COVID-19 shape Influencer Marketing. The event helped bring Influencer Marketing out of its traditional social media space and into the mainstream. Now, Influencers are getting noticed in mainstream media and on TV shows like The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
The tone of influencer marketing has changed from being a sales pitch to being more conversational. The technique has changed from being more formal to be more informal. And while the most recent wave of influencer marketing was all about the business, the trend now is towards a “more personal” approach that allows brands to connect with their fanbase authentically.
Influencers have always been the cornerstone of influencer marketing, but their numbers have increased in recent years. According to Socialbakers, there were 1,500 U.S.-based influencers in 2016—now, there are nearly 2,500 (with an average follower count of 568 per individual). And while they might not all be as popular as they once were, they still command a lot of attention from brands looking for social media endorsements and reviews.
According to Pew Research Center data from 2018, 63% of Americans say it’s essential that companies use social media when advertising products and services.
48% say they would rather see a company post on Facebook than email them directly; 31% say they’d prefer seeing ads on Instagram over Twitter, and 25% would rather see ads on Snapchat than LinkedIn or Pinterest (though only 21% would choose an ad on YouTube).
This means that if your brand wants to reach consumers online—and get them talking about you—you’ll probably want some presence on these platforms too!
As we’ve said before, influencers are trusted. They have authority and can speak about what matters most to their audiences. People want to hear more from them—not just because they want free products or services.
The social media landscape has changed since COVID-19. The tone of Influencer Marketing has also changed, with audiences wanting to hear more from influencers than ever before.
This shift is reflected in how brands use influencers and their content strategy. Instead of relying on influencers alone for brand amplification, they’re now engaging with them on an equal footing so that both sides can benefit from the relationship.
COVID-19 was an excellent opportunity for Influencer Marketing. It helped to change the tone of what we hear from influencers and made audiences more interested in hearing from them. The platform has also given us a better understanding of how they can use their media to connect with people directly through their content, which ultimately leads to more engagement on both sides of an exchange.
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