So here we have for you the top 3 Influencer Marketing Insights to think about.

1. Video Content Will Dominate Influencer Marketing Strategies

The first influencer marketing insight will direct you toward video content. We see around us how more people are leaning towards social media content that is in video format. It is proven that audience engagement is greater on social media platforms when content is presented through video.

Live videos have especially gained high popularity in the previous year. When the pandemic started, the number of users on social media platforms in the U.S. increased by more than 50%. Thanks to the use of live videos. We saw many famous influencers having to adapt to these changes.

If brands allow influencers to make their original content and present them in their own style it will surely increase the engagement of their target audience. These days videos that are realistic and natural are more effective and create stronger connections with the users even without professional edits.

2. TikTok Influencers Are Key To A Successful Marketing Campaign

The second influencer marketing insight brings TikTok back under the spotlight. True, Instagram still holds the dominant position among social media platforms in influencer marketing. But TikTok is not far behind and it is rapidly growing. More than 30% out of 200 internet marketing executives claimed that TikTok is their favorite platform for influencer marketing.

The videos created on TikTok are creative and easy to watch. They resonate with people and pique their interest that’s why many brands love this platform. The number of TikTok active users per month currently is about 850 million and it is still growing.

Unlike Instagram or Facebook, TikTok is a non-formal platform. The video content created on TikTok is casual, easy to watch, and connects people more naturally. That’s why it engages so many people. In particular the younger population especially during the time of the lockdown due to the pandemic. Many brands are partnering with TikTok content creators because this type of presentation brings variety to their marketing strategy and reaches many new potential customers.

3. Brands & Influencers Are Stepping Up Their Game

The third influencer marketing insight is all about adapting to change. In the previous years, both influencers and brands have become more committed and shifted their marketing strategies. They started to create more efficient and purposeful content.

So you can expect to see this method resume in the following years. Due to the pandemic, many people have suffered job losses and become financially unstable. That’s why brands must strive to create a stronger connection with their buyers. And also present the quality of their products in the best way possible.

As a brand, make sure to be in synergy with your influencer and present your marketing campaign uniquely and authentically. This will help your buyers to understand your brand better and it will bring you positive results.

The post Top 3 Insights for Influencer Marketing appeared first on AFLUENCER.

We have come up with 7 directions influencer marketing will be heading in 2021 based on our gathered intel and our business projections.

1. Influencer marketing on social media will grow significantly on a global scale

More and more brands and advertisers are redirecting their business strategies from offline to online and the sum of the advertising money online is rapidly growing.

Brands and companies are adapting and changing their perspectives so they can most effectively share their message to their crucial target audience because nowadays physical promotion is limited and hard to achieve. Online influencer marketing is the best option for brands to authentically present their marketing campaign and engage their audience. That’s why we predict that it will considerably grow in the upcoming period.

We believe that the Instagram influencer market will expand around 15% in the year 2021 to $5.86B, up from $5.095B evaluated in 2020. In 2019 Instagram influencer marketing reached $5.24B.

The spending on influencer marketing in 2020 was lower compared to 2019. But this fact is not substantial compared to the statistics in different areas this year.

Marketing companies responded to the pandemic in the best way possible.

2. Micro-influencers’ importance for brand promotion will increase

On social media micro-influencers have existed for a while now, however, nowadays they are rapidly growing. Micro-influencers may have a small group of followers but they can still be more influential than a lot of macro-influencers. This is because the level of engagement with their audience is often higher. Most micro-influencers are unique and create original content while managing their accounts. Their content is more likely to resonate with their audience because it’s not forced. A lot of brands are choosing to partner with micro-influencers because they can easily connect with their target audience.

In 2020 more than 40% of brands were mentioned by Instagram accounts that have 1k-20k followers (micro-influencers). We believe that collaboration between micro-influencers and brands will increase in 2021, and the paid placement using hashtags will also rise.

In 2020 brands have been more tactical when using influencers for promotion. That’s why influencer marketing campaigns with brands and micro-influencers collaborating will increase in 2021.

3. Brands will focus on original influencers with the aid of AI and machine learning

For big corporations brand safety is of great importance. Especially in Germany a lot of brands and businesses are choosing not to partner with influencers. Mostly because there are a lot of “fake influencers” simply out there just to scam companies.

HypeAuditor data shows that approximately 16.85% of the influencer’s followers are not real people but bots and inactive users.

In this day and age brands are more cautious when they are approaching an influencer for partnership. The brands that have greater success in promoting their products via influencers are the ones who research their potential partners. Reviewing their content, and even the reactions and engagement of their followers.

In 2021 technology is allowing more in-depth research of the influencer’s account to protect brands having their marketing campaigns destroyed from scams.

AI and machine learning can already scan and give a detailed insight into the influencer’s account and their activities and they are still upgrading over time.

4. Short videos are the new most popular trend on social media platforms

By using a short video format TikTok became one of the most popular platforms on social media. But even putting TikTok aside the fact still stands that many more platforms are also using this format. Such as YouTube, Facebook, WeChat, and so many more.

Influencers are using the short video format to its full potential and achieving great success. Short videos are used in many different ways such as starting hashtag challenges and makeup tutorials. Creators who use short video formats have a lot of creative freedom. And in their own original way, they are connecting with their followers.

Through the popularity of short video content created by beauty influencers, wellness experts, and many more, influencers are reaching a larger number of people on social media.

We believe that a lot of brands will tend to switch to this trend in 2021 and boost their influencer marketing strategies by reaching their target audience.

5. Brands will think twice before using TikTok influencers for marketing

TikTok will become the most popular influencer marketing platform in 2021, but brands need to think twice before using it.

Primarily, most of the accounts on TikTok are run by a younger audience if you compare it to the other popular platforms in the world of social media and they are not the paying type. More than 24% of the females using TikTok are between 18-24 years old, and more than 15% of the males are between 25-34.

TikTok also has a system that requires payment for entry, if you want to use sponsored branded hashtag challenges.

TikTok as a platform is relatively new that’s why it’s difficult for brands and companies to choose the right influencer for partnership because there are not many examples for them to compare. Brands will also consider their safety because the content created on TikTok can be provoking.

6. Brands will maintain partnerships with influencers

The times when brands used influencers for marketing only for a short period of time are ending. In the upcoming year, we predict that the partnership between brands and influencers will be contracted for a longer period of time. This marketing strategy will prove to be a lot more effective for both brands and influencers in 2021. By building a strong long-term trusting relationship brands will more successfully build their reputation with their target audience.

Soon, the influencer marketing budget will become much higher, but the investment is worth it because brands will be able to inspect the influencer and ROI in depth. Brands will have access to the data of the influencer’s marketing performance which wasn’t the case until now.

7. Virtual influencers will thrive in the upcoming year

The influencer market is enormous, and by the day virtual influencers are becoming more and more popular. HypeAuditor data shows that the success of virtual influencers is much higher than that of real ones. Nowadays through technology virtual influencers are like real ones, they have personalities and lives that they share with their followers and can easily connect with them. Brands are more oriented to the virtual influencers because they dominate the market and in collaboration with them there will never be an argument about creative differences.

→ Find out the latest Influencer Marketing Trends

The post Where is Influencer Marketing Heading in 2021 appeared first on AFLUENCER.

In fact, many brands have increased their spending on influencer marketing in 2020. We’ll take a look at some of the trends that have followed the evolution of influencer marketing this year.

Switching Up Influencer Marketing To Deal With the 2020 Lifestyles

2020 brought with it the cancellation of many major events. Along with social distancing, travel bans, and the disruption of everyday lives. Influencers and brands reacted quickly, and made the shift from perfectly posed and curated feed. Creating content that sought to bring out a more down-to-earth vibe. Such as home-based photoshoots, cooking, self-care, comfortable fashion, and DIY home improvement projects being the main themes.

With more time spent at home in 2020, social media use increased big time, bringing higher engagement rates for sponsored posts. Events and in-person appearances weren’t an option. So influencers who don’t rely solely on sponsored content had to get creative and find additional ways to create revenue. One of the most common alternative revenue streams that saw an increase is the use of promoting merchandise. Whether it was through a partnership or a solo project. Apparel was the most common theme. Such as hats, shirts, hoodies, and much more with comfort being the main selling point.

The Growth of TikTok Brought A Fresh Marketing Platform

TikTok has been a growing trend for a while, and it reached record growth during the second quarter of 2020 with 2 billion downloads. This rapid growth has opened a whole new world of influencer marketing opportunities for both brands and influencers in 2020. Brand deals have taken a new turn as businesses have discovered the potential the app has for organic activity.

TikTok is unique in that it offers the opportunity for regular users to go viral in an unprecedented measure. Micro and nano influencers going viral can be considered common on TikTok. But still is a rare occurrence on other social media channels. On platforms like Instagram, sponsored content is seen mostly by a user’s followers; while on TikTok content (sponsored and otherwise) has the potential to be seen by millions. This opens a whole new realm of possibilities of the heights brand collaborations can reach, and brands have been taking notice.

Increased Engagement With Audiences Through Social Media

2020 has also been a key year for influencer marketing in terms of the importance consumers place on the social good aspects of a brand. This has lead to influencers being seen not just as a way to promote sales but as a great and credible channel of communication with the audience. It’s no secret that a large percent of social media users trust the word of an influencer above those of traditional media sources, and even more agree that influencers and online personalities have a duty to responsibly use their platform.

The post Ways Influencer Marketing Has Changed In 2020 appeared first on AFLUENCER.

Influencer marketing is a form of symbiosis between old and new ways of marketing promotions. It uses celebrity acceptance to promote the company/brand to a large group of people. But influencers are not just celebrities; in fact, many of them don’t consider themselves famous outside of the online media.

They are people who have the knowledge and power to influence their audience’s choices. That is one of the main reasons why more and more companies are relying on them for promoting their products. Influencer marketing works because of the trust they build with their followers and it’s most likely that their recommendations can serve as a form of verification to the customers about the trustworthiness of your brand.

Before you take a step into the online media of influencer marketing first you need to get familiar with a couple of things. Here we will present some of the do’s and don’ts so you can choose wisely if you have an interest in promoting your company/brand via influencers.

So here are a few points on what you must not do and what you should do when getting started with influencer marketing:

Don’t think that numbers are everything

Of course, the number of followers and engagement metrics in the influencer community is of great significance. But the most important information when getting started with influencer marketing goes beyond the numbers. It’s actually the high-quality content that influencers create and their compatibility with your brand.

You must take into account the authenticity of the influencer. It is also important to check the previous work of the influencers. See what kind of brands they have formed previous partnerships with. You can then devise a better strategy for promoting your product.

Do look at the bigger picture

To get a full grasp of the style and overall engagement of the influencer you must do research on their platform. Not only the content but the reaction and the engagement of the followers as well. With this, you will get a clear image of where you are promoting your brand as you kick off your influencer marketing campaign.

For example, if there is competition for your product that some influencer is promoting you will surely not consider working with that influencer due to the division of the followers who show interest in that type of product.

Don’t limit your options by using only Instagram

It’s true that Instagram is the main platform for many famous influencers nowadays. But you should keep in mind that platforms’ popularity is changing rapidly. The recent developments with TikTok only serve to further show why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket.

That’s why when you’re first starting out with influencer marketing you should consider finding a variety of platforms where you can promote your company/brand. There are many influencers that use different platforms and they can be of much more help in promoting your product.

Do consider promoting your product on more than one social media platform

As we mentioned Instagram is still a powerful platform for promoting your brand. But it’s more effective to combine it with another platform when you’re getting started with influencer marketing.

For example, you can consider YouTube. Many people trust YouTubers more than traditional celebrities. A Google study shows that 70% of young YouTube audiences relate more to YouTubers than to traditionally famous people. There you can get better engagement for promoting your product.

The post The Dos and Don’ts For Getting Started With Influencer Marketing appeared first on AFLUENCER.

Consumers Splitting Time Between Multiple Social Media Platforms

However, having a strong brand presence on more than one social media platform goes beyond the need to have a backup plan in case one of your main channels runs into trouble. Today, not only are people spending more time than ever on social media, but more and more consumers are choosing to split their ‘social media time’ between different platforms. Thus engaging in a broader spectrum of entertainment, rather than staying confined to one form of social media.

Influencers have taken note of this trend, and are expanding their presence on multiple channels. One of the advantages is that it increases their earning potential, as many brands have seen the possibility of reaching a wider audience by collaborating with these influencers.

Choosing The Right Platform for your Cross Channel Social Media Strategy

If so far you’ve mostly stuck to one platform, it’s time to consider expanding the number of channels you use. However, before you jump in, it’s important to make sure that the new platforms you’re considering are the right fit for your brand.

Luckily, there is plenty of different social media platforms available to choose from. Even though some seem similar, each platform has a different style and a variety of opportunities to offer creators. The main thing to consider when choosing a new channel isn’t necessarily what the most popular platform is at the moment. Rather, do some research into the platforms your audience already uses. Chances are that’s where you will find the most success.

Facebook and Instagram are the current social media giants. It’s likely that you already have a presence if not on both, then on at least one of these platforms. After all, Instagram influencers are an entire world in their own right. It’s not uncommon to hear about Instafamous influencers who have achieved their immense following solely through Instagram.

Facebook seemed as though it was on its way out. However, its live-streaming features contributed to its boost in popularity in 2020. This type of live and unfiltered content quickly became one of the most popular content formats. Especially during the lockdown months.

Your Target Audience Matters

YouTube is another platform that you must not overlook when implementing a cross-channel social strategy. Especially if you’re target audience skews younger. TikTok proved itself as a worthy adversary in a very short time. However, its uncertain future means that the video streaming giant is still one of the best choices for content creators looking to connect with a new audience.

How about that new audio-only platform, Clubhouse? If your target audience leans more towards audio content rather than video, then Clubhouse may very well be your go-to platform.

Is your personal brand less about the ‘influencer’ and more about the ideas they bring forward? Then Pinterest could be the ideal platform to add to your list for your cross-channel social media strategy. In addition to being idea-focused, Pinterest is a fantastic place to drive sales. Improving your chances of sealing the deal with brands looking to reach an audience interested in purchasing their products.

The post The Importance of a Cross-Channel Social Media Strategy appeared first on AFLUENCER.

We’ve been sharing resources on how TikTok can help your brand for a while now. We’ve covered a variety of topics including Top Buzzing TikTok Influencers Across The World and tips on How to Make TikTok Videos to Get More Followers.

Our aim is to provide all TikTok brand resources under one roof to make sure you do not have to look elsewhere for TikTok brand guidelines.

In this article today, we’ll be talking about how brands can benefit from TikTok and use it to reach more people.

If you’re reading this then it means you’ve already heard of TikTok and know how powerful the platform is.

According to HubSpot, the app is “leaking” with opportunities for brands and we certainly couldn’t agree more.

Despite having millions of users, TikTok is still not very heavily used by brands as it has recently launched the option to advertise and hyperlink.

If you’re planning to be on TikTok and want more resources on how brands can use TikTok then here are some TikTok brand guidelines and ideas:

TikTok Brand Guidelines: What to Do On the App

Brand Guideline 1: Have Your Own TikTok Channel

You can start your own TikTok channel and post content to reach a wider audience. A very good way to reach a wider audience is to use hashtags and also post challenges.

We have covered more about these options in our previous blogs. So if you’re interested, then go check them out.

Brand Guideline 2: Get in Touch With TikTok Influencers

Influencers can help you promote your products or services on TikTok. It works like any other social media platform. You find an influencer who works in the same niche as you do and then you reach a deal to post sponsored content that helps bring more attention to your cause.

The different thing about TikTok is how content is posted. Most users want to check creative videos on the platform, hence it is important that you select an influencer who is creative and has a decent number of followers.

You can scan through our directory of TikTok influencers to find someone who meets your requirements.

How to Make TikTok Videos: 12 Tips That Help

The most important rule is to plan before you make a video. Sit down and think about what you want to present and keep the following pointers in mind to ensure you get more followers:

#1 Pay Attention to Your TikTok Profile

Make sure to fill out your profile completely and make sure to look interesting. Users often judge others based on how their profile appears, hence it’s important to look real.

Build a profile according to your niche, for example: if you’re going to create funny videos then your profile should clearly tell visitors that you’re humorous.

In addition to this, pay special attention to the profile picture. The image must be clear and neat. Moreover, the username is also important. Since TikTok allows users to select customer usernames, you can be creative.

If you’re on other social media platforms then we suggest you try to use the same username on TikTok as well. This will help users recognize you. If the username is not available then you can use a variation, for example: from bob_creatives to bob_creatives1.

#2 Make Sure Your TikTok Videos Are Original

Give users a reason to watch your content and follow you. Do not blindly copy others. Come up with content that’s original and unique.

Plagiarism is unfortunately very common on the platform and users do not hesitate in calling cheaters out. It is okay to get inspired as long as you give it a twist. For example, lip-syncing videos are a craze on TikTok. You can’t change the dialogues but you can present ‘em in a variety of ways to stand out.

#3 Hashtags Work on TikTok as Well

Gone are the days when hashtags were solely used on Instagram, they are now everywhere including TikTok. So, work on your hashtag game and include the latest and most trending hashtags to help users find your content.

Be careful about what you choose. Hashtags must be relevant to your TikTok video and ‘in demand’, i.e: searched for.

It’s quite easy to find hashtags on the platform. You can use a third-party hashtag generator or use the platform to identify hashtags. The trick is simple – go to the search menu and type the first keyword. Next, choose the Hashtags tab and you will see a list of hashtags that include your term.

You can select relevant and common hashtags from the list. If you do not find anything interesting or relevant then you can prepare your own keywords as well. This can be a good option if you are promoting a specific idea or product. Branded hashtags are popular and can be used to raise awareness.

#4 Follow and Create Trends

There are two types of people, some who follow trends and some who create ‘em. When it comes to making TikTok videos, you need to be both.

It can be difficult to create something popular, hence do not solely concentrate on giving the world a new trend. You should also use your time and energies to follow trends made popular by others.

A trend can be anything, something as cool as copying a dance move to something as unique as showing your regular routine without going all plastic.

Most trends are created by brands, influencers, and celebs. Being a part of these trends is an easy way to gain followers. Once you have enough steam, you can begin to be creative and start your own trends.

#5 Be Active and Communicate with TikTok Followers

People like to follow users who are active on the platform. Hence, make sure to create a schedule and stick to it. Most active users post at least once a day. Also, take time out to take part in regular conversations with followers.

Your followers should feel that you care for them and alike is not all that you want. Listen to what they have to say, respond to their comments, and complete their requests when you can.

TikTok users are known to be unforgiving, they will not think twice before unsubscribing if your channel turns dead or if you never respond to them. They’re looking for ways to kill time and if you don’t offer them something interesting they’d go elsewhere.

#6 Make Friends and Collaborate with other TikTok Influencers

Even if you did not join TikTok with the intention to make friends, we suggest that you put your shyness aside and open up to other people, especially other TikTok influencers. It’s a win-win situation since TikTok allows users to collaborate on projects or post duet posts that can get popular rather quickly.

It’s best to duet with others who fall in the same niche and follower range as you do. This is an excellent way to present your content to even more people.

Many TikTokers do not only duet by using the TikTok feature, they even meet, collaborate to come up with new ideas, and end up in the same frame. However, always put your safety first and be careful who you meet.

#7 Make Use of Platforms Other Than TikTok

It will take you less time to build a following on TikTok if you’re already popular on other social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook. You can ask your current followers to check your TikTok profile out and follow it. However, in order to motivate them to join you on another platform, you must give them something unique such as exclusive content.

Consider posting clips from your TikTok videos to help people find you on the platform. Moreover, posting your content on viral pages and social media sites like YouTube can also do the trick.

A lot of people search for TikTok videos on YouTube, you can create a compilation and put what you have on the platform.

#8 Join In Challenges and Hold Competitions

There isn’t much difference between trends and challenges (as you’ll also find with influencers vs bloggers) except for the fact that challenges can be difficult to copy. There are all kinds of challenges from fitness challenges to music competitions. Some of the most popular challenges of recent times include the Fake Travel Challenge, Raindrop Challenge, and Haribo Challenge.

You can accept challenges and post your own version or create a new challenge for others to try. In addition to this, you can hold competitions to motivate people to take part in your challenges. For example, sharing the best challenge video or performing a duet with whoever does well.

Perks like these can motivate members to take part in your challenge and spread the word.

#9 Check TikTok’s “For You” Page

The ‘For You’ page is worth exploring. It can help you discover the latest trends, the hottest users, and the brightest of ideas. TikTok is not like other social media platforms, what works on Instagram or Twitter may not work on TikTok, hence it’s important to study the platform and gather data to know what works on it.

Most trends and challenges are fads and don’t last long, hence be quick if you want to jump on the bandwagon.

#10 Know When to Post Your TikTok Videos

Study your audience, know what they like, and when they like it. Since there is a lot of content on TikTok, knowing when to post can be a difference-maker.

The chart above shows the best times to post on TikTok, however, that may not hold true for all users as it depends on your niche, audience, and geographical location.

Pay attention to the TikTok analytics, see when most people visit your page or when you get the highest number of followers then post accordingly. Do not base your judgment on a single day’s number. You should study at least a few weeks’ data to reach a conclusion.

#11 Create TikTok Videos That Attract

A good way to know how to make TikTok videos is to watch how others do it.

Your videos need to be attractive and fun for them to gain traction. There are all kinds of videos on the platform including tutorials and parodies. However, TikTok is controversial and may put down videos that are political or religious in nature, hence be careful about what you post.

It may be a good idea to polish your photography and videography skills before you try to be popular on TikTok. Poorly made videos hardly gain attention, nonetheless, you will see a bunch of parody or troll accounts that deliberately create poor content.

This trick works for some people but it will not be very effective if your aim is to be a TikTok influencer.

#12 Look Good But Not Always

On TikTok, it’s all about standing out from the crowd. TikTok followers do not expect you to be your Instagram self. They do not want dolled-up faces and fake lives, they’re more interested in creative and original content.

You can use filters and other creative elements to look good but know where to draw the line. If you are only interested in posting selfies wearing different outfits then it’s better to stick to Insta because TikTok content is different.

We hope this guide has provided valuable insight into making great TikTok videos so you can go out and release viral content. Remember to work hard and give it the time it needs as it can take weeks to begin to gain followers.

The post How to Make TikTok Videos to Get More Followers appeared first on AFLUENCER.