If you love fast-paced, unpredictable and highly exciting topics then influencer marketing is certainly the one for you. Not only does influencer marketing follow rapid developments in social media platforms, but they also ignite and follow social developments - throw in a few dance trends and TikTok challenges and it seems like there is always something new to explore in the world of influencer marketing.
With a new year comes new opportunities to leverage influencer marketing to your benefit. In this guide, we highlight 5 of the most exciting trends we are likely to see in 2022.
#1 The Continued Rise of Audio & Video Content
Audio and visual content have both seen massive growth in recent years. Global podcast listeners are predicted to increase by 10.6% in 2022 and to hit a massive 504.9 million by 2024. It is also predicted that in 2022 video content will make up a vast 82% of all consumer internet traffic.
This trend has been ignited by many factors ranging from faster home and mobile internet to an increasing desire to consume content whilst undertaking other activities.
With people so eager to consume video and audio content it will come as no surprise that influencers will seek to develop their creation of these in order to boost their engagement and better resonate with their audience.
#2 Brand Spend Increases
With massive ongoing success, it should come as no surprise that we will see many brands increasing their spend on influencer marketing in 2022. In fact, the influencer marketing space is predicted to be worth a massive $15bn in 2022.
It isn’t just brands looking to increase the scope of their influencer programmes that are leading to increased budgets - as the space becomes more competitive, many brands need to spend more in order to gain access to the very best influencers for their campaigns.
Increased spending will also allow brands to invest in high-impact content from influencers such as audio and visual content, helping them reach their target audience in a more compelling way.
#3 Growth of Nano & Micro-Influencers
Many of us assume that influencer marketing is the reserve of giant brands with epic budgets who work with behemoth influencers - but this simply just isn’t the case. In fact, many smaller brands are now working consistently with influencers as part of their ongoing marketing campaigns.
This is made possible by the accessibility, affordability and growth of nano and micro-influencers. These influencers typically have much smaller audiences and are often able to increase rates of engagement as a result. In fact, some studies suggest that nano and micro-influencers have the highest engagement of any influencer tier.
As the influencer marketing space continues to grow in competitiveness into 2022, nano and micro-influencers will doubtlessly become a more attractive form of promotion for brands that are keen to leverage the tool.
#4 Focus on Authenticity
Influencer marketing has evolved rapidly in recent years.
No longer can brands simply pay influencers to post images of their products and expect high levels of engagement in return. This is largely due to the increased transparency of sponsored posts. It is also due to the fact that many people’s social media feeds are now packed with sponsored posts - creating ‘influencer fatigue’.
In turn, this has made authenticity the key to influencer success - both in terms of influencers attracting engaged audiences, as well as for brands that are looking to promote their products and services through influencer collaborations.
#5 Diversity
Diversity and inclusion have entered centre stage in every facet of modern life. This is largely due to the unrest and activation around the subjects in 2020 and ever since.
Many brands are beginning to understand the importance of serving and representing all people. In turn, this has led to marketing campaigns focusing heavily on a diverse range of individuals - this is especially prevalent in influencer marketing.
Influencers offer brands a powerful way to highlight that they care about diversity and inclusion. It also allows them to put a human face in front of the brand and become relevant to the topics that are on their audience’s mind.
Influencer Marketing Trends 2022: Summary
It is clear that influencer marketing is an exciting and fast-paced space. With so much change in the world, we will undoubtedly see some unexpected changes in 2022. In this guide, we have highlighted just some of the more predictable trends we will see this year - giving you an insight into what to expect and allowing you to get a head start.