While many of us were “bored in the house” as US rapper Tyga puts it best, some were making a big name for themselves during one of the most challenging years the world has ever seen. But despite these challenges and many unfortunate circumstances, 2020 might have been influencer marketing’s best year yet.
It turns out that as a result of a global lockdown, online marketing saw a huge spike in interest as most audiences turned to their devices to connect and interact. What’s even more exciting is that with more time on everyone’s hands, ordinary people began to use their social media accounts to create an online presence for the first time ever – some used it as a creative outlet during isolation and others as a way to share important knowledge they cared about. If the content was relevant enough, many of these said people are now lucky enough to own the title ‘influencer’ and have even collaborated with brands that were smart enough to use them.
For many brands that were familiar with the impact of influencer marketing, ramping up their budget for campaigns was an easy choice. But for other marketers, many quickly cut their entire marketing budget and as a result, suffered. The smart ones, however, pivoted and explored the world of influencer marketing to “give it a go” and try to meet their audience exactly where they were already interacting. These are the brands that are smiling today.
Because of the rapid rise in influencer marketing over the last few years with a sharp spike in 2020, it’s expected that it will only continue to rise in 2021. In fact, the latest 2021 eMarketer report claims that 67,9% of marketers will use influencer marketing again this year.
Yes, influencer marketing in 2020 was all about relevance and connection. It’s clear that the shift in old school marketing perceptions has changed dramatically for influencer marketing as brands were forced to explore new ways of connecting with their audience online, without experiencing ad fatigue.
Interestingly enough, marketing perceptions were not the only thing that shifted in influencer marketing 2020. According to Muse by Clio, “the pandemic was the beginning of the end of celebrity culture as we know it. It was no longer possible to maintain such a meticulously produced image during self-isolation, and this gap in content quality almost immediately revealed that most celebrities are out of touch with their audiences.”
The simple truth is that celebrities are no longer relatable during this pandemic and can’t offer their audiences the content they crave. This is where micro-influencers swooped in and did what they do best, becoming thriving sources of news, advice and relevance in the COVID-19 crisis. In addition to rising social media stars and influencers shifting to solution-based content, there are a few other interesting reasons why influencer marketing thrived, namely, the growing popularity of live-streaming, brand purpose coming to the forefront and an increase in TikTok engagement.
Although the demand for influencer marketing is currently on the rise (and has been for quite some time) as millennials are hungry for instant gratification and social media recognition, it’s also here to stay. That’s because influencer marketing really works.
For centuries people have listened to trusted other personal sources to base their decision making upon, and influencer marketing is the most current form in which to do it. In fact, research has even shown that audiences are beginning to search for their answers on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram before hitting a Google search.
What it boils down to is the direct communication model of an online ‘trusted’ relationship between the influencer and their followers. Micro-influencers are real people which makes them so much more relatable to their audiences. They have a niche audience that is fully engaged, meaning that brands can utilise influencers in their campaigns to target the right people from the get-go.
For us, the proof is in the pudding which is why 36% of U.S influencers have seen a significant increase in impression and engagement on Instagram, with roughly 87% of these said influencers indicating that their audiences are buying more online.
Whilst social media usage continues to flourish as many countries around the world continue to migrate in and out of lockdowns and people are stuck at home, influencers continue to produce new and trending content that will extend beyond 2021 and outlive the coronavirus terrors of 2020.
It’s clear that marketing has completely transformed not only in 2020, but has been bubbling for the last 10 years largely due to increased internet access, smartphone usage, and a huge amount of content consumption across digital platforms. At the same time, influencer marketing growth is at an all-time high and advertisers that have dived deep into the world of influencer marketing can now recognise the impact with high engagement rates and trusted relationships you won’t find in other marketing tools. And on a positive note whilst the pandemic continues to spill over into 2021, we can be grateful that influencer marketing content is keeping us sane and connected to one another, all whilst keeping brands alive and thriving.
People Have Influence is a specialised micro-influencer agency (possibly change to Influencer management Agency) that works with some of the top influencers in South Africa. We put forward only the best of the best influencers suited for both the brand and the influencer to maximise impact and relevance.
Perhaps you’re wondering where to start or are searching for ‘top influencers 2020’. We will stop you right there and tell you that we’re here to help with the very best influencer marketing tools that can track ROI and measure campaign results beyond your wildest dreams. Our influencer marketing platform makes influencer marketing ROI easy with the right systems in place and can help you find the best influencer, specific to your brand.
Let us help you with your influencer marketing strategy for 2021 and beyond, simply contact us to discuss your brand’s needs. If you’re curious to learn more about what we do and how we do it, we have a whole host of other articles you might enjoy on our blog or you can find us on Instagram doing what we do best.
While many of us were “bored in the house” as US rapper Tyga puts it best, some were making a big name for themselves during one of the most challenging years the world has ever seen. But despite these challenges and many unfortunate circumstances, 2020 might have been influencer marketing’s best year yet.
It turns out that as a result of a global lockdown, online marketing saw a huge spike in interest as most audiences turned to their devices to connect and interact. What’s even more exciting is that with more time on everyone’s hands, ordinary people began to use their social media accounts to create an online presence for the first time ever – some used it as a creative outlet during isolation and others as a way to share important knowledge they cared about. If the content was relevant enough, many of these said people are now lucky enough to own the title ‘influencer’ and have even collaborated with brands that were smart enough to use them.
For many brands that were familiar with the impact of influencer marketing, ramping up their budget for campaigns was an easy choice. But for other marketers, many quickly cut their entire marketing budget and as a result, suffered. The smart ones, however, pivoted and explored the world of influencer marketing to “give it a go” and try to meet their audience exactly where they were already interacting. These are the brands that are smiling today.
Because of the rapid rise in influencer marketing over the last few years with a sharp spike in 2020, it’s expected that it will only continue to rise in 2021. In fact, the latest 2021 eMarketer report claims that 67,9% of marketers will use influencer marketing again this year.
Yes, influencer marketing in 2020 was all about relevance and connection. It’s clear that the shift in old school marketing perceptions has changed dramatically for influencer marketing as brands were forced to explore new ways of connecting with their audience online, without experiencing ad fatigue.
Interestingly enough, marketing perceptions were not the only thing that shifted in influencer marketing 2020. According to Muse by Clio, “the pandemic was the beginning of the end of celebrity culture as we know it. It was no longer possible to maintain such a meticulously produced image during self-isolation, and this gap in content quality almost immediately revealed that most celebrities are out of touch with their audiences.”
The simple truth is that celebrities are no longer relatable during this pandemic and can’t offer their audiences the content they crave. This is where micro-influencers swooped in and did what they do best, becoming thriving sources of news, advice and relevance in the COVID-19 crisis. In addition to rising social media stars and influencers shifting to solution-based content, there are a few other interesting reasons why influencer marketing thrived, namely, the growing popularity of live-streaming, brand purpose coming to the forefront and an increase in TikTok engagement.
Although the demand for influencer marketing is currently on the rise (and has been for quite some time) as millennials are hungry for instant gratification and social media recognition, it’s also here to stay. That’s because influencer marketing really works.
For centuries people have listened to trusted other personal sources to base their decision making upon, and influencer marketing is the most current form in which to do it. In fact, research has even shown that audiences are beginning to search for their answers on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram before hitting a Google search.
What it boils down to is the direct communication model of an online ‘trusted’ relationship between the influencer and their followers. Micro-influencers are real people which makes them so much more relatable to their audiences. They have a niche audience that is fully engaged, meaning that brands can utilise influencers in their campaigns to target the right people from the get-go.
For us, the proof is in the pudding which is why 36% of U.S influencers have seen a significant increase in impression and engagement on Instagram, with roughly 87% of these said influencers indicating that their audiences are buying more online.
Whilst social media usage continues to flourish as many countries around the world continue to migrate in and out of lockdowns and people are stuck at home, influencers continue to produce new and trending content that will extend beyond 2021 and outlive the coronavirus terrors of 2020.
It’s clear that marketing has completely transformed not only in 2020, but has been bubbling for the last 10 years largely due to increased internet access, smartphone usage, and a huge amount of content consumption across digital platforms. At the same time, influencer marketing growth is at an all-time high and advertisers that have dived deep into the world of influencer marketing can now recognise the impact with high engagement rates and trusted relationships you won’t find in other marketing tools. And on a positive note whilst the pandemic continues to spill over into 2021, we can be grateful that influencer marketing content is keeping us sane and connected to one another, all whilst keeping brands alive and thriving.
People Have Influence is a specialised micro-influencer agency (possibly change to Influencer management Agency) that works with some of the top influencers in South Africa. We put forward only the best of the best influencers suited for both the brand and the influencer to maximise impact and relevance.
Perhaps you’re wondering where to start or are searching for ‘top influencers 2020’. We will stop you right there and tell you that we’re here to help with the very best influencer marketing tools that can track ROI and measure campaign results beyond your wildest dreams. Our influencer marketing platform makes influencer marketing ROI easy with the right systems in place and can help you find the best influencer, specific to your brand.
Let us help you with your influencer marketing strategy for 2021 and beyond, simply contact us to discuss your brand’s needs. If you’re curious to learn more about what we do and how we do it, we have a whole host of other articles you might enjoy on our blog or you can find us on Instagram doing what we do best.
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