Are you still stumped as to how B2B influencer marketing might help your business?
The Current State of B2B Influencer Marketing
Influencers are people who specialize in a certain field and have a large internet following. They can successfully influence their audience's purchase decisions since they are considered as trustworthy experts in their subject by their followers. As such, their endorsements or recommendations can help companies reach a wider audience and generate leads.
In gaining brand recognition and customer attention, the reach and effectiveness of B2B influencer marketing are now far higher than traditional marketing approaches. This is why even leading brands across a wide variety of sectors are collaborating with top industry influencers on both digital and offline channels, as part of their brand promotion.
Despite the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic, B2B influencer marketing remains a popular and successful marketing strategy, and we may now consider it to be a component of the mainstream marketing mix. In 2022, the influencer marketing industry is expected to grow to a staggering $16.4 billion. This growth is contributed by the increasing popularity of short video formats on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, as well as the impact of the global pandemic on consumers, which catalysed social media consumption.
What’s Next for B2B Influencer Marketing? Five Trends to Watch in 2022
1️⃣ Video Ads Will Remain One of the Most Popular Ad Formats.
In general, video advertising gets greater engagement than static advertisement. When compared to static images, which may be rapidly digested, videos urge viewers to pause and pay attention to the information, resulting in more ad clicks and sales. Video advertising, particularly vertical video and mobile video formats, have greater click-through rates (CTR).
According to Optinmonster, customers like to learn about a product or service through videos 72% of the time. In fact, 84% of customers believe that seeing a brand's video influenced them to buy a product or service.
2️⃣ Brands Are Expected to Increase Their Influencer Marketing Budgets
As more marketers see the advantages of collaborating with influencers, businesses are increasingly engaging in influencer marketing or raising the money allocated to it. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, more than 75% of brand marketers aim to devote a budget to influencer marketing in 2022, and 68% are looking to raise their current influencer marketing spend.
3️⃣ Micro-Influencers Are Poised Have a Major Impact
Micro-influencers are projected to have a larger role in 2022. Buyers hate feeling like they have been marketed to, hence, the rise of the micro-influencers. Despite the fact that they have less followers than mega and macro-influencers, their audiences are more engaged and more willing to take action. If your brand and products are more well aligned with a particular micro-influencer, you might be able to attain a higher ROI as compared to tapping into a top influencer.
4️⃣ Influencer Marketing Campaigns Will Be Transformed by Personalisation
In order to run effective influencer marketing, personalisation is essential. Influencers should be able to connect with their audiences on a more personal level or with a more straightforward approach, as customers are more inclined to respond to people they are able to relate with.
It's also critical for marketers to collaborate with influencers that share their brand's values and personality in order to achieve success.
5️⃣ Cross-Channel Campaigns Are Getting Increasingly Popular
In 2014, the average person had 4.8 social media accounts. This number increased to 8.4 accounts per person in 2020. As the number of social platforms and users grows, it's more important than ever for firms to take a multi-channel strategy for marketing initiatives.
Brands must be able to provide content that is targeted to each type of social media platform in order to remain relevant. They should collaborate with influencers who are experts in each channel and can engage their target audience in their respective digital venues.
How to Embark on Your B2B Influencer Marketing Journey
Still have questions on how you can get started with B2B influencer marketing?
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