The evolution of influence marketing in 2021
Following the increase in the use of social networks, brands are relying on new marketing strategies using web influencers. Partnerships are pouring in and the budget is increasing due to higher expectations from both sides. This year, we understood the considerable impact of this association and the year 2021 still holds a lot of changes and trends that should not be overlooked. The co-founder of HypeAuditor, Alexander Frolov, gives us his opinion on the likely development of influence marketing for the coming year.
A permanent contract for influencers, increase in the budget allocated to influence marketing
There will no longer be a short-term collaboration where influencers present a range of products. Indeed, a permanent contract will be more advantageous.
for both parties. For advertisers, it will be a way of building loyalty among Internet users and content creators. Instead of changing influencers and therefore audiences, they will focus on a campaign that will maintain a close relationship with subscribers.
Influencers, on the other hand, can concentrate more on their creation and editorial line without pressure. Having an open-ended contract increases the motivation and the
brand awareness, which will lead to more authenticity in relation to the products
and services they promote. The partnership will be more quantifiable over a longer period of time and will evolve or change depending on the results. Classic advertising campaigns are losing ground to digital marketing, as brands prioritize the latter in order to conquer Internet users who are easier to reach. e-influence allows brands to interact with their audience in a more direct and authentic way. According to a study launched by HypeAuditor, this market will grow by 15% and reach more than $5 billion in 2021 on Instagram alone. An increase in budget implies an increase in expectations. Therefore, brands need to be vigilant and cannot afford to get the wrong influencers. Influspy.com is a French tool that allows you to find the right shoe in terms of e-influence and allows the brand to invest without risk.
Using Artificial Intelligence to choose the less famous influencers
In spite of this digital campaign which seems to be easy to undertake, brands face difficulties in choosing their influencer. Indeed, like anything that works, pseudo-influencers flock to social networks. These influencers may have fake subscribers who are not real or who have been received in an unfair way, following more than 1500 people and expecting a follow back.
The brands are redoubling their vigilance and taking their time to find the influencer who will be able to offer them the best possible result. For the year 2021, this vigilance will be increased in order to avoid any possible dishonest collaboration. Hence the use of artificial intelligence, the Machine Learning and Deep Learning reduce this risk. These methods provide accurate and relevant information about influencers that are essential for brands.
A distinction is made between micro and nano-influencers by their limited audience. This small number is an asset because their followers are more targeted and influencers can interact with them more naturally. In addition to the fact that brands can contact them easily, they are also more engaged and authentic, because they design their own content and take the time to talk to their fans. These influencers are specialized in their field and rarely enter into partnerships with brands that do not have the same values as them, hence their authenticity. This attracts more brands that want to reach a limited audience. Almost half of the publications containing the hashtag #ad or #pub were made by the accounts of micro and nano influencers this year and will continue to increase next year, according to HypeAuditor.
Predominance of videos to reinforce the marketing of each brand
During the containment, we saw the emergence of the Tik Tok application which exceeded 2 billion downloads, 315 million of which were between January and March 2020. But other social networks also rely on short videos, as they are more explicit and entertaining.
Influencers are very creative and have a wide range of approaches to photography. This format is especially popular with content creators who offer advice and tutorials. These include DIY (do ityourself), sports sessions, Q&A sessions, training and much more. Brands are now more focused on video than images and will continue to do so for the coming year.
It is likely that Tik Tok will remain a very popular marketing platform in 2021. However, certain elements need to be questioned by the brands. Such as the price of advertisements that can reach $130,000. We can deduce that it is the most expensive sponsorship of social networks. However, it offers other rates starting at 25,000 dollars which is still not given to brands with a limited budget.
The application is also recent, which does not yet make it possible to identify the influencers.
most suitable for a particular brand. This can be a hindrance for advertisers and they prefer to stay on platforms such as Facebook or Instagram. Finally, it is aimed at a young audience that has a reduced purchasing power that will not necessarily be profitable.
Virtual influencers are gaining ground on social platforms and brands
are also beginning to take an increasing interest in it. Apart from the fact that these avatars are cheaper and more profitable, brands certainly don't expect to have a disagreement with them. HypeAuditor claims that these influencers generate three times more visibility and engagement than normal influencers.
Brands will therefore be tempted to collaborate more with them in the coming year. In addition, several organizations advocate that the use of these artificial influencers should be subject to serious regulation. An avatar cannot, in their view, test a product or service in reality, and the public can be misled by confusing virtual people with living influencers.
