Brands are constantly on the lookout for new, effective ways to connect with their audience. Creeping up to the top of the list of marketing tactics to implement, influencer marketing is one of the most powerful tools a brand can use to establish a lasting relationship with its audience.
Influencer marketing leverages the established trust between influencer and audience for promotion/endorsement purposes, as well as increasing brand awareness. Brands are realizing that consumers are more likely to buy their product or service if someone they trust is vouching for it.
Influencer marketing is hugely successful because people believe other people more than they do a sponsored ad or corporate message. Let’s look at five industries that benefit the most from using influencers in their social media/digital marketing efforts and current industry trends in each that may matter to their effectiveness in the future of marketing.
Beauty
As more and more brands in various industries invest in influencer marketing, campaign results and research studies find that the beauty industry is thriving due to influencer marketing. With beauty being so visual, you can see why this industry would benefit tremendously from using beauty influencers to not just talk about the benefits of their product/service, but SHOW them.
Influencer marketing is so successful in the beauty industry because not only do consumers follow beauty influencers specific to them, they follow them for specific reasons. For example, if someone is struggling with acne, they’re most likely following an influencer struggling with this same challenge, but they also may be following a beauty science influencer for more targeted information and tips on which ingredients are best for their skin, which brands are living up to their ingredient claims, and so forth.
This variety in the industry allows brands to work with multiple influencers that can help them penetrate the market from multiple angles.
Here are 3 industry trends to keep in mind for the future of influencer marketing in the beauty industry:
- The rise of “maskne” products — Because of masks, bacteria are constantly getting trapped in pores, creating more acne than usual in the spaces the mask is covering. Beauty brands and influencers in skincare will be in demand because of this.
- At-home beauty culture — More consumers will make their at-home beauty regimens permanent. Choose influencers specializing in DIY products, tips, and services to get ahead of this trend.
- Skinimalism — A minimalist approach to skincare and makeup trends is becoming more popular among consumers, not just in usage, but in ingredients too. Use influencers leading the “skinimalist” lifestyle.
Business
Business owners are looking for ways to incite growth and longevity in their business. One of the most popular ways to gain this knowledge and implement strategies effectively is to listen to and learn from other successful business owners.
The business industry relies heavily on other business owners sharing their successes and failures in building their business and what products/services they use to scale it. Business influencers collaborate with businesses and brands that help with their business operations and strategy.
Here are 3 industry trends to keep in mind for the future of influencer marketing in the business industry:
- Working from home — This pandemic sent many people to work from home and many companies have vowed to continue these flexible schedules. Look for business influencers successfully navigating the work from home environment.
- Social responsibility — A company’s social responsibility is now one of the top deciding factors for whether a consumer will buy a product or service. Be sure to understand your audience’s values and choose influencers that align with them.
- Entrepreneurship is on the rise — More people are embarking on the entrepreneurship journey and are looking toward influential business leaders to show them the way.
Travel
People love to live vicariously through travel influencers. Sifting through dreamy trips, romantic getaways, and backpacking adventures has only increased during this pandemic because we’re confined to our homes. But travel influencers will make their way around the world again.
The travel industry benefits hugely from influencers because they offer a trusted source for hotel recommendations, airline accommodations, budget-friendly travelling tips, products for successful travelling, amazing location photos, and so forth.
Here are 3 industry trends to keep in mind for the future of influencer marketing in the travel industry:
- People will return to traveling — People are itching to travel as soon restrictions are lifted. They’ll be looking to travel often and for longer periods and will look to their favorite travel influencers for how to do so safely.
- Hotels and airlines will make a comeback — Hotels and airlines took a drastic hit due to Covid-19. As people begin to travel more, they’ll be looking to travel influencers for tips on airlines and hotels that can accommodate the new normal.
- The rise of nomadic workers — A lot of people have grown accustomed to the work from home lifestyle and will be looking to extend their time in that lifestyle as companies adopt remote working environments.
Food/Beverage
Influencer marketing is especially successful in the food/beverage industry because people tend to drift toward restaurants, recipes, and other food/beverage tips that come from people they know or influencers they trust.
Consumers aren’t just looking for good food to eat and pretty pictures, they want to know more about where the ingredients are coming from, the people behind the brand, and other “behind-the-scenes” information that influencers provide.
Here are 3 industry trends to keep in mind for the future of influencer marketing in the food/beverage industry:
- Increased food demand will require the agriculture industry to adapt — Things like a desire for more sustainable and ethically-sourced food and farmers turning to smart tech to meet productivity demands will affect the future of agriculture. As the agriculture industry shifts, the way influencers talk about and consume food and beverage will too.
- Budget-friendly brands — Many consumers’ finances were hit hard due to the pandemic, so families are looking for food/beverage brands that fit into their budget. Budget-friendly foodies will be in high demand.
- Health and wellness — People are looking to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle, so they are continuing to turn to influencers specializing in foods and beverages that will help them in their upkeep.
Health/Fitness
The health/fitness industry continues to thrive thanks in part to its usage of influencers to show consumers what the success of their health/fitness journey could look like. When a health and fitness expert recommends a product or service, consumers are more likely to use it, especially when that influencer mirrors their health and fitness goals.
If your business is related to health and fitness products/services, explore using an influencer because they can show the potential benefits of using your product by endorsing how it’s helped them in achieving their fitness goals.
Here are 3 industry trends to keep in mind for the future of influencer marketing in the fitness industry:
- At-home workouts — When gyms closed, people relied heavily on at-home workouts to maintain their fitness regimens. Many will continue to implement at home workouts into their schedules and turn to influencers that include them as well.
- Hygiene standards at gyms — Gyms are being held to higher cleanliness standards as patrons return. The continued upkeep of these standards will remain a high priority for those pursuing fitness efforts.
- Increased appreciation for sports — All of our sports seasons were impacted due to COVID-19. People are eager to return to stadiums, gyms, and sporting facilities to support their favourites teams as well as play themselves. Because of this new appreciation for sports, expect a significant increase in viewership, participation, and consumer spending.
Conclusion
Influencer marketing is said to be a powerful marketing tool by multiple industry experts. Research is revealing that the return on investment is tremendous and the root of its success is due to an influencer’s trust-filled relationship with their audience.
Industries like health/fitness, travel, food/beverage, beauty, and business are most successful with influencer marketing strategies because of their visual appeal and continued consumer interest.
There is plenty of opportunity for any industry as it pertains to influencer marketing. Tell your brand’s story through the people that use your product/service and attest to its positive impact on their lives.
Cover image Source: Pixabay
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