1. Increasing importance of influencer relations – rising number of long-term campaigns
The last few years have shown that influencers are becoming increasingly picky when it comes to their collaboration partners, which is why brands should focus on influencers who identify with the brand and are looking to build long-term partnerships.
2. Additional sources of income from influencer podcasts and exclusive platform deals
Influencers Julien Bam and Rezo appear to have honed in on the right format with their podcast, hobbylos. By signing an exclusive deal with Spotify, the pair have unlocked an additional source of income that strengthens the bond to their community and increases their visibility and reach. On the back of the pair’s success with hobbylos, more exclusive influencer podcasts are expected in 2022.
3. Independence through own influencer brands and investment activities
Over the past few years, it has become commonplace for influencers to go it alone or even become investors themselves. In future, influencers will become less and less reliant on one-shot partnerships.
4. Corporate influencers and employer branding
Influencer marketing is more than just about selling products – something that many employers now well understand. Influencers will start to be used more in a B2B context and for employer branding purposes in future.
5. Qualitative assessment of influencer marketing campaigns is becoming increasingly important
Quantitative targets are easier to measure, but in 2022 the focus will be on the quality of content, interactions and conversions. Greater attention will be paid to subjective perceptions among communities, especially when it comes to comparing campaigns.
6. Short-form video coming to the fore – TikTok the rising star
Short-form videos on TikTok or Instagram are growing in popularity and overtaking conventional image-only posts. Social media users have increasingly high standards when it comes to content quality. For influencers, it’s all about standing out from the crowd. TikTok, which is the king of short-form videos, will be at the leading edge of this trend in 2022.
7. Older generation of influencers becoming more and more popular
Thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many activities have been transported into the digital domain. Digital advertisers are therefore unlocking an increasing number of new target groups, particularly in the over 50s category. Influencers of an older generation, who are loyal and authentic collaboration partners with years of consumer experience, are being used more and more to reach this target group more efficiently.
8. Increasing transparency in pricing
Revenue-based variables for influencer fees will grow in importance in the new year in order to ensure an appropriate price/performance ratio in influencer marketing. Generally speaking, the pricing transparency trend in influencer marketing is positive and should be supported by the community.
9. Live formats to become key pillar of content production
Live video formats can be used to introduce customers to products in a similar manner to face-to-face presentations. This makes influencers more approachable and authentic for their communities and the format offers the chance to pair e-commerce with entertainment. Live shopping will become increasingly relevant in 2022.
10. Influencers in the world of politics
Ever since 2019, when German YouTuber Rezo produced a now infamous video on politics, more and more influencers are building up the courage to talk about their political views. In future, influencers will play more of a role in the political landscape and share their views on social media.
