving a long-term brand partnership might be your company’s next step. Influencers deepen favorable brand associations when they consistently promote various aspects of their collaboration. As a result, action is sparked and customer loyalty is raised.
The Rise Of Representation
A lack of diversity in the influencer market was noticed by social activists in 2020. Numerous brands have come under fire from influencers for this and unfair pay. Creators made the decision to speak out and draw attention to the need for greater diversity in influencer marketing as a result.
The influencer community is evolving, so brands must incorporate diversity and inclusion into their work processes and corporate cultures even though it should never be a fashion.
Influencer Marketing Is Growing For The B2b Community
This year, B2B influence is anticipated to increase by 40% to 50%. The basis of influence is the level of confidence an audience has in a brand. The stability of that foundation is balanced by these three factors:
- Authenticity: Showing the true you
- Logic: The reasoning behind what you say
- Empathy: Showing you care about others’ success
This is a crucial component of the strategy for B2Bs. But most of the time, B2B content is founded more on reason than on compassion. Because it relies too heavily on research, it may also lack connection.
More B2B companies are experimenting with their influence by incorporating empathy into the mix. Think about one tactic that creates four dimensions to evaluate your performance:
- Expertise: Your audience has faith in your expertise and ability to help them with their issues.
- Empathy: Your brand builds a favorable relationship with your audience by being seen as an ally.
- Practicality: Your audience has faith that you can handle their particular issues.
- Brand strength: The association will be welcomed and your audience will want to collaborate with you.
Conclusion
Brands and creators now value social media as a very valuable platform. Both the expansion of e-commerce sales and the marketing environment have been significantly impacted by the ongoing pandemic. 2022 will likely be the time for brands and influencers to create authentic connections and shine.
Influencer marketing has a lot of potential advantages, despite some potential drawbacks. Take note of these trends in influencer marketing, and strongly consider incorporating them into any potential strategies you may have.