Top 8 Influencer Marketing Trends in 2020
The influencer marketing industry is on the rise, with no signs of stopping soon. According to the estimates, it will reach a $15 billion worth by the end of 2022. So, if you ever had any doubts about building brand awareness through influencer marketing campaigns, it is time to reset your approach to this lucrative field of marketing.
So, what to expect from influencer marketing trends in 2020? To help businesses and influencers navigate more quickly through the changes in this dynamic market, we compiled the top influencer marketing trends to watch out in 2020.
#1 Creating Highly Engaging Video Content
One of the leading influencer marketing trends in 2020 is the shift in the type of content that influencers create and share with their followers. This year, the focus will be on creating highly engaging audio and video content, which shouldn`t come as a surprise considering that 72% of people are more likely to choose video content over text when learning about a new product or a service.
The video content is becoming more and more important in the influencer marketing campaigns because the consumers want to be engaged with the content. Video enables that. Therefore, creating video demonstrations, product reviews, or interviews as a part of the influencer campaign will be a great way to attract a highly focused audience.
#2 Building Stronger Connections with Followers Through Long-form Captions
More personal, long-form captions, as effective personal mini-blogs, are a proven way to build a stronger connection with social media followers. Reflective and motivational long-form captions, as a part of a narrative, play an important role in developing the influencer’s image.
By asking to share their own experiences or adding a Call to Action, influencers can easily interact with their followers which guarantees engagement. At the same time, this form of caption increases the influencer`s credibility, which is essential in delivering authentic content to the audience.
#3 Collaborating with Nano Influencer
Trust and authenticity between the influencers and their followers represent the base of influencer marketing. It is something nano-influencers can easily achieve because they have a close relationship with their audience.
This type of influencers presents everyday consumers with the influence in the local community. The size of their audience is up to 10,000 followers, but due to a very high engagement level, the nano influencers are very powerful. They know most of their followers, which makes them more authentic, and results with a high level of trust.
The nano influencers are the right choice for every small business with a limited marketing budget or a start-up. This kind of collaboration is great for testing influencer marketing ideas before making significant investments. Also, they bring a fantastic ROI at a minimal cost.
#4 The Rising Popularity of Gaming Influencers
As one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, the global eSports market is expected to reach $1.79 billion value by 2022. Consequently, the gaming influencers are becoming more and more popular. As one of the influencer marketing trends in 2020, gaming influencers bring fantastic opportunities for marketers. One of the reasons is because they have an incredible impact on the lucrative Millennial and Gen Z audience.
It particularly refers to the female gamers, who are expected to gain even more significant influence in the following years. The gaming fans represent one-third of the overall YouTube audience, which explains how some of the top female gaming YouTubers managed to build bases with more than 20 million subscribers.
#5 Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) Influencers
Although authenticity is the essential social media marketing value, one of the leading new influencer marketing trends in 2020 involves influencers that aren’t even human. By using Computer Generated Imagery (CGI), the brands have the opportunity to create their influencers.
Lil Miquela is the best example of a CGI influencer with names like Prada, UGG, and Diesel in her portfolio. The reason for that is because this new, futuristic type of influencers is desirable to a young, tech-focused audience familiar with technologies like virtual and augmented reality.
#6 Building Successful Influencer Marketing Campaigns with AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have a significant impact on the influencer marketing industry in 2020. With the use of AI, the entire process of finding the right influencer to collaborate with can become much faster and easier. When used correctly, this powerful technology helps to identify influencers with better engagement, less fake followers, and who can bring a higher chance of positive ROI.
At the same time, it can quickly analyze years and years of social media content to determine the aesthetic style, validity, audience sentiment, or the success in driving engagement, traffic, and product sales. As one of the most important influencer marketing trends in 2020, Artificial Intelligence will help to create more relevant and valuable content for the target audience.
#7 TikTok and Twitch as New Influencer Marketing Trends in 2020
Although Instagram will remain as the leading influencer marketing channel globally, TikTok and Twitch are becoming more and more attractive to many marketers and brands. The world’s leading live streaming platform for gamers has already drawn the attention of several non-gaming brands.
At the same time, a biannual convention devoted to Twitch and the culture of streaming and gaming on-demand TwitchCon is supported by valuable sponsorships, including brands like Honda, Intel, or Lenovo. With streaming the mainstream games like Fornite, which player base hit 250 million people in 2019, Twitch will undoubtedly become an attractive option for marketers.
On the other hand, with more than 65% of users under the age of 30, TikTok has become a top marketing platform for brands aiming at the Gen Z audience. As one of the world’s most popular video-sharing platforms, today, TikTok counts more than half a billion active users.
#8 Hosting Influencer Events
As a great way to boost the existing campaigns, influencer events are expected to gain increased popularity in 2020. Although they require a lot of planning and bring sizeable cost, these exclusive, invite-only events can add a lot of value to a brand.
This increasingly popular type of campaign includes inviting influencers to exclusive gatherings, or mainstream events to promote products and services. They allow influencers getting to know the brand better and what it stands for.
At the same time, they help in building brand awareness for new product introductions and establishing a genuine connection with the community. As one of the important influencer marketing trends in 2020, this inventive method will become more interesting, mostly to big brands.
Start Boosting Brand Awareness with Influencers in 2020
The new influencer marketing trends in 2020 will shape the activities and marketing plans of many brands and companies. To maximize the ROI of their influencer marketing campaigns, they will have to leverage the newest social media platforms, technologies, and preferred content types.
But despite the new trends on the market, the essential value in running a successful influencer marketing campaign will remain the same. As the key players, influencers will continue to determine the success of brands, which is why it is crucial to cooperate with the ones who share specific brand values and have the ability to truly influence their fanbase.
Originally posted on Mentionlytics: https://www.mentionlytics.com/blog/top-influencer-marketing-trends-2020/
