The world of influencers has always been a weird and wonderful one. Trends in the industry change incredibly quickly and require constant monitoring. Social media is growing at an unprecedented rate; the need for influencers to utilise a marketing and PR agency has never been as great. The team here at VerriBerri are an influencer marketing and PR agency based in Essex. We researched all the influencer trends worth knowing about for the coming year. The theme that you will see recurring throughout this blog, is the idea of community. People have grown tired of the vast scale and cold, corporate nature of the big influencers. People need to feel valued as opposed to simply feeling like a nameless entity. A faceless cog driving the influencer’s money machine.
In 2020, What Exactly Is An Influencer?
An influencer in 2020 is, oftentimes, a much smaller personality than the mega-influencers we’ve grown used to seeing dominate Instagram. The growth of micro influencers looks set to continue into this year. Micro influencers are those who have anywhere between 2,000 and 50,000 followers. People are more interested in personalities that have genuine expertise in their “field” or niche; people who commit to meaningful engagements with a smaller but more loyal, devoted following. Brands are cottoning onto this and realising that acquiring a greater proportion of a smaller following is best. It’s all very well having access to a following of millions; but if the influencer’s brand endorsement is only returning a handful of conversions from said following, then it’s pointless.
Bye-Bye Experts On Nothing!
There has been a surge of anti-influencer sentiment over the past couple of years; people have increasingly taken umbrage with influencers’ expectations for “stuff” in return for nothing but “exposure”. For a time, it seemed like we forgot that you needed some kind of niche or unique selling point to be able to influence people.
Fortunately, the industry has been self-aware enough to realise that people have grown tired of influencers having a say due solely to the number of followers they happen to have, for example. People want to be influenced on their decisions by people who have a justification to do so. That’s to say, by people who know what they’re talking about. An influencer marketing and PR agency can help you refine your niche as an influencer, and access the pockets of social media you really ought to be targeting.
With the help of a PR agency and through lead generation, you can start to paint a more positive light for influencers once again. One of the things than an influencer PR agency can do is to get you interviews, print articles, appearances etc. on the terms that suit you. A good influencer PR agency will also enable you to work and collaborate with brands who truly share your values and secure you those sorts of links. Collaboration is a term that is thrown around quite loosely, however people want to see it now more than ever. What with so much bad news around daily, people want respite. One way to provide this is through creative, collaborative projects that put together influencers you’d never think to put together.
The Rise Of The Long-Term Influencer Relationship
Gone are the days where a brand would simply use an influencer for a single campaign. Whilst this may still occasionally occur, the norm is now for influencers to do repeat work for a brand. Brands are learning that above all else, people value trust, loyalty and a genuine relationship. The vapid, all-too transparent nature of traditional influencing no longer holds the same kind of sway that it did in the early days of influencer marketing.
We are seeing a drastic rise in the desire from followers for deeper, more value-driven connections between them and the influencer. One of the only ways true trust is built through time. Time forges a connection that can’t be mimicked or replicated. Repeat work between brand and influencer adds to that idea of friendship and community that hits the audience’s sweet spot. An influencer marketing and PR agencycan help you build the kind of rapport with brands that will ensure you repeat work increased financial security.
Influencers Are Set To Use More Video And Audio Content
Influencer video marketing will continue to dominate the main social media platforms in 2020. Video content allows for more spontaneity and authenticity. Users feel like that they’re getting a more genuine, less staged interaction than with other mediums, they’ll also feel less like they’re being exploited. It all adds back into this idea of transparency that we’ve established is so imperative for influencers, especially in today’s social climate.
Audio content, by contrast, has traditionally flown under the radar. However, with every man and his dog seemingly now running a podcast, audio content is not to be underestimated. Younger people (aged 18-44) are thought to make up to 67% of podcast audiences. Given that influencers typically reach out to that same demographic, tapping into that goldmine is a smart move. Podcast content also provides that gold dust that is, authenticcontent. Any content that makes the consumer feel like they’re getting genuine insights into the influencer’s life that other people aren’t, is incredibly effective.
The world of influencers is changing, that much is clear. It’s becoming, dare we say it, more genuine? The irony is not lost on us that we’re making that statement just as we’re seeing the continual rise of virtual influencers. But it’s true, if you want to succeed as an influencer now you need to seek out for genuine connection. That’s where the growth lies. If you’d like to find out more about any of our services as an influencer marketing and PR agency, then give us a call today on 01376 386850 and one of our team will be happy to help you out!
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