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Influencers TikTok Diversity and Inclusion

Influencer marketing predictions for 2022: D&I, new tech, social shopping & more

By Jenny Tsai, Founder and CEO

Wearisma

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February 4, 2022 | 6 min read

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Influencer marketing is no longer a nice-to-have. Instead, it is now a necessity. A new report by Wearisma shows that with 86% of users using social media for purchasing decisions, it’s clear to see why influencers need to be a part of your strategy.

Wearisma article header

The global pandemic has led to a seismic shift in social media consumption

This guide outlines the predictions you need to look out for in 2022 and how to stay one step ahead of your competitors.

The power of content creators and brand advocates

Around the world, more than 50 million would define themselves as creators. As working with influencers becomes the mainstream marketing channel, power has shifted to the side of the influencer and content creators. But, most importantly, the focus is on the brand advocates who are passionate supporters of your brand and promoting your product online.

As the creator community grows, so does the demographic range, the majority of ages being 18-24 on TikTok, 54+ on YouTube and 18-44 on Instagram – combined, this accounts for almost all demographic groups, proving that content creators are targeting all audiences.

Wearisma’s research alongside Dectech found that even when people are unfamiliar with an influencer, influencer content positively impacts purchase intent (28%). So it’s clear to see why brands need to be maximizing influencers’ power.

According to the ‘State of Marketing in 2021’ report, 82% of marketers are leveraging content marketing in 2021, and it would be no surprise to see this continuing into 2022. The challenge for brands is knowing which influencers or content creators to work with, and identifying those who have an authentic connection with the brand is critical.

Coty UK, one of Wearisma’s clients, found value in maximizing the use of gifting content creators in 2021 for its successful Marc Jacobs’s Fragrances #PerfectAsIAm TikTok campaign. The campaign smashed records, achieving an engagement rate double the industry average, proving the success of using content creators. It’s clear why brands will leverage and follow a similar plan in 2022.

“We’re focused on building a community of true advocates and loyalty rather than just gifting in return for sales, so we have moved away from a ‘gifting-for-sales strategy’ into a paying-it-forward, community-focused project,” says Emma Little, global brand advocacy manager, Made.com. “This gives the creator more autonomy and purpose. It then creates a more long-lasting relationship with the brand too. Wearisma’s tools have enabled us to not only find creators but also see how our project is performing and help us inform future campaigns.”

Diversity and inclusion

The global pandemic has led to a seismic shift in social media consumption and accelerated the need to connect and engage with our chosen communities online. As a result, there’s a continued call for diverse influence from people consumers are following on social media and those whom brands are working with or representing in their strategy.

Consumers are increasingly interested in consuming content from across the globe, and they want to see new and exciting content from different cultures. This trend will continue in 2022.

As brands continue to invest more in influencer marketing, they need to consider whether their approach fulfils the ethical and equality-driven expectations rightly placed on the industry. Failing to create an ethical strategy can harm your brand reputation, cause you to lose revenue and prevent you from building a strong community of advocates.

The ethics and core values are now more critical than ever when maintaining brand loyalty, and prioritizing an ethical influencer marketing strategy is non-negotiable. In 2022, marketers will be required to work with a more comprehensive and diverse pool of influencers to avoid the risk of being labeled tokenistic.

New technology

TikTok has now surpassed Google as the most used platform on the planet. According to App Annie, TikTok has been the #1 non-gaming application downloaded between July and September of 2021. In addition, eMarketer has reported that 68% of marketers use creators on TikTok. Business of Apps suggests that there are over 600 million users in China alone, and 689 million users across the rest of the world.

As well as this, toward the end of 2021, we saw the emergence in interest toward the metaverse. Justin Bieber was one of the celebrities who took to the stage, performing a digital concert on Wave Watch. Wearisma data shows that total engagements for #metaverse between January to December in 2021 compared to 2020 grew by a significant 59m, so it’s evident that interest is likely to continue in 2022.

The next 12 months represent a period of education for marketers to understand the new virtual spaces and how influencer marketing comes into them.

Social shopping

Social shopping evolved in China but has now grown in popularity worldwide. We predict this to expand further into 2022 as new features emerge. Wearisma data states that between January to December in 2020 compared to 2021, globally and across all platforms, #liveshopping gained a considerable increase of 5m. According to Medium, social commerce will grow to $84.2bn by 2024, with influencers taking a significant role as a popular distribution network for brands.

To learn more download the full report here.

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Influencers TikTok Diversity and Inclusion

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Aligning global brands with the most relevant influencers. https://t.co/j5gVdGoAx6

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