Influencer Marketing Statistics in 2019 Every marketer Should Know

Influencer marketing is becoming increasingly important. Anyone who informs themselves about new products often asks network contacts on Facebook or Twitter. The more people are connected through social media, the better it will be.

Therefore, the relevance of influencer marketing has increased significantly for companies. More and more brands are incorporating so-called "influencers" into their marketing strategies. This trend will not only continue, but it will gain strength in 2019.

Hiring public figures to strengthen promotion and sales campaigns is proving to have many advantages. First, the return on investment: according to data from the Influencer Marketing Hub, for every US $1 they invest in these types of campaigns, and businesses earn more than the US $7. On the other hand, this strategy allows us to give a more human voice to brands, through people who have a defined audience of followers and fluid communication with them.

Like any trend, influencer marketing is continuously evolving. For it to be effective, it is essential to be aware of what changes you are going through to adapt to the market. So, if you are working on your campaigns for next year, this is what you should keep in mind.

What are the goals of marketers with influencer marketing? How does it work successfully in practice? We have already described this in the first article, "What is Influencer Marketing? "(you can link this to my previous article).

However, what is the current use of influencer marketing in practice? The article gives answers based on existing studies.

How has influencer marketing been in 2018

2018 has been the year in which influencer marketing has established itself in the market as an imperative for companies when developing marketing strategies. The popularity that influencers have achieved, especially during this last year, has revolutionized the predominant communicative models until then, as well as the publicity is known so far.

22% of young people aged 18 to 34 have made a large purchase after seeing an online influencer who supports the article (Marketing Charts). They may not know their influencers personally, which is evident in the impact they have on.

The influencer marketing came into our lives a few years ago, stomping, but without generating too much noise. However, due to its apparent effectiveness, it has become the ideal technique to achieve brand visibility, customer acquisition, and loyalty. It has generated significant engagement.

It also strongly influenced consumer buying behaviors. In 2018, the birth of influencers had skyrocketed towards different sectors. What other Influencer Marketing trends have occurred this year?

The YouTubers like brand specifiers have managed to settle in the market. As mentioned, they are diversifying their types and ultimately giving practical solutions to day - to - day problems. They usually provide advice, but mostly generate entertainment content.

Now, what has revolutionized influence marketing in the last year has been precisely the micro-influencers. Users are realizing that they generate a lot more empathy than the great celebrities, who are also not failing their strategy as mobilizers of large masses. Therefore, campaigns with micro-influencers have gained particular interest, reaching a more concrete and faithful audience.

39% of active Instagram accounts, with more than 15,000 followers, are considered "influential" (HubSpot). Not everything that glitters is gold. It's essential to check the reach and hook of each influencer. And something supremely fundamental if your followers are real or not, and if your tone is suitable for brands. 

Another influencer marketing trend that has marked and has been consolidated during this year is precisely the audiovisual content on demand. Increasingly, the trend towards personalization of consumption narrows its circle. Because the public can choose themselves what to consume, when, and where. The users demand more product reviews before deciding to buy something.

Influencer Marketing Trends for 2019: what can we expect

Taking into account the influence marketing actions that have triumphed the most in this 2018. Knowing that many of them have come to stay, let's look at the Influencer marketing trends that will dominate next 2019.

Live content

Creating live content is one of the influencer marketing trends that will undoubtedly be successful in 2019. Since, after several studies, it has been considered that live video is 80% more attractive than a post in the Blog or social publications (Buffer).

This is due to the growing passion for immediacy, which overcomes realism and approximates communication between users and influencers. The users feel as if they were with them.

Measure return 

Companies should be able to measure the return on the investment accurately. It can be done through metrics and software tracking platforms that give them data such as Influencity. This will be one of the most important tasks when developing an influencers campaign.

Knowing what type of actions gives more value to your brand is crucial to limit what kind of campaign and which platform it adapts improves your audience.

84% of marketing professionals think that transparency, when measuring the impact of influencers, will be critical to the success of influential marketing (Marketing Charts). Fortunately, many platforms measure the result of an influencer's publication, which is essential in monitoring cost vs. profit for the brand.

The possibility that social media have of integrating market metrics allows us to know if a campaign is getting a good return on investment. In the same way, knowing what type of actions gives more value to your brand is crucial. This will define what kind of campaign and which platform it adapts to improve your audience.

90% of marketing specialists say that commitment is the most common metric for measuring the marketing of influencers (Linqia Study). It is a relationship of transparency and will only occur through a good relationship between the marketing team and their chosen influencers.

Micro-influencers

It is difficult to define this section since it is not a globalized term. Each one has parameters depending on where it is. An influencer with 10,000 followers in a city of 50,000 inhabitants is not the same as in a city of 20,000,000. But in a general way I would rate it like this:

• Nano influencer: 0-2.5k followers
• Micro-Influencer: 2.5k-25k followers
• Macro influencer: 25k-250k followers
• Mega influencer : 250k-2.5M followers
• Celebrity : + 2.5M followers

The need and the growing demand for AUTHENTICITY opens the way to the imminent demand of micro-influencers. Those YouTubers, Instagrammers, among others, who do not have millions and millions of followers are playing the most part. The market considered them as professionals of a sector (fashion, music, technology) and attract small masses of users interested in their specialty.

According to eMarketer, 42% of UK and US sellers are worried about fake followers and bots. Trust and authenticity are achieved over time, and network personalities are in a stage of building trust towards their possible ways of monetizing their audiences.

The reason for the rise of micro influents is because their authenticity is related to the proximity they transmit and the high degree of knowledge and specialization in their field. This limits the relational circle and provides an extra degree of credibility, considering the influencer himself as A relative or friend.

Some of the reasons that will lead to the fact that micro-influencers reign in 2019 is the following:

• These are very accessible people
• Your valuable content is more compromised
• By being experts in the field, their opinions are reliable sources for users
• They are people with whom customers can quickly identify themselves because they are like them, one more.

These are some of the characteristics by which the micro-influencers will enter in 2019 stomping. However, their attraction is not at odds with the great influencers. They will continue to be the celebrities of the moment, although they will let them pass, especially on specific issues.

Therefore, the majority (63 percent) of the companies surveyed want to invest in micro-influencers in 2019. For them, it is more important that the influencer fits the brand (company, product, people). This is stated in surveys by Rakuten Marketing and the market research institute Viga.

IGTV

The Instagram IGTV tool allows you to create audiovisual content in a longer format than publications and stories allow. This is not only the trend for those working as Instagram influencers but also users in general in 2019.

It is content that attracts the user's attention, thanks in part to its notification system. Well, the moment you add a video, your followers receive a colorful notification at the top of the screen. This a way to stand out and become visible among the multitude of accounts with which your publications compete. It becomes an optimal tool for brands to carry out their influencer marketing campaigns.

Messages must be transparent

Consumers are already showing some tiredness and distrust of the covert advertising of products and services made by public figures. And they have zero tolerance with the recommendations they perceive as dishonest. 

That is why the influencers must be clear about the relationship with the brands they promote on social networks. For example, they should clarify if they were hired, or receive regular free articles to try them out and do an objective review.

Storytelling techniques will further increase the impact of the messages

The best campaigns are those in which a brand and an influencer tell a story that challenges the audience and invites them to be part of something bigger. 

And of course, that drives her to purchase the end. As many studies have shown, today, people are not only willing to buy more from a brand with a good history. But also to pay more for their products and services.

Forecasts for the future of campaigns with influencers

94% of marketing specialists believe that transparency and authenticity are fundamental to the success of Influencer marketing (Social Roadmap). There is uncertainty in how to handle these types of strategies correctly, especially their impact, what currently exists is pure trial and error.

Despite the age of many influencers, they are already clear about their participation in the advertising budget. In conclusion, a good selection of the type of influencer that the brand wants to relate to is vital for an optimal impact. Here are some direct benefits you will receive from Influencers:

• They create trends and social debate: These influential people can create themes to talk to the whole society since their word is commented by many of their fans.
• They create more valued native advertising: Their ads seem less invasive and transparent. They also have a proven opinion since they are consumers like their own fans.
• They have their sectorized audience: They are ideal for niche campaigns since their audience tends to be highly classified.
• Increase the reputation of the brand: The reputation of these people tends to expand to the brands they name or associate.
• More effective and high conversion: For all these points above, campaigns tend to be more successful.
• Increase SEO positioning: These types of campaigns help to position the brand on Google and other channels that are used. Why? Because more people will search your brand
• It is also essential to understand that digital marketing strategies are much more effective over time, so proper planning is critical as part of the success of a campaign with influencers.

Takeaway

Influencer marketing usually takes place on Instagram. The Hubspot and Mention marketing platforms analyzed more than 48 million Instagram postings and explored usage patterns in terms of engagement, hashtag reach, and the importance of influencers. The main findings of the study are:

• Videos receive twice as many comments as picture posts
• 47 percent of users have fewer than 1,000 followers, potential customers
• 80 percent follow at least one company, especially with creative trendy hashtags
• 7 out of 10 hashtags come from companies or are linked to one
• 1.9 percent of users have over one million followers and are thus considered to be great influencers.

Recommended action: Companies should, therefore, publish emotional videos, use Instagram stories, and put up to five hashtags for each post. Above all, it is essential to focus on the interests of the followers in order to promote commitment. The range grows automatically.