Influencer marketing is one of the most dynamic industries that brands continuously leverage to expand their awareness and reputation. Just like most digital marketing industries, the influencer marketing environment is rapidly changing and growing.
As an entrepreneur, marketer, or CEO, you should do your best to stay up to speed with the latest industry changes. Paying attention to the most popular influencer marketing predictions and trends is not just beneficial but crucial because you should persistently stay up to speed with the marketplace’s dance.
In 2019, influencer marketing represented an incredibly powerful acquisition channel for brands and businesses of all types and sizes.
Something is clear: influencer marketing is here to stay because it is just getting started. A recent survey shows that 39% of professional marketers are going to raise their influencer marketing budget in 2020. If that is going to happen, the influencer marketing industry becomes a ten-million-dollar industry by the year 2020.
Still, nothing’s going to stay fixed. Technology’s shaping the way we think, interact, and live. The same technology is changing the course of all industries and marketplaces. Therefore, do your best to go with the flow and seize every promising opportunity that’s provided the change of the status quo.
To the practical stuff. Let us have a look at some of the most important influencer marketing predictions for 2020. Pay attention, take some notes, and plan your next influencer marketing campaign while taking into consideration the most promising and possibly effective tactics.
The Rise of Micro-Influencers and Nano-Influencers
Have you heard of the phrase “less is more”? Do you resonate with it? Well, today’s brands totally do. Nowadays, you don’t have to be a million-dollar star, a famous actor, or a tennis champion to be noticed by the millions of brands who are looking for influencer marketing opportunities.
In 2020, having at least 1000 engaged followers is enough to land you a collaboration contract with different brands who have embraced the idea of nano and micro-influencer marketing.
Basically, social media users who aren’t famous or popular are easily approachable and more affordable to brands. Additionally, an effective micro-influencer or nano-influencer campaign generates a strong word-of-mouth impact that impacts the brand’s exposure significantly.
Data-Driven Campaigns
As technology evolves, data analytics becomes a must-have tool for any brand who is serious about influencer marketing. Automating the collection and analysis of data related to influencer marketing campaigns allows brands to measure a precise ROI (return on investment) and decide whether their collaborations are still beneficial.
Moreover, the role of data is not just a damage control tool. Brands that collect data can understand their user’s behavior faster and better, thus allowing them to create personalized content that radically increases their conversion rates.
In 2020, brands that neglect data will experience a lot of scalability issues.
Long-Term Partnerships
Rather than perceiving influencers as a one-time collaboration, brands are starting to shape the nature of their collaborations. In 2020, influencer marketing campaigns will aim to deliver a full experience throughout the entire marketing funnel.
Long-term basis collaborations seem to be very productive, so brands are currently testing various techniques to spice up their influencer marketing campaigns. For example, a new trend involves co-branded partnerships with influencers. This allows businesses to tap into an entirely different marketplace and generate new connections and regular sales.
Lastly yet very importantly, long-term partnerships are more convenient in terms of costs and resources. Instead of constantly looking for new potential contracts, they can focus on creating more effective campaigns with their long-term influencers. Time, energy, attention, and money!
CGI Influencers
The newest trend in the influencer marketing world is the rise of CGI (computer-generated) influencers.
Basically, these are animated toons that are given a name, a personality, and a social media voice.
They have more followers than the regular person, and as the marketing teams behind their character continue to work, these fictional influencers will reach more and more eyes and ears.
If you ask me, this is a pretty crazy trend, but it does work. For example, a popular CGI influencer named Lil Miquela has already partnered with huge brands like Calvin Klein and Prada.
If you’re into this idea, why don’t you create your own brand’s CGI influencer?
Cross-Platform Marketing
In the past several years, the majority of brands were designing their influencer marketing on a single platform. Generally, it was Instagram because that’s the place where most influencer marketing campaigns are held. Nevertheless, in 2020, we’ll notice more and more brands that will go for cross-platform marketing.
Platforms like TikTok are gaining a lot of attention. We’ve seen many brands shifting their focus from established platforms like Facebook to new platforms that are currently trendy and provide a lot of engagement.
Twitch Marketing Gains More Popularity
Professional marketers look beyond what’s in front of them. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube – everyone knows about them. But how about Twitch?
If you’re not familiar with Twitch, this is one of the most trending streaming services worldwide, a platform where people can stream anything from their gaming sessions and music to painting and cooking.
Here’s why Twitch is going to be a popular choice among influencer marketers in 2020:
Even though at first sight it looks like YouTube, Twitch works differently. Its users are paying a small amount of money to subscribe to their favorite streaming channels in order to get notified whenever the streamer is on.
The simple fact that they’re donating a certain sum of money to the streamer, the audience is going to be a lot more engaged. There’s a stronger relationship between Twitch streamers and their followers than what we see on YouTube.
Nowadays, platforms like Netflix and HBO are leveraging Twitch channels by inserting various sponsored posts on popular streams that get noticed by lots and lots of viewers.
Takeaways
If influencer marketing is here to stay, that means that you have to adapt. Play by the marketplace’s rules, break them, show your innovative ideas, and take consistent action. The key to becoming a better marketer lies in the persistence of your work.
By constantly testing, measuring, and optimizing your influencer marketing campaigns, you’ll become a true master in a relatively short time. Stay up to speed with the latest marketplace trends and take advantage of all opportunities!
Author’s Bio:
Tobias Foster is a digital marketer, journalist, and writer at a popular resume writing service from UK. Tobias is very passionate about finding new marketing and communication channels that weren’t explored by the masses yet. Besides marketing and writing, Tobias is also working to finish his first digital course.