The influencer marketing industry is constantly morphing and moving forward as new trends and technology deliver powerful ways to grow reach and lift ROI. There have been big changes since the early Wild West days of influencer marketing. But they’re changes that ultimately benefit brands, consumers and conscientious influencers.
It can seem daunting to stay on top of influencer marketing topics because trends pop up at a furious pace. However, some trends stand out for their impact. These trends are very real; they’re not topics that a questionable self-anointed influencer marketing guru has dreamed up. They’re largely data-driven (and/or advised by the FTC), and their results are measurable. Here are five of the top trending influencer marketing topics for 2019.
Nano- and Micro-influencers Grab the Spotlight
As brands’ love affairs with celebrities and mega-influencers wanes a bit, nano- and micro-influencers have risen up to take their share of the spotlight. Audience numbers are taking a back seat to engagement as brands better understand that a highly engaged audience is one that’s likely to deliver results.
In influencer marketing circles, nano-influencers are generally considered those with a few hundred or 1,000 followers to those with 10,000 followers. Meanwhile, micro-influencers tend to have anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 followers. Macro-influencers are generally those that have more than 100,000 followers, and mega and celebrity influencers typically have more than one million followers.
Macro-influencers, mega-influencers and celebrity influencers aren’t going anywhere. They can be the best choices for products targeted to very general markets and other types of influencer campaigns. But when it comes to niche audiences, brands are often less trusting of larger follower numbers. They’re looking for influencers who have created more of a sense of community with their followers.
Brands are also becoming more focused on the relationships that nano- and micro-influencers can build with their loyal niche audiences. Nano- and micro- influencers create highly targeted content for their audiences, who are enthusiastic about the interests those influencers cover.
They’re great choices for brands to partner with on product promotions to specialized markets. These influencers and their content seem more authentic to their followers than macro-influencers, mega-influencers and celebrity influencers do. Their followers often see them as everyday people who create valuable content, find them to be authentic and trust them.
For instance, a nano- or micro-influencer might be one who creates video content for the DIY home furnishings market. Instead of reaching a larger, more general audience that prefers to buy its furniture ready-made, these influencers reach a different group of consumers. They’re people who want to learn how to make things from scratch and save money doing so. They make up a smaller market, but one that’s extremely passionate about DIY.
Long-term Partnerships Are on the Rise
“Think long-term” is a classic business maxim and one that brands and marketers are realizing also holds true for partnerships with influencers. With long-term partnerships, brands build trust with influencers’ followers as the followers become familiar with the brands through the consistency of a long-term campaign.
A long-term mindset delivers growth in engagement, site traffic, leads and conversions. Brands can also learn more about their markets from ongoing influencer campaigns as they engage with them through social media. They can discover the content that works best and the products customers are looking for — all via social media analytics and feedback.
Because influencer campaigns are measurable, brands can also track changes and discover new markets over the long term. The longer an influencer campaign lasts, the more opportunity followers have to share campaign content with their friends, family and colleagues.
Influencer Audience Numbers Come Under Closer Scrutiny
As brands grapple with the damage that fake followers can do to campaigns and ROI, they’re asking for verification of influencers’ audience numbers. It’s estimated that in 2019 alone, brands lost $1.3 billion from partnering with influencers who have fake followers.
Brands and marketers are taking a closer look at big audience numbers, searching for signs of fake followers and bots, which are automated fake accounts. They have access to more tips and tools for sniffing out followers that aren’t real. Brands and agencies are also asking influencers they partner with to sign agreements stating that they haven’t bought fake followers and don’t use bots.
Brands, Influencers and Audiences Embrace Sponsorship Disclosure
A growing number of brands and influencers are taking the FTC’s guidelines on paid endorsement disclosure to heart. It’s a major sea change from recent days when brands and influencers aimed to make sponsored content appear ad-free.
After the FTC advised celebrity influencers that neglected to disclose their paid endorsements to change their ways, others began to follow suit. Now influencers across the audience-size spectrum are taking heed, becoming mindful of the threat of FTC fines for defying the guidelines.
Audiences appreciate the transparency as it makes them feel that they can trust influencers and brands that disclose sponsorships. Clear and conspicuous disclosures of paid content follow the FTC guidelines for brands, marketers and influencers.
The FTC also advises influencers to disclose any material connections they have to the brand they’re promoting. That can include family connections to the brand or an investment in it or involve accepting a form of payment for the promotion.
The FTC also cautions influencers against posting reviews of products or services they haven’t tried. The organization also cautions against posting dishonest reviews. It’s all in the interest of protecting consumers from deceptive and misleading business practices, which is the FTC’s job.
TikTok, Instagram and Mobile Video Lead the Way
An app for short-form mobile video that’s big with Gen Z, TikTok is attracting a growing number of brand and influencer partnerships. More than one billion consumers across 150 countries use TikTok, and 60% of them are members of Gen Z. That’s tremendous growth for an app that was launched in 2017.
Influencer video marketing is surging as the mobile marketplace skyrockets.
It’s estimated that by 2020 there will be six billion smartphones in use and that the international mobile app market will have a value of $64.1 billion.
Mobile video channels and apps like YouTube, Vimeo and TikTok are sating consumers’ appetites for quick video they can watch on the go. Consumers want videos that show influencers using and viewing the products they’re considering purchasing. It’s valuable content that can reach consumers practically anywhere throughout the buying journey, including right up to the point of in-store or online purchases.
Instagram, which launched in 2010, continues to grow in global popularity as consumers are attracted to its engaging, highly visual format. It’s predicted that by 2020 Instagram will boast 112.5 million users in the U.S. (about one third of the population).
However, even though the figure comprises about a third of the U.S. population, only 11% of Instagram users are in the United States. Instagram also reaches an enormous international market, especially in countries like Brazil and India. For brands targeting both domestic and international markets, Instagram proves itself a great choice for influencer campaigns. And it definitely has the numbers to back that up.
