For several years now, influencer marketing and the presence of influencers on the web continues to grow. A lever that transforms the problems of brands and agencies faced with increasingly volatile consumers. But the controversies are also increasing: dropshipping, lack of transparency, bad buzz… It is in this context that Stellar.ioan influencer marketing platform and agency, has produced, in partnership with BDM a study dedicated to influence strategies with more than 400 professionals in the sector.
Asked about their perception of influence marketing, agencies and advertisers are unanimous about the importance of this communication lever in their strategy: the majority (60%) plan to launch between 1 and 5 influence campaigns. end of the year. These figures clearly show that influence is now part of the marketing levers of all agencies: social media agencies, generalist agencies, agencies specializing in influence and PR (43%). It is a channel that is becoming more and more commonplace and is becoming the norm in marketing plans.
The top 5 industries planning to launch influencer marketing campaigns in 2O22 relate to areas largely dedicated to leisure and broader wellness:
- Culture, sport, leisure and entertainment – 37.5%,
- Food – 27%,
- Furniture, decoration and appliances – 25%,
- Hygiene and beauty – 25%,
- Transport, tourism and travel – 25%
Multiple types of collaborations between brands and influencers, CSR in focus
If brands have so far used influencers for product placement (45.5%) or co-creation of content (44%), the business is now being transformed and evolving, particularly in terms of CSR (12.5%). Communication is increasingly focused on transparency and honesty, an authentic discourse resulting in a more sustainable commitment of communities.
In the future, influencers will therefore no longer be simple alternatives for increasing brand awareness (37.5%) or its image/positioning (22.5%), but they will become essential levers of engagement. The strength of influence marketing also lies in the universe and the creativity of the influencer as well as in the targeting of his audience. Influencer profiles are thus selected on very specific criteria: audience (60%), commitments (48%), creativity and shared values (42%).
Changing channels, budgets and formats
If the selection of influencers is stricter, we are also witnessing the birth of new channels. TikTok is one of the newest, but its exponential growth has quickly propelled it to the top of the most used platforms in terms of influence (Instagram 81.5%, Facebook 36.5%, TikTok 32%, Youtube 29% ). With formats that are also evolving, from post photos (80%), to short and real videos (76%) via stories (71.5%).
It is no surprise that the average budget allocated to marketing campaigns is on the risewith 46.5% of budgets increasing for agencies, 59% for advertisers.
In the field of influence, everything evolves very quickly and the codes are constantly being readjusted. Influence is one of the 3 marketing channels that generate the highest ROI (64%) after paid social media (65%) and before SEO (56.5%). Influencers have a prominent place in the promotion of brands and their commitments. As for the next trends, the influencer professionals surveyed are of the same opinion: in the next two years, short videos such as TikTok, Reels (52%) or the sharing of CSR campaigns and brand commitments (38% ) will be preferred.
Methodology :
Survey conducted online by BDM, from August 30 to September 30, 2022, among 401 influencers.