Hey everyone, welcome back to our site, in today's post, I want to talk about influencer marketing.
In 2021 what can we expect seeing in this industry, what are some changes that are gonna be happening, so that we can all be prepared both influencers and brands.
If you're new to our site, welcome I love to talk about all things.
Influencer marketing and social media just to give those newbies a quick little intro to myself. I have worked with many brands on their influencer marketing campaigns and I also work with Influencers.
Now helping them build their businesses, so we often like to say we're on both sides of the equation, so this post influencer marketing trends for 2021 really is going to cover for both my brand clients and my influencer clients.
I'm going to try to speak to both of you when you know when I'm speaking in this post, before I jump into all the tips that I want to share with you today, of what I think is going to happen in our industry.
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Influencer marketing, okay so today let's start with the first big trend that I think that we're going to be seeing in 2021.
Numbers are not going to matter, as much so what do I mean by this back in the day or at least a few years ago brands were new to influencer marketing.
They were still getting their feet wet and they were really impressed by these big big followers and big you know vanity metrics, that's what we tend to call it on the brand side.
But I think brands are starting to realize more and more it's really about finding an influencer, whose audience matches the brands the more niche the better.
So like let me put in perspective, if I had a product and I really wanted someone to you know to work with an influencer to produce my product and to get it out there and promote it, I would probably be better off working with someone in a more specialized niece.
Niche that does maybe product reviews, that has a dedicated channel or audience that really is interested in learning about products.
This would be a captivating audience right versus maybe someone who just has a lot of numbers, but overall maybe their target audience or their audience of the influencers doesn't match the brands.
So we are going to be seeing a big increase in the micro influencers, a big increase in the nano influencers, if you're interested to learn more about nano influencer, marketing i'm going to put a post right in comments, so that you guys can um go read it later and learn all about nano.
It mark nano influencers because, this is something that's also happening in our industry, so with that said we are going to see an increase of specialized niches.
So influencers used to just kind of be like I'm a travel influencer, I'm a beauty influencer, but now we're carving it down even more.
Okay what type of beauty do you cover is it like vegan beauty, are you a vegan beauty influencer and only talk about certain like products sustainable beauty, are you commercial beauty, are you focusing on drugstore products like what does your audience come to you for.
And the more as an influencer you know, this the more true influence you'll be able to have and more brands you know will want to work with you and to my brand clients you guys make sure that you are looking for influencers that have the audience that you want so trend number one.
Numbers are going to be less of a focus for my second trend this one, is a little bit instagram specific, but we do see lots of influencers playing on instagram.
This second trend is all about less focus on post and creating different variety of assets, so what do I mean we're going to see a lot more sponsored reels.
We're going to see a lot more sponsored instagram lives, we're going to see brands working with influencers in different ways than just hey can you post something and talk about my product.
You know with all the new features, that instagram is rolling out, we have instagram guides, we're gonna see influencer marketing trickle into these new features, so that the content is again more authentic, more realistic focuses, more on storytelling.
So I think brands are going to start also going to influencers and asking like what type of content on instagram, can I get besides just a static post and with this said I think we're also going to see a lot of influencer marketing.
Not only being on instagram but trickle to other platforms, so this could be like sponsoring an influencer zoom call maybe, it's a private wine tasting, that she's doing on a live.
Maybe it's influencer you know working with an influencer on some sort of like private patreon, only event where the brand is sponsoring something really behind the scenes again this is.
This is getting creative, so influencer marketing while a lot of times there was a big focus on posts and static posts, which are just instagram posts on the feed.
We're gonna start seeing a lot more influencer style content outside of posts, this trend can also be linked to the huge rise that we've seen in tik-tok.
So influencers used to just play on instagram right, when we thought of instagram it's like these are where the influencers are at well not anymore.
Tik tok has completely created a new wave of influencers, which leads to my third trend focusing on the content not the creator.
So tik tok basically, came into this market you know really upped its presence in 2020 and really took over when it came to influencer marketing.
Now what tick tock did which I have to give them credit for is, it developed this new way of enjoying and consuming content so back in the day.
It was all the influencer was all like me, me and about me and about the creator, but now it's no longer about the creator it's not about the influencer, it's about the content that they make the content is now the focus and you can see this on tik tok right.
Because when you're scrolling on tik tok, you're gonna start saying oh my god I love this video or I love this content but you don't even care, who the creator is, that did it right.
It's just is the content engaging or not is the content creative or not so a big trend, I think we're going to see trickle into instagram as well as influencer marketing, is a you know a focus on the content.
How creative is the content this is, the type of assets that brands are going to start wanting their influencers to create you know and we talked about this a little earlier.
When we said we're going to see sponsored reels yeah you're going to see sponsored reels, but they're going to be in that tik tok style, that are super highly engaging and just really creative overall now.
For my next trend that, I think that we're going to start seeing in influencer marketing, I think we're going to see a lot more long-form relationships versus one-off static posts and one-off sponsored posts.
So hear me out, we saw a lot of you know what I call the one-night stand approach, when it came to influencer marketing, people just pay for a post influence or post it and that's it.
But influencers they want to work with brands in a longer built out capacity, you know they're willing to kind of give some leeway on their pricing, in the beginning.
But they're doing it with the hopes to build out a longer, you know relationship and brands too, brands are starting to enjoy working with influencers in this sort of headspace versus just like mass.
Mass is working and cultivating longer term relationships now with this trend I think it's really important to note this is equally as tied to.
I think we're gonna see a lot less freebies influencers, are clearly valuing themselves as they should be understanding that you know free swag, doesn't pay the bills.
So brands it's going to be you know the days of being able to ask influencers, to just review your product for free, those days, I think are going to be very limited,
Limited and rightfully, so because they're working hard to produce content, they should be paid for such I've never seen an industry that expects people to work for free, actually as much as you see in the influencer industry.
And I think this is going to be a big trend a big shift that's happening you know influencers are now able to monetize in different ways than working with brands.
Right like influencers are creating their own products, their own shops, they're doing affiliate marketing they're not even doing free posts for themselves anymore right.
So they're posting a pair of jeans, but they're trying to you know swipe up to shop it they want that affiliate sale this is now becoming like a business for them and a livelihood.
So it's not nothing personal with the brand partners, it's just you know there is this monetization mindset influencers are coming into the to the market, to make a business out of it.
And that's why we're gonna see, these long-term relationships build because maybe you know the pricing is flexible in the first couple of posts and then they grow into you know more retainer based clients like, where influencers are now working with brands.
You know, in a more serious long-term contract again, not just one you know here and there now I do think it's important to know for the brands that are reading this, you know and for anyone really that working with each other is a value based exchange.
It's all about the value you are providing everything is really case by case right, so if a you know travel brand or a hotel is offering a room at a thousand dollars a night, to an influencer and the influencers posting what would be worth a thousand dollars equivalent in an ad spend.
Then it's fair but then if the influencers asked to spend like, I don't know create 25, 30, 300 photos or drone shots underwater things, that would take like I don't know a huge budget and a huge photo budget to pull off, that's when there's a little bit of an unequal.
So a really great partnership, is when there's an equal trade of value, so it's not to say that influencers, you know you're not going to find influencers that are going to want to collaborate to review, to keep their expenses down by doing free swag.
We're always going to see there be you know people that are accepting gifted offers and that's just part of the game, but I do think that there is going to be a shift, that now.
You know we need to pay to play and it's funny because, I used to hear from the brand clients, so much being like oh influencers are always asking for free stuff and now I hear it from the influencers being like brands are always asking for free stuff.
So it's almost like the balance of power is shifting a little bit now, with this said I do think brands are going to be expecting more performance based style of marketing.
So maybe the payment structures will shift maybe there's a little bit more of like okay what influence do you really bring to the table brands are also not looking for likes and comments.
You know it depends obviously, on what the brand's goals are but, if a brand is looking to push sales like that's what they're gonna try to measure it for.
So influencers will really need to have influence to you know be able to have that really strong relationship with a brand, that they're looking to do.
Now I did want to say before I jump into my next trend that if you are on the brand side and you're looking for some one-on-one help on developing your influencer marketing strategy.
I'm going to leave a link to work with me and my team below, we can help you iron out and craft your chat, you know your plan for 2021 and that way you guys can be all settled.
When you're you know figuring out which influencers you want to work with, who's a good fit for you and all that good stuff.
Okay so now let's jump into our next trend I think in influencer marketing we're going to see a lot more influencers "Run Ads".
Yes influencers are going to be running ads now for their brand partners, we're going to see ads being run natively and we're also going to see a lot of white listing.
So let me explain natively, is when the, you know when the influencer is just boosting the post on their own, with the brand's budget and white listing is a little bit more complicated.
This is a white listing, is when the brand basically has access to the influencers content and they're able to tweak captions, they're able to put an ad budget behind it, they're able to boost the post.
Maybe it's including different, you know promotions that are going on this, is a different head this is a very new phenomenon that we're seeing happening in the brand space.
That where brands are you know using influencer posts as paid social and I think we're going to see a lot more of this in 2021 influencers.
You know and what this means guys is like just looking on your screen, you're gonna see an ad coming from an influencer and you're gonna think the influencer is running the ad.
But actually the brand is the one paying to run the ad on their behalf using their photo, maybe their content, so this is something we definitely all want to keep an eye on.
Now my next trend I love for my influencer clients, because, I think this is a really great way for you guys to monetize.
We are going to see influencers being brought behind the scenes more, so what does this mean. This is going to be influencers as "Creative Directors".
Influencers as you know production influencers as consultants the thing is brands want to work with influencers, because influencers are creative and cool and like you know how to make really cool stuff right, and have you know a strong audience and a strong influence.
But now these decision makers, the influencers are going to be brought into roundtable conversations, with the marketing team like they're going to be kind of more of a thought leader, of an expert and this is super exciting for influencers.
Especially when they're trying to pitch to brands and work with brands in that longer term contract, that trend that we spoke of earlier, this is a great way for them to monetize outside of just posting.
You know that static post and if you are an influencer and you need a little help flushing this out I'm also going to leave a link below for ways that you guys can work with me and we can help refine your pitch.
So that you can pitch these types of jobs because, these jobs are really exciting when we're pulling influencers no longer you're doing static posts, but you're doing more big creative thinking.
Which is super cool similarly as another trend we're starting to see businesses bring in their own stuff and to make them influential and make them into influencers.
So what I mean by this is you're gonna see companies rather than maybe investing in influencer marketing, maybe they're gonna you know set up a podcast for their CEO or an instagram channel for their CEO or you know youtube channel, for their ceo or maybe their marketing director.
They're gonna take the people that know the product inside and out that know the brand inside and out and help develop their social media influence, make them more likable, put them online.
More have them show up on stories this is going to be super interesting and we're seeing brands do this already, at a very high rate.
Rather than going to influencers they're building out their staff within and trying to make them influencers they're themselves.
So really cool trend and really big, okay so for my last trend for influencer marketing and for those of you that have made it this far awesome I'm so excited for you.
Because I personally love this trend and I think it's going to be really big and we're going to see it flush out a lot in 2021.
So this trend is all about "Brand Activism", an accenture strategy study found that over 60 percent of consumers want brands to stand behind something people are especially.
When it comes to social justice, maybe environmentalism and big you know societal topics, but people want brands that they love and care about, to take a stand and we're seeing more and more of this.
I think we're going to start seeing influencer marketing in spaces, that we're not used to seeing it, maybe and you know bringing in activists and giving them a platform.
Brands are going to be aligning with you know local communities, people that are making a difference and bringing them to the table and I think as you know just overall, having some sort of give back as part of your influencer marketing strategy is super super important.
Because this is where the industry needs to go especially brands, that are looking to develop their influence or marketing strategy, they need to have something built in about giving back, about inclusivity diversity and really having this at the top of.
You know of the agenda of influencer marketing, you know it needs to be more diverse, it needs to have representation, because it really does matter and people are excited by seeing brands, who are taking a stand and bringing in you know local community leaders and lifting them so in terms of influencer marketing.
Guys we're going to see a lot of this and I hope brands continue to take a stand for what is right, anyways I hope you guys enjoyed today's post.
Like I said there's tons of different ways that we can work together, also for my influencers guys, I have an amazing course for you an engagement course that helps you on your instagram engagement and your instagram authenticity.
It is life-changing, like this, comment just said and I really think that you guys will benefit from it, leave me a comment let me know what you think about these influencer marketing trends in 2021.
Do you agree do you not other other trends that I'm missing, I want to hear from you, I love reading my comments so definitely leave me one and I will see you guys in the next post.
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