Introduction
Over the past couple of years, influencer marketing has become one of the most prevalent P’s in the marketing mix for any brand. However, social media is still the number one digital outlet so influence marketing will continue to be one of the top forms of product/service movement. And, as for those brands that plan to contine in the influencer marketing race, the ability to see which way the wind is blowing is nothing less than crucial.
Micro and Nano Influencers Come to the Fore
One of the hottest trends in influencer marketing are micro and nano influencers. Micro influencers are those who have 10,000-100,000 followers but nano influencers are those who have less than 10,000 followers. Not in the millions like the “big stars” but it is very active and it seems real. For those that do, its almost truer, more down to earth. That also allows them the control of releasing material aimed at the “audience” they are trying to “target. However, for companies, it would be extremely advantageous for them to have a network of micro and nano influencers in their target audience because word of mouth would be so much more costeffective than paying some big celebrity to endorse their product.
Therefore its all about the instagram and tiktok.
Back to platforms, instagram and up and coming tiktok are still the kings of influencer marketing. Instagram wins because it is more professional looking and not as cluttered. However TikTok has become popular in the last two years because of its addicting viral short form videos. Influencers gravitate towards these sites because the audience is so lively and the creator has so much control on the content. Oh well, all of that to say, for companies, to have some sort of presence in the Instagram and TikTok world, influencer marketing is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity.
There is evidence that the quality of influencer content production has risen.
Due to the stiff competition, influencers have ensured that they provide high-quality content to their audiences. It enables them to establish a connection with the audience through quality images and videos and outrun competitors. Most spend on professional photographic equipment, cameras, video recording, editing, and other related products. During the selection process of finding the right influencer partners for brands, the production quality of the content is a factor that is given much thought about. Partnering with influencers, who create high-quality content, is useful since a brand can communicate a more powerful signal across platforms such as Instagram and TikTok where aesthetics matter.
Social Media Virtual Influencers and Avatars
Another trend that has recently emerged is the use of virtual influencers and avatars in influencer marketing. These are virtual characters created by marketers through the use of computers and are controlled by marketing agencies. They demand much authority but in reality, they are not even an authentic Twitter account. Advertisers can clearly determine how they want their brand to be communicated to the audience with no influence from the influencers. And virtual influencers offer a way to address the issues that may arise, such as influencer fatigue or controversy. We will have a lot of brands opting for virtual influencers especially for the tech-savvy young audiences.
As we move forward with Influencer Marketing, analytics and data also progress further.
The tools related to the data and analytics for influencer marketing are also evolving at a fast pace. There is better tracking on platforms, which allows users to target more specific aspects like engagement, clicks, conversions, and sales from the posts of influencers. Brands are using the opportunity to get the most out of partnerships, tariffs, and promotions. And influencers also use the data to refine content based on the topics that work best for the target audience. The evolution of better influencer marketing statistics and data guarantees brands get actual value from the influencer solutions.
Greater Emphasis on Influencer Credibility
Audiences of the present age expect influencers that they follow to be genuine in their presentation. Respondents preferred authentic content to branded ads 90% of the time when ads were phony or appeared fake. As a result, smart influencers are producing content that focuses on passion, integrity and honesty. Sponsored partnerships do not involve brands that dictate how their products should be used in promotional materials but ask the influencers to organically incorporate the items into their content. This trend towards ‘real’ interactions is beneficial in fighting such social problems as the decline in trust. It helps to strengthen both the influencer and the brand images at the same time.
Conclusion
Influencer marketing remains to be a dynamic space for brand in 2023 and the coming years. Micro and nano-influencers’ approachability, Instagram and TikTok as new channels, production values and data initiatives are making it more professional. By staying abreast with the current trends in influencer marketing, brands are able to get into this world of associations and believability as has never been possible before. The right influencer strategy can help a brand to move up the desirability ladder and provide consumers with the genuine opinion they seek.
