Last week we headed to the Influencer Marketing Show, a conference designed to bring together brands and experts within the Influencer Industry.

We had a dedicated Digital Voices stand for us to meet new connections and catch up with old friends. 

Our Strategy Director, Peter Bamforth took to the stage and hosted a fireside chat with Surfshark’s Head of Influencer Marketing Giedrius Petraitis, to discuss why cutting back on customer acquisition during tough times could damage your brand and to share insights on how to market during a recession.

The event highlighted some key trends that are driving the future of Influencer Marketing. 

Here are our top takeaways from IMS 2022:

• Usage rights are invaluable during a recession as it is up to 50% cheaper to obtain than traditional advertising. Average results also show a 40% increase in ad performance!

• Putting influencers at the heart of media plans will allow your spending to go further. Dedicated landing pages tend to convert twice as much, so featuring influencers on the web page is a profitable strategy.

• Influencers have the power to turn engagements into real-world behaviour change. As we increasingly look for social guidance during difficult times, opportunities are opened for eco-influencers and brands to build on sustainable actions.

• Layering always-on partnerships is vital for beauty brands to not only promote new-in ranges, but to consistently feature hero products in content that audiences grow to know and love.

• Influencers are turning to LinkedIn as a destination to share their stories and grow their brands. LinkedIn creators are utilising the platform to tell their stories and drive professional conversations about the world of work.

• Go beyond the normal boundaries and explore influencers outside of your usual vertical. Tap into audiences that are in the ‘discover stage’ of the buyers' journey to create successful partnerships.

• Personalisation will be key for Gen Alpha as they expect unique user experiences

• Influencer Marketing is a highly-effective trust builder between brands and consumers. Consumers have become experts in spotting inauthentic Influencer Partnerships so invest time in finding creators who reflect your values and are able to work with you long-term.

• Offering creative freedom to the Influencers that you work with is essential in creating seamless integrations 

• Finally, converting followers into communities will be incredibly useful as Brand Activations transition towards Web3, especially as Community Marketing has been shown to increase brand loyalty by 66%!

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Do you have a campaign you would like to discuss? Get in touch.

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