Before 2018 came to a close, The Motherhood surveyed our network to uncover year-end influencer marketing insights and predictions, especially for the Instagram influencer in the new year. We are using these learnings to ramp up for an exciting new year!
Instagram Wins The Popularity Contest
Insight: It is no surprise that Instagram continues to come out on top among all social platforms; nearly half (49%) of the influencers surveyed responded that Instagram is where they see the most follower engagement, followed by Facebook (24%) and Pinterest (12%).
In the last quarter of 2018, Instagram Stories implemented in influencer campaigns grew by 60%. Our influencers reinforced this finding, reporting that Instagram Stories were the number-one top trend this year. But even with the growth of Stories, 73% of our surveyed influencers said they still see the most engagement on their Instagram posts.
As one Instagram influencer put it, “Instagram Stories are fun, but Instagram posts get more long-term engagement.” Another blogger pointed out how the two can work together, saying, “Stories drive people to posts and increase engagement.”
I’ve Got a Feeling
Prediction: Influencers are known for having their ear to the ground, and they are betting that we will be seeing even more this year from the Instagram influencer, whether through Stories, Instablogging and/or IGTV.
We agree with these 2019 influencer marketing predictions when it comes to Instagram, but it’s important for brands to determine the best ways to effectively use the platform and to stop the scrolling in its tracks! Here are a few of our suggestions for putting 2019 influencer marketing predictions into practice:
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Testing…Testing: Swipe Ups, Polls, GIFs…oh my! With more and more ‘add-ons’ to Instagram content, push to test the different options. The Swipe-Up tool is a game-changer for brands, allowing followers to instantly swipe-through (the new click-through) to purchase. Polls are a classic way to gain some real-time insights, and GIFs…well, they’re just fun. Push the envelope and test things out – the agility of social media lends itself to quickly pivoting and finding out what works.
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InstaStories: No big surprise here – InstaStories are a powerhouse when it comes to creating an authentic connection with followers. Whether you are an Instagram influencer, a brand or a brand working with influencers, InstaStories engage audiences with a feeling of one-on-one conversations. Also, since Stories only last 24 hours, there are opportunities to pulse out more content, telling a continuous story, without it feeling like it is too much.
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InstaBlogging: Yes, it is a thing. Although it isn’t new-new, it is becoming more popular with Instagram influencers who want to streamline their platforms and focus their creativity on one channel. 43% of our network said they will be doing more InstaBlogging in 2019.
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IGTV: This past June, Instagram launched IGTV with much fanfare…but it has been a bit slow to catch on. With more than 65% of our influencer network increasing their video content (whether on their blogs, Insta/Facebook Stories or YouTube), we predict IGTV will be a big opportunity area for more in-depth brand and influencer content (that doesn’t disappear in 24 hours!).
Don’t You….Forget About Me
Insight: Don’t forget about other platforms like Facebook, blogs, Pinterest, YouTube and Twitter (ok, and even Snapchat!). While Instagram influencers are more and more sought after, we see the exceptional value in all using influencers on all platforms! We are constantly monitoring what is successful and what combinations work best to see the most engagement for each individual brand.
Video Reigns Supreme
Prediction: We know what you’re thinking; how can trend predictions be about video every single year? But we’ve done our research, and no matter the platform, video is continually on the rise and predicted to be the primary source for 80 percent of global internet traffic!
Amplify, Amplify, Amplify
Insight + Prediction: With more than half (58%) of the influencers surveyed reporting they put paid promotion behind their Facebook posts without being asked to by a brand/agency, we predict that amplification efforts will be a campaign must-have in the coming year. The truth is, influencers understand firsthand that organic reach and engagement on Facebook is hard to come by. That’s why we often recommend to implement a paid promotion strategy within our influencer campaigns.
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