As we approach 2023 at an alarming pace, it’s an exciting time when you can not only reflect on the last year’s marketing and learnings, but how you can plan ahead of the game for the coming months. At Palm, we always love this time of year: getting organised and looking back at what worked and what didn’t, and this month we got thinking about influencer marketing in particular. It’s such a huge part of so many of our PR agency campaigns for clients, and it’s certainly not going away. But what’s next for 2023: what’s going to be bigger than ever, and which platforms are on their way out?
We know from recent research that consumers are demanding more and more credibility and transparency from brands. They want companies to speak to them like a friend would, and a trusted friend at that. Good news for influencer marketing – using this tactic is a key way to achieve trust and dialogue with a consumer. Influencers, who take their content creation seriously and are worth their weight, are able to tell a company’s story from a real life point of view and create compelling usage occasions – taking the brand off shelf and letting it live and breathe, and in turn creating buy-in and driving sales.
So, we know influencer marketing for food and drink, restaurants, hotels and travel isn’t going anywhere in 2023. But are the key trends to watch to ensure your brand wins at it next year?
- Video consumption is at an all time high and the Meta algorithm still prioritises video over static content. Really think about the brief to the influencer for content creation and definitely make sure it includes some video. How can they have some fun with the product? Can they have a go at recreating something funny or iconic? And more importantly, tailor your brief to your influencer. Sure, you don’t want to tell them what’s going to work on their own channels, but make sure you’ve researched their previous content and come with some ideas of what you’d like them to do.
- It’s still the social platform on everybody’s lips, and (finally!) the TikTok audience is expected to overtake Facebook’s in terms of size for the first time this year into next. But how do you get started when you’ve never even used the platform? TikTok is really well set up for new brands or accounts to get discovered. Its user interface is geared up for discovery and users are naturally drawn into longer dwelling sessions and high engagement rates. Win, win. TikTok is also really keen to get new brands on the platform so has a really strong support network and tools to help new users create content. Our advice? Spend some time browsing the platform to check out the trends, hashtags and content which seems to work. Then have a bit of fun with it!
- Our final pearl of wisdom is to really invest in influencers who can become genuine brand ambassadors. Instead of sporadic bursts of activity with people who aren’t really 100% on brand, it’s better to nurture a dedicated panel of influencers who you send regular product deliveries or briefs to, who will be communicating your brand to their audience again and again and getting creative with the products in their own unique style. This approach of regular content over a period of a few months is far more engaging, natural and also reinforces the message again and again to their audiences, building up stronger brand recall – and ultimately driving better conversion rates.
So there you have it, hopefully some really exciting and useful influencer trends to watch in 2023. For any questions, comments or help with your influencer marketing, please do get in touch on info@palm-pr.com