Influencer marketing continues to grow in the United States, with 2021 witnessing a 26.7% increase in sponsored Instagram posts. Meanwhile, sponsored stories increased by 33.5%, with influencers creating an average 16 sponsored stories a week.
The growing demand for this type of endorsement advertising was unveiled by the ‘2022 The State of Influencer Marketing’ report.
The report was compiled by Klear, an influencer marketing platform for Fortune 500 brands and agencies. The study involved the review of more than three million posts across the leading social channels.
Influencer Marketing Economy in 2021
The findings are important for small businesses, as they demonstrate the surging demand for this type of marketing. Small businesses not yet utilizing influencer marketing to promote products and services could be missing out on opportunities for sales and growth.
The report’s authors note how social media habits are changing and influencers are playing a key role in accommodating for new demands.
“2021 redefined the role brands play in consumers’ lives, and the way in which consumers relate to brands. Consumer habits have forced brands to prioritize digital and adjust budgets, which has dramatically increased the role influencers play in a brand’s overall strategies,” the report states.
High Demand for Micro-Influencers
The analysis of millions of social media posts found that micro-influencers have dominated the influencer marketing trend. In 2021, 91% of all sponsored post engagement was with content created by micro-influencers.
Micro-influencers have smaller, more focused audiences, which can generate higher engagement. With high engagement, these types of influencers can offer the best ROI for brands.
Consequently, micro-influencers are a brands’ top choice for collaboration, the study found.
TikTok Ranks Highest for Micro-Influencer Collaboration
Klear’s analysis explored the social channels proving most popular for collaboration with micro-influencers. It showed TikTok generated the most collaborations with micro-influencers, with brands beginning to understand how the platform fits into their social marketing strategy.
However, Instagram remains the most popular social channel got influencer marketing, with 94% of campaigns incorporating the hugely popular image and content sharing social network.
Image: Depositphotos
This article, “Influencer Marketing Continues to Grow in US” was first published on Small Business Trends
From SmallBizTrends.com at https://smallbiztrends.com/2021/12/influencer-economy-2021.html