Influencer marketing isn’t a new trend anymore. It’s something that businesses are starting to lean on more and more. But recent trends are happening left, right, and center in influencer marketing which is good or bad news depending on where you’re sitting. The thing is, 2018 will see a host of trends in influencer marketing take root; I’ve come up with the top 15 influencer marketing trends for 2022.
What is Influencer Marketing?
Influencer marketing is a strategy that uses social media influencers to promote your brand. Influencers have large followings on social media and use their channels to share content about products or services they like.
There are many different types of influencers, ranging from celebrities to Instagrammers to YouTubers.
Affiliate Link and Promo Codes
The affiliate link is a marketing strategy that allows you to make money by recommending products or services. When you share an affiliate link, you will earn a commission for each sale that results from someone clicking on your link.
Promo codes are special codes that customers can use to get discounts on products or services. Promo codes are usually used as part of a promotional campaign.
Ambassador Program
An ambassador program creates a mutually beneficial relationship between the brand and the influencer through which you can create attractive, relatable, and engaging content.
Ambassador programs can be used across various industries and platforms, including social media, email marketing, and in-person events.
Product Tutorials
Product tutorials are the hottest new trend in influencer marketing. Because many people are hesitant to make purchases online, they need extra help to feel comfortable buying something new. That’s where product tutorials come in. They take the guesswork out of ordering products online by showing you exactly how to use them, step by step.
If you’re thinking about trying this type of marketing campaign, make sure that your target audience is made up of people who will appreciate this specific kind of content.
Contest and Giveaways
The most common trend in influencer marketing is the contest or giveaway. Giveaways are one of the most effective ways to engage with your audience and get them involved with your brand. It is a great way to increase customer loyalty, encourage social sharing and engagement, and generate leads.
If you are looking for a way to boost your brand awareness or increase sales, then contests and giveaways are the best way to do it.
Co-Creation
Co-creation is a trend that is gaining popularity in the influencer marketing world. Influencers are becoming increasingly interested in working with brands rather than just promoting products they don’t believe in.
Co-creation means that you’re working together with an influencer to create something new. This could be a product, a video, or even social media post. The idea is that the consumer sees the final product as being created by someone they trust, so it carries more weight than just seeing an advertisement.
Exclusive Interviews
Some of the most effective influencer marketing campaigns involve a one-on-one interview between the brand and the influencer.
In an exclusive interview, you can ask your influencer questions about the product and their thoughts. This can be a great way to get some insider information that you can use to build relationships with new customers or get more engagement from existing ones.
Branded Hashtags
Hashtags are one of the most important tools in your influencer marketing arsenal and one of the most underutilized. When you create a branded hashtag, you can track conversations around your brand and engage with customers who are talking about you.
Here are some of the most successful branded hashtags:
- #ShareACoke by Coca-Cola
- #MyCalvins by Calvin Klein
- #LikeAGirl by Always
- #TweetFromTheSeat by Charmin
- #DoUsAFlavour by Lays
The best part is that it’s easy to do! You have to create a new hashtag and ask your followers to use it when they talk about you.
Sponsored YouTube Videos
Another trend in influencer marketing is sponsored YouTube videos. This is when a brand pays an influencer to make a video that includes their product. The benefit of this is that the content can be more engaging since it’s not just a simple review or advertisement, and it also gives the viewer a chance to see the influencer’s personality and style.
The downsides are that it can be expensive for brands, and sometimes it can feel like the influencers are being scripted by the brands.
Product Seeding
Product seeding is giving away a product to a social media influencer in exchange for featuring it on their channels. This can be done in various ways, from sending early access to products and asking for feedback to sending free samples for use in an upcoming post.
While this strategy is not new, it has become more popular as more brands seek ways to increase their online presence without paying for advertising.
Live Videos
It’s no secret that live videos are hot right now, but it’s not just because they’re new and different. They’re also engaging and fun, which makes them great for building connections with your audience.
There are many ways to use live video, but one of the most popular is to have influencers talk about their products and services. Influencers can also use live video to talk about new products and services from other businesses they work with or to give updates on projects they’re working on.
Testimonials
In today’s marketplace, you must demonstrate that you understand your audience and what they want. One of the ways to do this is through testimonials from real people who have used your product or service.
Influencer testimonials are an effective way to promote your brand because they offer credibility and authenticity. People trust other people more than they trust brands, so when you can get someone with influence to talk about how much they love your product, it makes it more likely that people will trust what they’re saying and be interested in trying out the product themselves.
Product Launching
Influencer marketing is a great option if you’re looking for a way to get the word out about your new product. This is a classic strategy. It’s used by all sorts of companies, from big brands to small ones.
You can invite influencers when you launch your product or services. This will help you to get the attention of your audience at the early stages of your business, and it will also help you to create a buzz about your product or service.
You can also ask them to help you promote your product by reviewing it on their social media platforms, sharing the link of purchase, and doing live video streaming while using it.
Live Events
Influencer Marketing is moving beyond social media. It’s moving into the real world. Influencers are becoming increasingly involved in live events, and more brands are using influencers to host or sponsor these events. This trend is significant for fans who want to get closer to their favorite influencers, but it’s also great for brands because they can reach many people simultaneously!
Commercials
The use of influencers to do commercials for you is on the rise, and it will only get bigger in the coming years. With so many platforms now offering influencer marketing, it has become more accessible to companies looking to reach their target audience without spending a fortune on traditional advertising.
Influencer marketing is also becoming a more effective way for companies to connect with their customers and build brand loyalty. By working with an influencer who already has an established following of people who resonate with them, you can leverage their trust and credibility to make your product seem more appealing and trustworthy.
Blog Reviews
A blog review is when an influencer reviews a product, service, or brand. Blog reviews can be done in written form or through video. They are intended to help consumers discover more about a product or service before making their purchasing decision. Blog reviews typically include a rating system that helps consumers determine how well the product or service matches their needs or preferences.
Takeaway
As you can see from the examples referenced above, influencer marketing is a powerful way to connect with new markets and inspire people to engage with your products or brand. The world of social media is only growing in size, which will likely lead to more business-savvy individuals using these tools to promote their own brands.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a small business owner, or part of an established firm, it’s worth learning more about how influencer marketing can help your brand.