Influencer Marketing Trends: What to Expect in 2022

In the last five years alone, the influencer marketing industry has grown over 700% from a $1.7B industry to $13.8B. As you begin to plan your 2022 influencer marketing campaigns, it is imperative to stay on top of the influencer marketing trends to come. Here are a few of the influencer marketing trends we expect to see unfold in 2022:

1. Social Media Platforms Will Prioritize the User Shopping Experience
2. Influencers Will Thrive in the Affiliate Marketing Space
3. NFTs Will Reshape Both the Creator Economy & How Brands Connect with their Audience
4. The Emergence of the Metaverse as an Influencer Marketing Channel

Social Media Platforms Will Prioritize the User Shopping Experience

After the world was thrown for a loop in 2020, eCommerce skyrocketed. Brands were given the opportunity to see first-hand that they could not only succeed but thrive virtually. Although this was an influencer marketing trend that we highlighted in 2021, this year, we expect to see a further emphasis on social commerce. Social platforms are continuing to roll out new marketplace features to create a seamless shopping experience. This is apparent in both Instagram shopping and TikTok’s Shopify integration to allow business accounts to set up a shopping tab on their profile. This will pave the way for both creators and brands to sell merch, apparel, and products without ever requiring their followers to leave the app.

Influencers Will Thrive in the Affiliate Marketing Space

In the past, many have identified affiliate marketing and influencer marketing as two separate strategies. Although the strategies differ, the two have a unique way of complimenting one another. Most affiliate marketing programs are essentially an incentivized form of word-of-mouth advertising through brand advocates known as affiliates. Brands should consider activating influencers as affiliates given their unique ability to drive their audience through the entire sales funnel for the following reasons:
– Many influencers have built a connection of trust with their audience through authentic and relatable content. In fact, 73% of Gen Z-ers say they would make a purchase based on a social media recommendation.
– Influencers are experts at creating highly engaging content for their audience that doesn’t come across as a traditional advertisement.
– Influencers can be your brand’s foot in the door to a new niche or group of consumers.
– Not only can influencers expose your brand to new audiences, but partnering with experts in your specific field can also help solidify your brand’s strength and awareness.

Already Have a Shopify Store and Need Help Identifying Authentic Influencers for Your Affiliate Program?

Brands with a Shopify store can leverage Captiv8’s latest Shopify integration to cross-reference past purchasers with our influencer database. Doing so will allow you to identify the influencers who already love your brand and build your affiliate program at scale!

NFTs Will Reshape Both the Creator Economy & How Brands Connect with their Audience

Whether or not you closely follow the crypto-world, the term “NFT” or “non-fungible token” has likely become a buzzword you’ve heard thrown around in 2021. In March 2021, Nathan Apodaca, creator of the famous TikTok of himself skateboarding down the highway while drinking Ocean Spray cranberry juice, decided to join the NFT craze as he auctioned off his viral TikTok with bids starting at a $500K minimum. Apodaca joins a long list of creators who have entered the NFT world to sell their original works of art. However, creator NFTs don’t need to be limited solely to repurposed content, they can create brand new works of art as well. Influencer, Logan Paul, generated $3.5M in a single day by selling his Pokémon-inspired NFTs.

In 2022, we expect not only more creators to join the NFT craze, but we also anticipate brands to join in on the action as well. Brands can tap into the attention NFTs are receiving to boost interactions, engagement, and provide scarce collector items. We’ve already seen brands such as Coca-Cola, Charmin, and Taco Bell host NFT auctions, and we predict that many more brands will leverage creators and join the fun in 2022.

The Emergence of the Metaverse as an Influencer Marketing Channel

One trend that all brand marketers and creators should prepare for in 2022 and beyond is the metaverse. Aside from the rebranding of Facebook to focus on its prioritization of this completely virtual space, we’re already seeing major brands like Verizon find creative ways to leverage influencers around this topic as well. Most recently, they launched a multi-city augmented reality scavenger hunt to help showcase the faster speeds of its 5G network with this multimedia experience through the help of creators. Expect to see more partnerships between brands and influencers to promote metaverse experiences in 2022.

Conclusion

In conclusion; our four influencer marketing trends for 2022 are that social media platforms will work to build a seamless shopping experience, influencers will thrive as affiliates, NFTs will continue to reshape the creator economy, and the metaverse will emerge as a leading channel for influencer marketing. Interested in learning more about influencer marketing trends? Check out the Top TikTok Trends from 2021 and learn How to Create a Cultural Moment on TikTok today!