Council Post: The State Of Influencer Marketing: Top Insights For 2022

The pandemic proved the importance of a digital presence and e-commerce capabilities.

• On the development front, Instagram recently announced testing for a native affiliate tool that allows creators to earn commissions for purchases they drive through the app. TikTok has been promoting a suite of social commerce solutions called TikTok Shopping and expanded its partnership with Shopify.
• With platforms’ push for in-app shopping, influencers are becoming the entire marketing funnel. Brands will be able to leverage them as an awareness strategy and as a purchase driver.

LinkedIn has seen a new category of influencers emerge — more executives, CEOs and business owners — and is building tools to support them accordingly.

• Last year, LinkedIn launched a new function — “Creator mode” — aimed directly at professionals seeking a foothold in the influencer world. This mode allows business leaders to leverage their expertise and be intentional about building community on the platform.
• Brands should look at this as an opportunity to leverage the reach and expertise of LinkedIn influencers in their respective industries and develop cross-promotional partnerships.

In 2021, the global esports industry was worth more than $1.08 billion; that number is expected to grow to nearly $1.7 billion by 2024.

Esports is a natural fit for influencer marketing because of the high level of audience engagement and interaction. Esports fans are loyal, and enthusiasts stay engaged for hours at a time.

While early esports influencer campaigns focused on gaming-related products, we’re seeing a wider variety of brands seeking to capitalize on this audience: mega-brands like Coca-Cola, Nike, Intel, and BMW have gotten in on the game with sponsorships of esports influencers.