The Rise of Influencer Marketing: What to Expect Over the Next Year, Advice from a Leading Influencer Marketing Firm

August 2, 2018

Influencer marketing seems more popular than ever, and it’s a trend that will continue to be popular in 2018. Influencer marketing agencies are staying abreast of key influencer marketing trends as more and more companies reach out to influencer marketing companies for help. In this post, we explore 8 trends in influencer marketing to be aware of as we kick off 2018.

8 Influencer Marketing Trends to Keep an Eye on in 2018

1. Influencer marketing will move beyond raising awareness

When influencer marketing started, its main objective was brand awareness. Brands leverage influencers and their fan base to increase brand awareness and generate sales. This year, you should expect to see brands turning to influencer marketing to drive conversions and engagement. There will also be an increase in the number of influencer- and brand-hosted webinars, endorsements, live streams, and Q&A sessions.

2. Influencers will take on the role of brand ambassadors

The next big thing for brands is getting an influencer all to yourself. This encourages exclusivity and discourages a conflict of interest between your influencer and your competitors. Establishing a long-term relationship with an influential thought leader is a valuable asset to your brand.

Influencer marketing will also no longer have to be a one-off campaign, because long-term brand-influencer partnerships will place influencers in the role of brand ambassadors, meaning they will serve as an extension of your internal marketing team.

The best part is that brands do not have to work with just one influencer. If you’re a business owner or marketing department head, you should consider creating a hub where multiple influencers can come together and combine their fan base and ideas to facilitate the success of your brand.

3. Integration of influencer marketing throughout buyer’s journey

Influencer marketing is playing a key role in the sales process. Brands will shift their marketing efforts to incorporate influencer marketing throughout the buyer journey as follows:

- Awareness: Influencers will foster brand affinity among their fans by telling a great story that instantly elevates your brand’s image.
- Interest: Influencers will provide educational content, such as highlighting the unique features of your brand and answering frequently asked questions about your brand’s products or services.
- Desire: Influencers will generate reviews and testimonials to show their fans what they have experienced with your brand and to create a desire for fans to make a purchase.
- Decision: Influencers will create announcements about sales events and display them on their channels to entice fans to act.
- Advocacy: Influencers will prompt customers to actively engage with your products or services and brand. They’ll also encourage their fans to share information about your brand with others.

Essentially, influencers are becoming subtle brand ambassadors who help businesses drive their brands’ sales cycles by acting at key junctures in the buyers journey.

4. Influencers will give brands new ideas and expanding platforms

Influencers will connect businesses to new opportunities. Connecting and engaging with an influencer could lead to possible joint ventures, live events, and more. Partnerships with influencers may also expand your brand’s platform across a variety of social media marketing channels such as Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Periscope, and Pinterest. Some of these platforms take time to build a following, but with an influencer, your brand will gain an instant following.

5. Increase of influencer marketing budget

A study showed that influencer campaigns earn $6.85 for every $1 spent.¹ In addition, another recent case study showed that influencer content generates an ROI that is 11 times higher than traditional digital campaigns.²

These solid statistics are giving companies more confidence when it comes to investing in an influencer. As a result, brands are reevaluating their resources and increasing their influencer marketing budgets.

6. Growth in influencer marketing technology and solutions

Brands that relied heavily on internal staff will begin to seek outside agencies with influencer marketing solutions. These companies will help businesses with strategic planning, as well as finding and managing niche influencers. Companies are also looking to outsource influencer campaigns with a trusted influencer marketing agency that can oversee high-volume campaigns and amplify influencer campaigns at the same time.

7. Introduction of influencer marketing tools

We’ll seen an increase in the number of tools used to track the performance of influencer marketing efforts. When social media marketing became an integral part of a business’s overall marketing plan, we saw a need for tools to facilitate the use of those platforms. This year, you should expect the same for influencer marketing. Companies will be able to track influencer campaigns and important metrics, like how much revenue each influencer generates more effectively as new and better tools emerge.

8. Authenticity of influencers will be crucial

The high demand for influencers has led to some buying of fake social media followers. Consequently, brands will be more cautious moving forward when choosing who to work with—instead of investing in a major influencer, brands are opting to partner with micro-influencers, or influencers who have smaller followings. Micro-influencers are starting to be viewed by some as more authentic—because they have a smaller niche following, they can be more invested, on a personal level, in their online presence.

Get Started with Influencer Marketing

There are many reasons to jump on the influencer marketing bandwagon. Now, with numerous influencer marketing NYC and influencer marketing agency New York to choose from, businesses can select the best agency to assist them with their needs.

So, if you’re ready to get started, here are the steps you should take:

- Find an influencer marketing agency near you—these will be the agencies that will understand your brand and business culture the best; they may have even heard of you already!
- Discuss your goals with the agency—be prepared to share details about any existing influencer campaigns you have up and running and be ready to talk about what you hope to accomplish with influencer marketing. You might also want to ask how the agency builds their network of influencers and how much say you’ll have in an influencer marketing campaign with them.
- Select the agency that feels right to you and get ready to earn more on every dollar you spend!

Sources:

For more information about the online marketing agency services provided by fishbat, contact us at 855-347-4228.