Recently, we turned our gaze to 2017, predicting where influencer marketing campaigns are heading in the immediate future. A significant pillar of these developments is video content – how it’s used, what it consists of, and who’s actually manipulating it for the eyes of their audience.
As roughly 70% of brands have launched Google or Youtube video ads this year, you should capitalise on this shift towards dynamic visuals, equipping your influencer marketing strategy with the tools for cutting-edge engagement. How is video redefining influencer marketing? Let’s explore in more depth:
How is video redefining influencer marketing? Let’s explore in more depth:
A millennial hook
The rise of vloggers into our public sphere has been driven mainly by the millennial generation, who take to video content very easily. Popular YouTube stars have made careers out of nothing more than a camera and some editing software in their bedroom; millions of young people follow their channels religiously, getting style tips, personal thoughts and digestible reactions to current events.
Whilst influencers are still found in the more traditional avenues of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, vlogging has created an entirely new appetite for personable, well-produced videos. Think carefully about who vlogs in a style and format that your brand could slip into seamlessly. Don’t just leap onto the vlogging star with the greatest number of followers – consider what will make your influencer partnership seem effortless, like it’s meant to be twinned with their channel.
Instagram’s continuing prominence
Instagram has always based itself on visual immediacy. For influencer marketing campaigns, the platform forces people to condense their message as much as they can, paying attention to the artistry of the moving image.
These qualities are extremely beneficial when you realise how fast Instagram’s average watch time has climbed: an astonishing 40% in the first half of 2016 alone. Countless more users are responding to its video capabilities, enhanced this year by the Instagram Stories feature. Influencer campaigns can therefore reap larger rewards by incorporating video into their strategy.
The power of narrative
Brands are consistently told about the importance of UX (User Experience). Such thinking places emotion, intelligence and genuine relationships at the heart of your business identity, attributes that video naturally fishes out of influencer marketing.
Since influencers operate on a personal level, this form of digital marketing is far more likely to present your brand in the best possible light, captured by the momentum of the footage and the story it’s telling. Influencers can also respond to suggestions left by fans in their ‘comments’ section, fostering a two-way dialogue that makes the audience feel closer to them and, by extension, whatever you’re promoting.
These are only the initial glimpses of how video content is impacting influencer marketing. In 2017, the volume of video posts will grow exponentially, along with engagement on social media channels. Billion Dollar Boy has the insight to bring your marketing strategy up to speed, using video to attract a younger, more discerning social crowd.