5 Fast-Moving Trends in Influencer Marketing 2021 - CommPRO

5  Fast-Moving   Trends   in
Influencer Marketing 2021
Stacy DeBroff, CEO and Founder of Influence Central

2021 is on track to be a year of explosive growth, continued
platform and streaming change, and conversion to sales in
Influencer Marketing when brands do it right. Here’s what to
look for a huge trends sweeping the influencer space.

Influencer-Hosted Livestream                     Shopping
will hit the U.S.
Already a $135 billion dollar industry for e-commerce sales in
China, we expect to see this grow dramatically this year in
the U.S., with influencers leading the way of showcasing
products while a live audience tunes in for special deals and
behind the scenes product information.

Livestreaming enables retailers to leverage consumer’s higher
propensity to make a purchase when tuning in real time, as it
generates for them instant gratification of a cool deal. The
biggest draw for consumers comes from livestreaming’s unique
mix of entertainment, behind-the-scenes product info, shared
commenting with others, and simple click to buy
options. Viewers can ask personalized questions about the
product or service or how to use it – something not possible
with standard video sharing on Instagram or YouTube.

U.S. influencers are poised to lead bringing Livestreaming to
the U.S. social media platforms and have already begun to kick
into gear with livestreaming features on Instagram, Facebook,
TikTok, Amazon Live, Twitch, YouTube and Etsy. It is a way to
encourage shopping via social media by offering exclusivity
and connection. According to an Influence Central consumer
survey: The biggest consumer draws to Livestream shopping are

the opportunity for live demos (70%) and a special deal, only
available for purchases during the event (60%).

While only 19% of American consumers participated in
livestream shopping in 2020, expect to see these numbers surge
in 2021. All the major social media platforms have developed
offerings for livestream shopping. Instagram Live within
Instagram Stories enables users to livestream. It’s currently
testing a new checkout feature to allow shopping start to
finish without leaving the Instagram app. Facebook in its
Marketplace Community has begun testing a new feature that
will enable merchants to sell items more efficiently on a
livestream. Currently the darling of livestreaming gamers,
there’s development of retail centric offerings on
Twitch’s fast-rising social platform. Amazon sellers can host
livestream sessions on their store pages or product pages.

From Burberry launching a new fashion collection on TikTok to
L’Oreal livestreaming new beauty products, influencers will
lead this livestreaming surge as they convert their loyal
audiences to e-commerce sales.

Surge in E-Commerce via Social Platforms
Expect a surge in direct social media shopping,
with Facebook and Instagram leading the way. 54%
of consumers in 2020 purchased products directly
within the shopping features of a social medium
platform. Expect to see these numbers soar in
2021.   In a recent Influence Central consumer
survey:
     69% of consumers say they purchased directly via
     Facebook posts, 34% via Instagram shoppable links and
     33% via swipe-up links.
     More than half of consumers have purchased products
     directly within the shopping features of a social media

platform.
     Brand social posts and influencer content prove most
     persuasive when shopping via social media.

Facebook and Instagram so far lead the way for
direct social media purchasing:
     Facebook Post
     Instagram Shoppable Link
     Instagram Story Swipe-Up Link

 Influencer’s posts prove most persuasive to
consumers when shopping via social media. And 78%
of consumers expect to increase their online
shopping in 2021 for:
     Apparel                                                -

     Health and beauty
     Cleaning products
     Groceries
     Toys and kids’ activities
     Home electronics
     Medicine & supplements

Creators’ Obsessive Focus on Short-Form
Video
Short-form video content continued to experience significant
growth in 2020 and is trending toward an upward spike in 2021.
To keep up with the popularity of TikTok, Instagram launched
Reels providing a very similar in-app experience. Snapchat
also launched its own in-app video platform, Spotlight, in
late 2020.

However, unlike 2020 being the year of the viral TikTok dance
challenge, brands and creators need to find new and intriguing
ways to engage with followers on these video-centric platforms

in 2021.

Emergent platforms such as Twitch have seen huge success,
which now offers brands additional avenues and a whole new set
of influencers, from gamers to musicians, to reach consumers.
Already offering followers unique content via its streaming
platform, Twitch was able to reach record viewership during
the Pandemic and has positioned itself as a leader in
livestream events, a trend that is not going away any time
soon.

The Rise of             Micro-Influencers                for
Engagement
Looking as far back as Spring 2020 in the early days of the
Pandemic, you could see the emergence of new trends in
influencer content and follower relatability. These prove
lasting changes that truly benefit the micro-influencer.

     Four key factors of working with micro-influencers still
     hold true today: Authenticity, Engagement, Cost and
     Content. Consumers are engaging with online content more
     than ever before — from comfort and entertainment to
     staying connected with loved ones.

Followers want to see relatable versus inspirational. People
aren’t dressing up for flashy nights out or serving large
dinner parties. They want to engage with their favorite
influencers in a real situation and facing the same realities
they’re currently facing, as well. It is harder to relate to
the celebrity or even macro-influencer’s everyday life than
the micro-influencer. In another survey of I-C’s consumer
insights panel amid the Pandemic, consumers most valued
content related to food, entertainment and escapism. The
effects of the shutdowns and stay-home lifestyle on consumer
behavior will be felt well into 2021 and beyond.

In addition to relatable content, micro-influencers tend to be

less likely to spark major controversy as compared to a
celebrity or macro-influencer. A brand can also work with a
larger number of creators across multiple platforms under
tighter budgets by targeting micro-influencers.

Brands Have to Walk a Fine Line on Social
Issues
In 2021, brands will need to continue walking the fine line of
using their voice to promote social issues and impact change,
while not alienating customer bases or making a misstep in the
process. In a post-election survey of Influence Central’s
consumer insights panel:

     70% of consumers say that a brand’s stance on social
     issues impacts their purchasing behavior.
     78% of consumers believe that corporations should
     embrace social leadership right now alongside answering
     to shareholders.
     75% of consumers believe brands wading into explosive
     social issues carries intense risk after such a fraught
     election.

Brands in 2021 are expected to stand for something and
although consumers recognize the murky waters brands face when
entering conversations on social issues, they can be equally
as offput by brand silence.

To be successful in influencer marketing moving forward,
brands need to double down on their vetting processes to
ensure influencers align with their core values prior to
collaborating. While this has always been an important factor
in influencer marketing, examples like beauty influencer
Jeffree Star’s relationship with Morphe Cosmetics or Amanda
Ensign’s partnership with Sephora, show how being on the wrong
side of social issues can lead to immediate break-ups for
brands and their influencer partners, which can be
catastrophic to brand marketing plans and budgets.

About the Author: Stacy DeBroff,
                        founder and CEO of Influence Central
                        (www.Influence-Central.com) is a
                        leading social media strategist and
                        influencer marketing expert, working
                        with over 350 national brands each
                        year. She regularly appears on
                        national media for her trendspotting
insights on future trends. Headquartered in Boston, her
company has been named to the Inc. Magazine list of the
nation’s fastest-growing privately held companies 5 years in a
row.