As more and more brands are realizing the power of a staged selfie, they are getting eager to implement influencer marketing into their own social media strategies. Influencer marketing has proved itself as a strategy that’s here to stay, the only question is, what influencer trends are on the rise? To answer that question, we must take you on a little spin of the influencers themselves.
Age is (not) just a number
Data finds that those who have the largest piece of the follower pie are female influencers between the ages of 25-34. This chunk has about 23% of total influencer followers – almost 1/4th! Following up closely are female influencers aged between 18-24 and then male influencers between the ages of 25-34. The interaction trends follow suit; first come female influencers aged between 25-34 and then 18-24.
Hobby lobbying
Can you guess what the most popular interest category is? No prizes here. 3.6 million influencers have chosen the ever faithful ‘Hobbies and Activities’, which makes it the most popular one. However, ignoring other, more niche interests is not a good idea. If used correctly, these niche interests can hold their own when it comes to providing powerful engagement. Some popular industries mentioned by influencers are Fashion and Beauty, each boasting a large influencer pool with Beauty having almost 5 million mentions.
What’s trending?
Ever admired somebody’s ’Insta aesthetic’? Even though Instagram has a smaller audience size when compared to other social media platforms, its users are far more engaged. When it comes to the visual aspects, Instagram allows users to play around with their feed’s look. Users that work hard to maintain an aesthetic keep their followers engaged and appreciative. Check out profiles like @amrezy or even local influencer @mariamshkh to see examples of users that love experimenting to maintain their aesthetic.
Show and tell
Since March 2018, the Instagram Stories format has grown by 21%. A crucial source of engagement, Stories are flexible and give brands an affordable way to boost visibility. Furthermore, Stories give influencers a way to promote and share products and services without sacrificing the aesthetic of their feed.
A dynamic change
While images still reign supreme when it comes to the format that influencers prefer, the gap is rapidly closing. While images made up 91% of influencer content in 2017, they only make up 71% of it in 2019 Q1. Trailing behind are videos with 10% and carousels with 18%. However, with Instagram’s increasing efforts to promote IGTV, video may be catching up quite soon.
Picking out the perfect influencer for your brand might be challenging, but it’s only the first step. Keep yourself informed on the right style and type of content to create a marketing strategy that is truly effective and you’ll start seeing your brand shine through the crowd.
