2024 is projected to see one of the largest increases in brand/influencer marketing collaborations. As creator collaborations prove to be one of the more successful creative strategies this year, more marketers are getting on board.
According to Statista, the global influencer marketing market was valued at $21.1 billion in 2023 and is trending towards $24 billion in 2024. Nearly 90% of brands with skin in influencer strategy plan to maintain or increase their budgets.
We can attest to these trends. In 2023, we saw one of our largest upticks in influencer collaborations, and more of our clients are investing in the space. If your business is considering an influencer marketing strategy and you’re unsure where to begin, we have several places to begin testing.
Test User Generated Content (UGC)
The beauty of influencer marketing is its layers and sub-categories that brands can iterate and test into. UGC creators are nano influencers who can organically speak on products through paid media ads. Nano and micro-influencers generate more than 60% more engagement than macro influencers and maintain 2-3% higher engagement rates.
Collaborating with our creative team can help you customize a strategy that fits your needs–including a comprehensive UGC plan.
Implement Short-Form Video Content Strategy
Online videos reached 92% of users in the 3rd quarter of 2023. They are the leading form of content consumption among online users, so it's no wonder Hubspot reported that video content is the leading form of creative strategy by marketers.
There are various forms of video content, and social platforms are evolving to support creators and brands in reaching their core audiences.
Short-form videos are creators' top form of content creation, including How-to Tutorials, Product reviews, unboxing videos, and organic Day in The Life mini-vlogs.
Expand your Social Media Strategy
Knowing where your core audience lives is key, but you should also consider brand awareness, other spaces your customers inhabit, and unique ways of reaching them.
Instagram continues to reign as the influencer hub. Brands tend to have favor on Instagram because of Meta’s priority of paid content. There are several ways to utilize Instagram to reach customers, including paid media ads. BMG360 collaborates with brands to identify the customer story and the target audience, source creators, write project briefs, and ultimately build creative that performs.
Instagram also allows whitelisting–teams can run ads through influencer’s unique channels to expand reach. Whitelisting permits brands to tap into influencers' unique audiences.
TikTok
Reaching nearly 2 billion users in 2023, TikTok is arguably the fastest-growing platform for influencers. TikTok’s search engine power is unmatched in the social space. It has taken over traditional word-of-mouth marketing, and 15% of product discovery begins with the Gen-Z millennial platform.
According to TikTok, ads with creators drove a 26% increase in brand favorability. TikTok is the platform to reach a younger demographic and iterate on lo-fi organic content.
Related: Successful TikTok Ads: Insights from Top-Performing Creatives
YouTube
YouTube is known for its long-form capabilities and is responsible for the tremendous growth of influencer marketing over the decades. As the largest video-sharing platform with 1.9 billion active users per month, brands have also relied on YouTube for influencers' intimate communities.
Opt for YouTube to establish long-term partnerships with high-quality creators and for longer-format video targeting. At BMG360, we work with brands to leverage YouTube's many wonders, including CTV and UGC creative.