In the world of content creation and marketing, the industry is constantly evolving as trends come and go. It can be difficult sometimes to stay on top of it all! In a relatively short amount of time, the marketing industry has experienced a significant transformation- the rise of influencer marketing.
According to a recent report, influencer marketing investments are expected to grow to $5 billion next year in the United States alone! Influencers such as yourself have allowed for brands to better connect with consumers, creating a new celebrity tier- and the impact can even be seen in other major industries.
Curious to find out more about which direction the industry is headed? Read below for new tips and tricks about social media user preferences that can be used to boost engagement!
When asked which social platforms they use most regularly, consumers ranked YouTube number one, with Instagram coming second, Facebook third, TikTok fourth, and Snapchat fifth. Reddit and Pinterest nearly tied for sixth place, with Twitter trailing in seventh place. Currently, marketing clients use Facebook most for influencer marketing, followed by Instagram and YouTube. This means that in the near future, we could see a shift in what platforms are used for influencer marketing to align with user preferences.
“We are seeing this consumer shift towards video content in social data too,” said Evy Lyons, chief marketing officer at Traackr. “Over the past year, certain categories of influencer content have seen decreases in likes and comments, but stark increases in video views. We think this is because consumers are more likely to show interest in video content by simply watching or rewatching the post instead of clicking or commenting.”
Although there’s a slight variance by generation, overall, video content is taking over. 45% of all consumers say that short videos are the most engaging content type. Gen Z likes long videos and livestreams, while Millennials like static and written posts.
Social media isn’t just a space for communication and consuming content anymore, either. The top platforms for shopping in ranked order by consumers are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest. Consumers are also more likely to purchase certain products over others on social media, too. 49% said that they are more likely to buy fashion products, while 44% said beauty and personal care, and 40% said electronics.
Content creators are also able to influence what users decide to buy while scrolling on social media. A Traackr survey found that 70% of consumers factor influencers into their purchase decisions, with 59% stating that they look to influencers for product recommendations.
No matter how big or small your following is, you are making an impact as a creator! We at the Social Club hope that this information will be helpful to you as you continue to create.