Promoting your business and selling through social media is the easiest and most popular form of customer acquisition — and it all started with the rise of influencer marketing. Before social media influencers were a thing, most businesses had less than one per cent conversions through social media.
The dramatic growth of the sector has also resulted in new trends and developments. Let’s look at the key influencer marketing trends for eCommerce this year. These insights will help you plan an effective influencer marketing strategy for your eCommerce business in 2022.
What is influencer marketing?
An influencer is a person who has enough presence and following on social media or other channels to influence the purchase decisions of his or her followers. Influencer marketing involves the partnership of brands with such individuals to endorse and promote their products.
Traditionally, film celebrities, models, and sports personalities are regarded as influencers. But lately, the need for niche-specific promotions have resulted in a change in influencer marketing.
Why should eCommerce brands invest in influencer marketing?
A study shows that businesses generate $6.50 in revenue for each $1 spent on influencer marketing via Instagram on average.
Trust is a major factor in making sales, and with the help of the right influencers, this aspect is easy. As a result of years of nurturing their audiences with content, influencers have built large followings based on trust. These followers then trust the influencers’ product or service recommendations, leading to sales.
Here are some more reasons why eCommerce companies should invest in influencer marketing are:
- Boost brand awareness
- Reach a broader audience
- Build meaningful relationships with your target audience
Influencer marketing for eCommerce – trends to look out for
We have compiled relevant data and trends on influencer marketing and how you can use them to prepare for influencer campaigns in 2022.
1. Better engagement for micro-influencers (niche)
Recent Upfluence data shows better engagement rates for smaller influencers than for widely popular ones.
While celebs have a large follower base, the relevance, resonance, and reach are limited. Hence, eCommerce companies end up spending millions of dollars in exchange for not-so-attractive returns. Moreover, 70% of teens trust influencers more than celebrities. Even though micro-influencers provide a smaller reach, their audience is highly niched and targeted. As a result, 82% of customers are more likely to buy a product recommended by a micro-influencer.
In 2022 and beyond, your eCommerce business should look to partner with micro-influencers for better results. This trend will be more prevalent in the fashion, travel, lifestyle, and beauty sectors.
2. More focus on quality content
Gone are the days when brands would hire influencers to just hold a product and post a selfie on Instagram. Now, the focus will now be on creative and engaging content and campaigns that spread value as well.
This means that brands need to start focusing on influencers who are also content creators and can present the product in a creative and engaging way. When finding an influencer for your business, you should also consider their creative abilities and how it can align with your brand.
As video remains to be the most effective content type, eCommerce companies need to look for influencers with video content creation capabilities. So, remember to include video content strategy in your influencer campaigns.
3. Using different channels
Influencer marketing is not restricted to just a single platform. Influencer marketing campaigns need to look “natural,” and it should seem as if the influencer shares the values of your brand or product.
The audience connects with authentic content. This is why influencer marketing is more than just promotions.
4. A vast majority of business owners claim influencer marketing to be effective
More brands invest in influencers because it’s effective and provides faster results than other marketing channels.
According to a survey, 90% of people believe influencer marketing to be an effective form of marketing.
It is clear that most firms that try influencer marketing are happy with the results and are willing to continue with the practice. You might have heard stories of influencer marketing gone wrong, but that is obviously the exception to the rule. Most of the partnerships work and are a win-win situation for both parties. So, if you have been reluctant to approach influencers, this is your sign to go for it.
5. Influencers work more often with eCommerce brands
In a survey by Influencermarketinghub, 50.7% of the respondents run eCommerce stores. This means that eCommerce brands benefit more from influencer campaigns than any other form of business. It’s yet another testimonial to the fact that your DTC brand can get more leads and sales through this marketing form.
Key takeaways
In the coming years, D2C brands on social media will heavily rely on influencers to increase brand awareness and get more leads. If you have a solid plan, influencer marketing can be your path to success.
Want to know more about influencer marketing? Here’s a complete step-by-step guide on how to create a successful influencer marketing campaign, with examples.
1 comment
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