Influencer marketing has seen rapid growth over the past few years. This is partly due to the rise of new platforms. Particularly, TikTok and Twitch have really taken off in the aftermath of the pandemic. In the year 2020, the number of Twitch influencers doubled and TikTok influencers tripled.
What is the difference between these social media influencers? What kind of influencers are best to promote your business? To aid you in this, we've gathered some details to help you understand some of the platforms and influencers who are part of them. To help you find influencers who are really the best for your brand.
Before all else, be aware of your audience
Be aware that when you're planning a marketing strategy, your audience is a crucial element in the choices you make. For influencer-based campaigns, the type and network of influencers you select is contingent on the audience you're trying to connect with.
Before you begin searching for influencers, think about the demographics of your buyer personas. Are they male or female? What is their age range? What is their location and what languages do they speak? What are their interests?
Do some research on socio-demographics on social media to discover the networks that appeal to your targeted segment. For instance, if you are looking to connect with millennials, you could choose Instagram. However if you are looking to reach Gen Z, you might choose TikTok.
Your intended audience and the networks they use is more important than everything else when you decide the best place to start your campaign. Now that you understand that, let’s take a look at 4 types of social media influencers.
Instagram influencers
Instagram remains one of the most used platforms in the field of influencer marketing. Instagram offers options that other networks haven't implemented yet, such as social shopping or the paid partnership tag.
The most popular categories on Instagram include music, fashion, arts, and wellness and fitness. Influencers can make a variety of types of content on Instagram, including stories, photos, videos and reels.
When looking at how well Instagram influencers, take a look at:
- Follower count and audience growth over time
- Engagement rate
- Number of likes and comments per post
- Average views per reel, video and story
TikTok creators
If you're looking to connect with Gen Z, TikTok creators are a great choice to run your campaign.
TikTok content is brief and fast. The maximum length a video could be is 10 minutes, but the average don’t post videos longer than 3 minutes, which makes it imperative to convey your message quickly. TikTok content is optimized for mobile usage, too. TikTok videos use the vertical orientation to make the process of consuming content even more simple.
TikTok is all about entertainment and fun. The most popular categories include dancing, comedy, and singing. The most-followed TikTokers usually fit into these categories. Like Ayden Mekus.
Some of the most important metrics used to assess TikTok creators' content performance include:
- Follower count
- Engagement rate
- Average views per video - to capture views from non-followers and followers
Twitch streamers
Though Twitch streamers can save their videos to their personal profiles, the biggest draw of the platform is its live streaming feature. Twitchers are able to live stream while their viewers are watching and reacting through the platform's stream chat. This creates a highly engaging environment where viewers feel like part of the conversation.
The main focus of Twitch is gaming. However, the company is also looking to expand into different areas. There are now categories such as Just Chatting, which is similar to a talk show category, and lets streamers discuss whatever they want to with their followers. There are also categories that cover food and sports.
While you are analyzing Twitch streamers, look at these metrics:
- Followers - unpaid followers
- Subscribers - paid followers
- Average viewers - the number of people who watch a streamer’s content, whether following, subscribed, or neither
- Engagement rate
YouTube influencers
YouTube has been a long-time preferred choice for influencer marketing. Although it is facing new competition from TikTok, it’s not going away just yet.
YouTube lets you upload videos that last as long as 15 minutes and even longer if you're an authentic user. This is a big difference from TikTok’s 1 minute limit.
According to Google, the most-watched categories of content on YouTube are music, comedy entertainment/pop culture, and how-tos. Beauty is another important segment: well-known beauty influencers such NikkieTutorials, James Charles, and Manny Mua got famous on the platform.
If you're interested in assessing how YouTube influencers’ content performs, take a look at:
- Subscribers
- Engagement rate
- Average views per video - from both unsubscribed users and subscribers
Conclusion
These are 4 of the most sought-after types of influencers in 2021. The type you choose will depend on your audience and where it is the most involved on social platforms. Be sure to conduct research before you decide which type of social media influencer is right for you.
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