Influencer marketing is an innovative approach that continues to evolve as time and trends progress. While it was uncertain how the industry would look after the pandemic, influencer marketing is now the answer for businesses looking to get in front of a wider audience.

Trends come and go, but influencers know how to approach the market. Within the last three years, Google searches for ‘influencer marketing’ increased by 1500%. The opportunities are endless, and if your business is yet to take inspiration from the rising influencers of 2022, you need to get back to the drawing board. Brands expect to spend £12 billion on influencer marketing this year.

The influencer marketing sector will be worth £12.57 billion globally in 2022. So, despite the setback from Covid, this type of strategy has only surged in popularity since it first became a concept around 2009.

Knowing the upcoming influencer marketing trends is the best step to establishing how and where to invest in the current craze. Here are just a few of the influencer marketing trends expected in 2022.

Video content is trending

Users are consuming video content more than ever before. Whether that is a Youtube video, TikTok or Instagram Reel, you will find this generation of influencers promoting the latest products and services in mainly video form.

Even podcast influencers are leaning towards a visual format, with Youtube and Instagram stars uploading video podcasts to popular social platforms.

With every social platform introducing video upload features in recent years, influencers have endless promotional opportunities, and TikTok is the one to watch. The platform recently increased its ability to offer advertising on the app, and brands are taking full advantage of the algorithms and the bite-sized content.

Reviving Livestream shopping QVC style

Speaking of TikTok, the app led the way for Livestream shopping in 2021, encouraging other social platforms like Instagram and Facebook to reap the benefits. A lot of influencers have since taken part in Livestream shopping, and as its popularity rises, we can expect to see a lot more QVC style shopping with a modern twist in the future.

Nano and micro-influencers are more relatable

Influencer marketing always used to focus on numbers. How many followers do they have? How many likes do they get? But brands have quickly realised that sometimes quality over quantity is the right move.

Don’t get us wrong, the hugely popular stars of the industry are an easy sell to fans, but likes don’t always equate to sales – especially considering all of the backlashes influencers have caused in recent years. The reputation is holding on by a thread due to the few dishonest influencers out there promoting products they are not truly a fan of and, in some cases, dangerous such as tanning injections and unlawful beauty treatments.

Nano and micro-influencers have a much smaller following of a few thousand. A large selection of those followers is likely to be more authentic and ready to hear the nano/micro-influencers opinions on products and services. This type of influencer will often not even refer to themselves as an influencer – they produce content with opinions for their enjoyment. The level of trust is almost immediately there because there is no underlying reason or reward for the promotion.

An impressive 92% of consumers trust micro-influencers more than celebrities in 2022. Brands need to tap into the world of micro because while the followers are low, the trust is high and there are plenty of niche opportunities and markets to take advantage of.

Authenticity is favoured

A huge trend in 2022 is influencers becoming more authentic to themselves and their audience. This means less airbrushing, no more misleading filters and a bigger focus on reality and rawness. Consumers are opening up to the idea of real, authentic humans promoting products rather than a false perception of perfection.

Social media feeds will express an array of candid, unfiltered and ‘in the moment’ content rather than a perfectly refined feed that almost doesn’t feel liveable in the real world. Brands are looking to work with influencers who create less forced ‘ad’ style content and instead focus on developing relationships with those who naturally incorporate products into their usual video format with unbias, authentic opinions.

No channel left unturned

The core social media platforms, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, are all used by influencers, and the number of users on these platforms is constantly increasing. Influencers and brands could hugely benefit from developing a reputation and promoting cross channel campaigns across numerous channels for better results. Access to a wider audience is always favoured, but make sure the platforms you select make the most sense for you and your brand.

Brand and influencer relationships are for the long term

Brands are looking to hold more meaningful relationships with influencers for the long term rather than agreeing to a one-off sponsorship deal. It’s the perfect strategy for success. It takes time to gain user trust for them to make a sale. Continuous authentic advertising throughout the year will pay off in the long run when your influencers are trusted and listened to.

After working with influencers, there is an opportunity to introduce them as brand ambassadors by taking the time to teach them your values.

It seems that influencer marketing is here to stay. Influencers are the best way to tap into new audiences and increase sales through trusted, brand-friendly spokespersons.

With our vast network of brand ambassadors, we can find you the perfect influencer for your brand and work together to deliver high-converting content. Get in touch with us to discuss your influencer strategy for 2022.