We are living in the age of content and commerce, and for most marketers, influencer marketing is a prominent part of their social media marketing tool kit. As brands vie for greater visibility online, content creators and influencers are a great way to get noticed.

Today, influencer marketing is a $5-10 billion dollar industry and is projected to keep growing. This checks out since 89% of marketers claim that influencer marketing ROI is similar to or better than other marketing channels. The rush to collaborate with influencers for marketing is greater than ever, but are you falling behind? ‍

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Why do you need an influencer strategy for your brand?

Influencer marketing has several benefits, but are you getting the most out of your current program? Take a look below at what influencer campaigns can and should help you achieve, and then ask yourself if your current strategy ticks off all these factors.
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Increase Awareness‍

• Your brand has to go where the target audience is, and as people spend more time on platforms, using the right tools to get their attention is key. With the ubiquity of influencers, a micro-influencer led campaign can increase awareness exponentially. The latest stats show that influencers who have around 1,000-5,000 followers provide higher engagement rates.

Develop authority

• The reason influencers are so popular is because of their reliability, expertise, or creativity. They are regular people with ordinary lives, online Hollywood actors, or professional athletes. When they promote products or services to their followers, it seems like a recommendation from a friend, and that is the key to any successful influencer campaign. The more authentic their promotions look, the more brand authority you develop.

Engagement and lead generation

• Did you know that in 2021, 50% of Instagram users visited a website to make a purchase after seeing a promo for it on the platform? For any brand, the end game for any marketing campaign is to generate leads and increase revenue ultimately. If you create a micro-influencer marketing campaign, you can expect increased engagement as opposed to spending all your money on one major celebrity. This ubiquitous engagement ultimately helps you generate leads since people will visit your website if you come highly recommended by their favorite influencer. 

To really engage your audience and potential customers, your influencer marketing strategy needs to stand out. Let's look at some top trends of 2021 that should be a part of any influencer marketing campaign this year. 
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Top trends in influencer marketing for 2021

The Expert Influencer 

People are no longer going to the Kardashians for fitness advice; but instead, they want an expert who knows what they are talking about. 

In the age of fake news, people are pickier about what to believe and who to believe online. This is why niche creators with a degree and demonstrated experience in their fields are becoming the dominant influencer voices. 

For example, in the skincare space, expert youtube influencer Dr. Dray, who is a certified dermatologist, has over 1.24M subscribers. So if you can find an expert influencer in your field, getting an endorsement from them can build your brand's authority. 
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Live Streaming

Content and social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and Twitch have been experimenting with live streaming for a while, and the engagement that these two formats bring for creators is exciting. It is a chance for fans to have a candid conversation with their favorite influencers, ask them questions, and interact with them in real-time.  

According to expert marketer Neil Patel, 63% of people between the ages of 18-34 watch live streaming content regularly. 

 Now, live streaming is disrupting e-commerce, with several influencers playing a pivotal role in the live commerce campaigns for brands. Amazon, the e-commerce giant, has its very own live streaming platform called Amazon Live, where influencers engage with their audience to discuss products and give demos, on a live stream. 

Livestreaming is seeing an inflection point in 2021, and live commerce needs to be a part of your influencer marketing strategy.

The Rise of the Micro Influencers & Creators

While this is not technically a new trend, it is becoming one of the most effective influencer marketing strategies for brands so far.

Instead of collaborating with influencers who have millions of followers and will have a significantly high asking price, you should divide your digital marketing funds among micro-influencers who have a follower count in the thousands.

Usually, a micro-influencer will have better engagement rates and fewer fake followers as compared to the more popular influencers. Furthermore, diversifying your influencer marketing participants will help you generate more leads and provide a better RoI.

Authentic Social Media Content

"Hi guys, I love this new product. Try it out!" is no longer enough of an endorsement for your brand to reach your target audience. It is impersonal, inauthentic, and will fail to generate leads.

Social media users follow influencers for authentic content that is original. Most creators focus on promoting brands in an original and authentic form since they too want their followers to connect with the content, even if it's promotional. 

In 2021, after the year that everyone has had- real, original, and authentic content will stand the test of time. So ensure your influencer marketing campaign emphasizes the importance of coming off as authentic and genuine.

The best way to do this is to identify influencers that are subject matter experts.
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Ready to take things to the next level?

Plaza helps fast-growing direct-to-consumer brands use live video to drive authentic engagement at each step of a customer's journey. Our made-for-commerce video solutions enable you to use interactive live video as a new channel for marketing, sales & retention.

Interested in trying a live video and live streaming powered influencer marketing for your brand? Sign up here.

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