As someone who has spent countless hours on TikTok since COVID hit the world, I’ve seen first-hand the power of influencer marketing on the right platforms at the right time. Hello, CeraVe. The skincare line virtually didn’t exist until all of TikTok, and countless influencers were raving about its uses.

First, what is Influencer Marketing?

Let’s start with the basics. Think of influencer marketing as a relationship between your brand and someone with enough followers to help propel your brand. Influencer marketing helps to build your brand equity in the minds of consumers, or if folks have never heard of you, it helps build brand awareness. Most importantly, it hopefully will drive sales and have heavy ROI.

Pepsi was the first MVP of influencer marketing. Remember all those celebrity ads in the early 2000s? Genius. Now, things have pivoted, and brands are connecting with Instagram and TikTok influencers because they can reach audiences for a lower cost than Britney Spears on your TV screen during the Superbowl.

How to connect with influencers in 2022

If your brand is seeking out influencers to amp up your brand, make sure the people you’re seeking out are the right fit for your brand. To go about this, ask yourself the following questions:

Do you trust them? Your influencer or their team should be eager, quick to respond, and diligent in their communication with you. If they aren’t, they might not be interested or the right fit.
Are they sponsoring too much? If every other post is sponsorship of some kind, their followers might already be overwhelmed by their posts. This also puts you in a position where you’re competing with other sponsors, so you might be paying more than you should for the sponsorship.
Are they the right fit for you? As much as you’re trying to sell to them, keep your brand in mind. If your influencer is a bodybuilder, your vegan power bars could be a great fit. However, if they are constantly posting about eating steak to bulk up, or they use whey protein, you might not be on target for the optimum audience.

If the person you originally had in your mind is no longer a fit, that’s great. It’s more beneficial for your company to fail fast than fail when your brand is associated with someone that might not be a great fit.

Budget Talk

Influencers most likely will not work for free. At a minimum, you might be able to offer discounted services or send them free swag. In most instances, prepare to dedicate a portion of your 2021 budget to influencer marketing.

It’s important to think about what budget works best for you. Don’t fall into the trap of overpaying and dedicating too much budget to influencer marketing to get a quick return.

Hootsuite put together this awesome guide to Influencer Rates in 2020. It’s worth a read to help structure your rates.

What to Expect in 2022

Video content won’t go anywhere. If anything, expect way more of it to come your way this year.
Content should be to the point. Editing should be quick and efficient. If you don’t do your editing, trust a partner to do it for you. Sharp video content can make or break your strategy.
Focus on diversifying. This should go without saying, but if diversity and inclusion aren’t embedded in your marketing strategy, change that as soon as possible.

We’re looking forward to seeing what 2022 has in store for marketing trends. If you’re looking to grow your brand awareness and don’t know where to start, connect with us.