As the new decade lies ahead, many brands are analyzing how they connect with consumers. Influencer marketing has always been a compelling strategy, and now there are new opportunities that PR and marketing professionals should know about in 2021.
The latest updates to Instagram’s Branded Content Tool offer advertisers new ways to work with influencers and leverage their content. However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to influencer marketing.
Here are five predictions for the future of this growing field in 2021:
1. Micro and nano influencers steal spending from macro influencers.
At a lower price, micro and nano influencer brands are offering brands the ability to have dozens of different content studios without breaking the bank. In addition, advertisers can use boosting functions to target influencer content to strategically reach the desired audience.
Influencer content shouldn’t live in a silo (and evolving branded content will make sure it doesn’t), giving brands the opportunity to generate greater ROI through influencer partnerships. From an organic reach point of view, micro and nano influencers usually generate a higher engagement rate thanks to carefully selected target groups. Their followers are often preoccupied with their content and often turn to them as trusted resources.
2. Authenticity comes first.
We’ve called for years to carefully select influencers who would already – or of course – be talking about our customers. In 2021, this will be more important than ever as influencers of their followers, trolls and keyboard warriors alike are under the microscope. To avoid going viral for the wrong reasons, authenticity will become even more important in 2021.
3. Taking a stand is essential.
This came to the fore in 2020 and won’t go away anytime soon. Consumers are demanding that both brands and influencers take a stand on social issues.
Take John Legend, the popular music artist who has used his platform over the past several years to educate followers about things like voter registration guides. On the flip side, many influencers carefully examine the brands they work with to see if they are taking a stand on social issues before agreeing to work with them. Expect consumers and influencers to call for action in 2021, and brands should be ready to deliver.
4. The representation is examined more closely.
While the influencer space may have started with mom bloggers, it has grown into a wide variety of people, backgrounds, and topics. After a year where the Black Lives Matter movement has come into the spotlight and white influencers share the microphone and their platforms with people of color, PR pros can assume this is the norm for the future. Marketers will take a close look at influencer rosters to make sure they represent their diverse consumer segment equally, and brands need to be included in their influencer selection if they haven’t already.
5. Influencers test new platforms.
With the launch of TikTok in 2020, it became clear that people are now using apps for social entertainment more than ever. Consumers are looking for a place to escape with engaging and lighthearted content that is particularly visible through videos.
In addition, the most popular TikToks, roles or stories are not produced in full, but offer authentic entertainment in real time. Once this new style of relatable content is fully mainstream, marketers and influencers will be testing it on various channels. IGTV and TikTok could get a little more resonance so marketers shouldn’t be afraid to try different platforms to maximize their investment.
Expect influencer content to move beyond social media channels (pre-roll, digital ads, etc.) as short-form videos become more popular.
Further customize your influencer plans with a comprehensive review process and bespoke news while taking advantage of these predictions.
Lauren McNutt is the senior director of word-of-mouth marketing for Empower.