Influencer Marketing Trends for 2020: Are You Jumping On It?

Influencer Marketing is the way to go when it comes to doing sales in the digital world. With influencers who have thousands, if not millions, of followers and social media platforms readily available to everyone, users are now able to know more about goods, hotels, restaurants, other services and even buy products with just a click of a button. Influencer Marketing is what you need if you want to put your brand out there. It certainly has proved to be more than effective. But, with fake followers or inaccurate details and sometimes negative or controversial behaviors of so-called influencers lately, it’s been quite a struggle. With all the good and bad, one thing is for sure, change is inevitable and you can’t be left behind. Be on top of the game and keep up with the times with these Influencer Marketing Trends for 2020.

Values compatibility to bring long term relationships

One of the biggest reasons why businesses stop doing ads or cut ties with influencers is because of a difference in values. Influencers have the freedom to express who they are and have the power to make their followers believe in what they believe in. It’s for that reason they are called influencers. But sometimes, that expression becomes the very thin line between the influencer and the company they work with.

A phrase, a word, or an action readily accepted by the influencer’s followers could be something that is not readily acceptable by the company they work with. If that happens, businesses do not have any choice but to pull out ads from these influencers. Take the whole PweDiePie fiasco when he lost Disney because of anti-semitic imagery. Values compatibility is the key. This assures a long and effective relationship for both parties.

Influence over fame, the niche

People usually get confused as to what an influencer really is. Celebrities like Rihanna, Madonna, and Harry Styles are famous because people see them on TV, hear them on the radio, or read about them in magazines. Influencers, on the other hand, could be normal people we see in our community but hold a big impact on the lives and behavior of people. This is because of a niche of a particular market they were able to penetrate.

If a person is into cars and this vlogger on YouTube talks about the exact same car the person has, that person will follow every video, buy every product the vlogger uses, and maybe even shop wherever he or she shops. The vlogger isn’t a celebrity but he has a very big influence on a big population. Fame just comes after. During these times when Influencer Marketing continues to change and grow, it’s really not about being just famous, it’s about an influencer with a specific niche and a target market.

Brands and the power of Satisfied Customers

Now that we’ve established that fame is not the only thing that makes an influencer, we move to another Influencer Marketing Trend for 2020, the power of satisfied customers. In these fast ever-changing times, truth and what is real is what sells. Who best to talk about a business, product or service if not those who’ve already tried it. They haven’t only tried it, they’ve preferred it from other brands, and now they insist on that specific brand.

Satisfied customers are now loyal customers. The great this is that these loyal customers have social media channels. Once they agree to use their platforms to promote a specific brand they believe in, then that would definitely be a game-changer for business. It’s not about the reach nor is it just about the number of followers, it’s about their knowledge, experience, and the enthusiasm they have whenever they talk about that certain brand.

Videos to take over social media platforms

Biteable just released a series of video marketing statistics. Results show 6 out of 10 people prefer watching videos online than on TV. It also says mobile video consumption increases by 100% every year. A Facebook executive even predicted that its platform would be all video and no text by the year 2021. YouTube, on the other hand, is still one of the fastest social platforms out there. TikTok and Twitch, however, are coming out to be one of its competitors. Bottom line is, using video for content is a trend and it seems that would be the case even in the years to come.

As to audio content like Podcasts, it still performs well as compared to text posts. Sixtyseven percent of young people aged 18-44 years old listen to podcasts. That is still a target market that can be penetrated when it comes to getting a brand out there.

Taking a look at the totality of the results, working with influencers who create audio and video content is the key to making it in the digital world of business. A business would just have to choose the right influencer. Influencers, on the other hand, would need to up their game when it comes to content creation. That, in itself, is a whole different story.