Did you know that influencer marketing in India was valued at approximately Rs. 12 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach Rs. 28 billion by the end of 2026? Over the past decade, the marketing industry has witnessed unprecedented technological advancements that have left an indelible mark, and one such groundbreaking development is the rise of AI influencers, a phenomenon that has revolutionised influencer marketing. In the age of evolving technology, where AI tools like chatbots and content creation platforms like Google Bard are becoming increasingly prevalent, it's evident that AI is swiftly carving out its niche in various industries. However, what's truly fascinating is how AI has found its place in an industry that few could have predicted: influencer marketing. From the inception of virtual profiles to harnessing their power to replicate real-life influencers, AI influencers have emerged and are poised to reshape the marketing landscape.

What are AI Influencers?

Imagine influencers brought to life by artificial intelligence. These lifelike digital avatars can be meticulously designed to resemble anyone and can be programmed to speak and act in ways that resonate with their audiences. What sets them apart is their ability to promote products, services, or brands just like their human counterparts. Unbelievably, they've managed to gather substantial followings on various social media platforms. Let's meet a two of the most famous AI influencers who are taking the digital world by storm:

Lil Miquela: At just 19 years old, Lil Miquela hails from the creative minds at the LA-based startup Brud. She boasts an impressive following of over 2.8 million on Instagram and has collaborated with renowned brands such as Prada and Samsung.

Shudu Gram: Photographer Cameron-James Wilson brought Shudu Gram, a striking black virtual influencer, to life. With over 200,000 followers on Instagram and featured in prestigious publications like Vogue and Elle, Shudu is captivating the fashion world.

These AI influencers aren't merely pushing boundaries; they're redefining what it means to have a digital presence.

Leveraging AI Influencers

Incorporating AI influencers into your marketing strategy opens up a world of possibilities, backed by data-driven insights. Let's explore some key ways to leverage AI influencers effectively.

• Reaching a Global Audience

AI influencers transcend geographical limitations. This is particularly noteworthy as the global reach of influencer marketing is expanding. According to Statista, in 2022, 35 percent of American consumers purchased a product or service after a virtual influencer advocated for it.

• Creating a Consistent Brand Image

AI influencers can be programmed to adhere to a brand's identity with unwavering consistency.  AI influencers, like Lil Miquela, have consistently represented their brands while maintaining a digital persona aligning with the key aim of many brands: establishing a robust and recognisable brand identity.

• Personalising Content

The power of personalisation cannot be overstated. AI influencers are equipped to analyse audience demographics and tailor content accordingly, which is crucial in an age where personalisation drives engagement. Statistically, 40 percent of customers influenced by virtual influencers in 2022 were millennials or Gen Z.

• Measuring Campaign Effectiveness

The effectiveness of marketing campaigns is paramount. AI tools, through data-driven insights, enable the measurement of key metrics such as engagement, reach, and conversions. In the world of influencer marketing, where ROI is essential, this is particularly relevant.  For instance, AI can help beauty brands determine whether viewers respond better to specific content formats. While AI influencers bring these benefits, it's vital to maintain a balanced perspective. Human influencers, with their authenticity and real-life experiences, still hold sway in the influencer marketing sphere. Let's delve into this intriguing comparison in the next section.

The Battle of Influence: AI vs. Human Influencers

To understand this clash of titans, let's explore the differences, all while keeping an eye on the numbers.

The Numbers Game

When it comes to reach, human influencers have long held the crown. However, AI influencers are quickly catching up. According to recent reports, AI influencers can boast engagement rates that sometimes surpass their human counterparts. Nano influencers, for instance, achieved an impressive engagement rate of over 5% in some cases, outperforming influencers with large followings.

Cost Efficiency

Hiring human influencers, especially those with a substantial following, can put a significant dent in a brand's budget. On the contrary, AI influencers offer a cost-effective solution. They don't require compensation, travel expenses, or time off. This cost advantage is one of the reasons why businesses are increasingly turning to AI influencers to promote their products and services.

Reliability

Trust is the foundation of influencer marketing. Here, AI has a clear advantage. AI influencers can be monitored for authenticity with precision. Suspicious spikes in follower counts or inauthentic behaviour are quickly detected. This ensures that brands align with genuinely influential figures and not fraudulent ones. In fact, studies state that the primary benefit of adopting AI influencers over traditional human influencers was viewed as control over messaging (31.7%), followed by 24/7 availability (29.1%).

Versatility

Human influencers bring a unique personal touch to their endorsements, leveraging their authenticity and personal experiences. They can build deep connections with their audiences based on shared interests and emotions. AI influencers, on the other hand, are versatile in many aspects. They can work round the clock without breaks and engage with global audiences simultaneously. This adaptability allows them to endorse a multitude of products without personal bias.

Authenticity and Personalisation

Human influencers are known for their authenticity and the ability to provide a personal touch to their endorsements. Their recommendations are often based on their genuine experiences, making them relatable to their audiences. AI influencers, while impressive, may lack the personal touch and authenticity that human influencers bring to the table.

The Dark Side of Influence: Ethical Challenges

When it comes to influencer marketing, ethics matter. 43.8% of consumers show concern when it comes to ethical considerations of influencer marketing and believe that influencers should be upfront about their paid partnerships.  Transparency is crucial to maintain trust and avoid potential human rights violations, fraud, and deceptive practices that could undermine the integrity of influencer marketing in the AI era. Staying vigilant about these ethical issues is essential as technology continues to evolve.

What Lies Ahead? 

The emergence of AI influencers is reshaping the landscape of influencer marketing. Many marketing professionals acknowledged the potential of AI influencers in enhancing brand consistency and expanding their global reach. As we look ahead, it's evident that AI influencers are not just a passing trend but a transformative force. Furthermore, the technology driving AI influencers is poised to evolve rapidly. We can envision a future where AI influencers become the standard in influencer marketing, and their influence extends beyond marketing into realms like customer service and education. As AI technology continues to advance, the possibilities are boundless. Brands and marketers must embrace this technological revolution, adapt their strategies, and prepare for an AI-influenced future where creativity knows no bounds.

Influencer marketing has witnessed exponential growth in recent years. With more than 4 billion people actively using social media, brands have recognized the potential of partnering with influential individuals to promote their products or services. Add to this the fact that social media platforms have provided a fertile ground for influencers to build a loyal following, making them valuable marketing assets for brands. According to a survey by Mediakix, 80% of marketers find influencer marketing to be an effective strategy. Brands embrace influencer marketing for its authenticity, as influencers' endorsements feel genuine to their followers. Influencers also provide reach to wide and engaged audiences, enabling brands to expand their customer base. Targeted marketing becomes easier with influencers' niche audiences, increasing the chances of conversion. Additionally, influencers' creative content resonates with their followers, allowing brands to benefit from high-quality and engaging content.

What is Influencer Marketing?

Influencer marketing involves collaborating with influential individuals who have established credibility in specific industries or niches. By leveraging the influence of these individuals, brands can amplify their brand message and increase brand awareness.  Influencers can be categorized based on their follower count and reach within their respective communities. 

• Mega-influencers have millions of followers and enjoy significant reach, often including celebrities or well-known personalities. 
• Macro-influencers have follower counts ranging from 100,000 to a few million, offering a broad reach across multiple demographics. 
• Micro-influencers, on the other hand, have a smaller but highly engaged follower base, typically ranging from 1,000 to 100,000. They wield significant influence within specific niches. 
• Finally, nano-influencers may have a small following, usually under 1,000, but they possess a tight-knit community and enjoy high levels of trust with their audience. 

Each category of influencers presents unique opportunities for brands to collaborate and engage with different audience sizes and levels of influence.

Benefits of Influencer Marketing

There are various benefits of influencer marketing that brands can enjoy, some of which are listed below:

Increased Brand Awareness

Influencer endorsements have the power to introduce your brand to a larger audience. When influencers share content featuring your products or services, their followers, who may not have been previously aware of your brand, are exposed to your message. This exposure can lead to increased brand visibility, reaching potential customers who may be interested in your offerings. The reach of influencers extends beyond your existing customer base, allowing you to tap into new markets and demographics.

Improved Trust and Credibility

Influencers have established trust and credibility with their followers through their consistent content, authentic engagement, and expertise in their respective niches. When influencers recommend or endorse a brand, their followers perceive it as a genuine recommendation rather than a traditional advertisement. This trust transfers to your brand, increasing credibility and fostering positive brand associations. By leveraging the trust influencers have built, you can gain the confidence of potential customers who are more likely to engage with your brand based on the influencer's endorsement.

Higher Engagement

Influencer marketing often yields higher engagement rates compared to traditional advertising methods. Influencers have a dedicated and engaged follower base that actively interacts with their content. When they promote your brand, their followers are more likely to engage with the content by liking, commenting, sharing, and even making purchases. The authentic and personal nature of influencer marketing helps create a connection between the audience and your brand, resulting in higher levels of engagement and interaction.

Enhanced Content Strategy

Collaboration with influencers brings fresh and creative content to your marketing strategy. Influencers are skilled content creators who understand the preferences and interests of their audience. By partnering with them, you gain access to their unique perspectives, ideas, and storytelling abilities. They can create content that resonates with their followers and aligns with your brand's message, values, and aesthetics. This collaboration not only enriches your content strategy but also helps diversify the type of content you can offer, keeping your audience engaged and interested.

Building Effective Influencer Marketing Campaigns

To ace your influencer marketing campaigns, it is imperative for brands to build robust influencer marketing strategies and do all the behind-the-scenes work efficiently. To make the most out of your influencer marketing campaigns, here’s a step-by-step guide that brands can make use of:

Define Campaign Goals

Clearly outline the objectives of your influencer marketing campaign, such as brand awareness, lead generation, or sales.

Identify Relevant Influencers

Conduct thorough research to find influencers whose values, content, and audience align with your brand. Consider factors like engagement rates, authenticity, and past collaborations.

Establish Authentic Partnerships

Approach influencers with a personalized pitch that highlights the mutual benefits of the collaboration. Build relationships based on trust and transparency.

Collaborate on Campaign Strategy

Involve influencers in the planning and creative process to ensure their authentic voice is reflected in the content. Set clear expectations and guidelines.

Track and Measure Performance

Use analytics tools to monitor the campaign's performance, tracking metrics such as reach, engagement, conversions, and Return on Investment (ROI).

Foster Long-term Relationships

Building long-term partnerships with influencers can lead to sustained brand advocacy and increased credibility.

Conclusion 

Influencer marketing has revolutionized the way brands connect with their target audience. By leveraging the power of influential individuals, brands can achieve increased reach, engagement, and credibility. By following the steps outlined in this guide and adapting to the ever-evolving influencer landscape, brands can create effective and impactful influencer marketing campaigns that yield positive results.  Stay authentic, build relationships, and harness the influence of the digital age to drive your brand's success.

Establishing brand authority is a vital objective for businesses seeking to distinguish themselves and cultivate trust among their target audience. A highly effective approach to accomplishing this is through a well-crafted influencer marketing strategy. By harnessing the power of influencer marketing, brands can not only bolster their reputation but also extend their reach to a broader audience, ultimately positioning themselves as frontrunners within their industry. Through strategic partnerships with influencers, businesses can tap into their credibility, expertise, and expansive networks to solidify their brand authority and foster meaningful connections with their target market.

Importance of Building Brand Authority

Building brand authority is crucial for gaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace. When a brand is perceived as an authority in its industry, it stands out among its competitors. Consumers are more likely to choose a brand they perceive as knowledgeable, trustworthy, and reliable.    Brand authority gives businesses a unique positioning, making it easier to attract and retain customers. It creates a sense of confidence and credibility that sets the brand apart and allows it to command a premium price, establish long-term customer relationships, and drive sustainable growth.

Intermingling of Brand Building & Influencer Marketing – How it Leads to Success?

Influencer marketing involves collaborating with individuals who possess a significant online presence and a dedicated following in a specific niche or industry. These influencers have the ability to impact the purchasing decisions and opinions of their audience. By partnering with the right influencers, brands can tap into their credibility and leverage their influence to build brand authority.    Businesses can their brand authority effectively through influencer marketing by following these key strategies:

Aligning with Relevant Influencers

Partnering with influencers who have a strong presence and expertise in your industry or niche is essential. Their association with your brand lends credibility and authority to your offerings. Choose influencers whose values align with your brand and whose audience matches your target demographic.

Co-creating Valuable Content

Collaborate with influencers to create authentic and valuable content that resonates with their audience. This could include sponsored blog posts, social media campaigns, videos, or podcasts. By co-creating content, you leverage the influencer's expertise and reach while also positioning your brand as an authoritative source of information and solutions.

Promoting Thought Leadership and Expertise

Encourage influencers to showcase their expertise and thought leadership by sharing insights, tips, and industry trends related to your brand. This positions both the influencer and your brand as knowledgeable authorities in the field, enhancing credibility and attracting a loyal following.

Leveraging User Testimonials and Reviews 

Leverage influencer partnerships to gather user-generated content such as testimonials, reviews, and case studies. Influencers can share their authentic experiences and endorse your products or services, providing social proof and building trust among their followers. This type of content strengthens brand authority by showcasing real-world examples of satisfied customers.

Engaging in Industry Conversations

Encourage influencers to participate in industry conversations and discussions actively. This can be done through live events, webinars, or social media chats where influencers share insights, answer questions, and engage with their audience. Their active involvement positions your brand as a key player in the industry and boosts brand authority.

Establishing Long-term Relationships

Building brand authority through an influencer marketing strategy is a continuous effort. Cultivate long-term relationships with influencers, working together on multiple campaigns and projects. This consistency reinforces your brand's authority and credibility over time, as the influencer's audience recognizes the ongoing partnership and endorsement.

Measuring and Evaluating

Monitor and measure the impact of influencer collaborations on your brand's authority. Track key performance indicators such as engagement, reach, sentiment analysis, and brand mentions. Analyze the effectiveness of influencer campaigns in enhancing brand perception and credibility. Use these insights to refine your influencer marketing strategy and optimize future partnerships.   By incorporating these strategies into your influencer marketing approach, you can successfully build brand authority, establish your brand as an industry leader, and gain the trust and loyalty of your target audience.

Final Thoughts

Building brand authority through an influencer marketing strategy is a powerful approach to gaining credibility, expanding reach, and establishing industry leadership. By identifying the right influencers, fostering authentic partnerships, and leveraging their expertise, brands can strengthen their reputation and connect with their target audience on a deeper level.    Remember, influencer marketing is an ongoing process, and continuous monitoring and refinement are essential to ensure long-term success in building brand authority.

Influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful strategy for brands to connect with their target audience and amplify their message. By partnering with influencers, businesses can leverage the trust and authenticity built by these individuals to enhance brand awareness, reach new customers, and drive engagement. As per statistics, around 92% of marketers believe that this is an effective form of marketing.  However, as influencer marketing continues to evolve, one critical element has risen to the forefront: authenticity. Influencer outreach that prioritises authenticity has become a key determinant of success in this dynamic marketing realm. Gone are the days when sheer follower counts or celebrity status were the sole measures of an influencer's impact. Today, audiences crave genuine connections, transparent experiences, and relatable content. As a result, you must recognize the value of authenticity in influencer outreach and understand why it matters now more than ever. Authenticity lies at the heart of influencer marketing, enabling your brand to foster a genuine connection with its target audience. When influencers authentically align with the brand's values, products, or services, their endorsements and recommendations carry significant weight. By authentically engaging with an influencer's existing community, you can tap into the trust, credibility, and loyalty that influencers have nurtured over time. Influencers who prioritise authenticity are more likely to resonate with their followers and maintain their credibility.

Why is authenticity important in widening influencer outreach?

Authenticity is pivotal in expanding influencer outreach due to its ability to establish trust and credibility. By adopting a genuine and transparent approach, influencers can cultivate a loyal following that believes in their recommendations and opinions. Authenticity instils confidence in the audience, making them more receptive to the influencer's content and messages.  In a landscape where scepticism towards advertising is prevalent, an authentic influencer stands out, creating a genuine connection that resonates with a broader audience and facilitates the expansion of their reach and impact.

How to stay authentic in influencer marketing?

Here are some things to keep in mind when running an influencer marketing campaign:

Choose the right influencer for your campaign

Don't choose influencers based solely on the number of followers they have. Many brands have successfully run campaigns by collaborating with micro-influencers who have considerably lower follower rates. Hence, you should consider working with influencers whose objectives are in line with your brand’s overall goals. For instance, if the primary goal of your campaign is to generate brand engagement among the local audience, associating with micro-influencers with a stronger hold on the local audience is advisable. So, choosing the right influencer requires a genuine approach that adds value for both your brand and the influencers. 

Use your creativity

Authenticity serves as a catalyst for widening influencer outreach, and you can enhance this by leveraging organic storytelling methods that engage a larger audience. Platforms like Instagram Live, Snapchat, and Instagram Stories offer creative avenues for brand integration. For instance, engaging in live unboxing sessions can infuse excitement and enjoyment while showcasing products. The essence of these channels lies in fostering open, less scripted, and more organic narratives that resonate with viewers. By embracing relatable storytelling techniques, you can forge deeper connections, inspire participation, and encourage a broader audience to jump on the bandwagon of their authentic brand experience.

Watch out for partnership disagreements

Partnering with the wrong influencers can have detrimental effects on your brand, making it essential to exercise caution in your selection process. In today's world, where accountability is on the rise, the downfall of influencers can occur swiftly and cause significant disruption. Collaborating with such individuals can tarnish your brand's reputation and erode consumer trust. It is crucial for brands to meticulously choose influencers whose tonality aligns with their own and whose values resonate with their brand essence. By carefully selecting influencers who genuinely represent your brand, you can ensure a harmonious partnership that authentically communicates your brand's message and maintains its integrity.

Conclusion

Authenticity serves as a linchpin for successful influencer outreach, enabling you to build trust, strengthen engagement, and expand your reach. In an era where consumers seek genuine connections and personalised experiences, partnering with influencers who embody authenticity becomes imperative.  By thoughtfully selecting influencers whose values align with your own, you can establish meaningful relationships with your target audience and foster a sense of trust and credibility. Embracing authenticity not only enhances the effectiveness of influencer marketing but also paves the way for long-term brand growth and success in the dynamic world of digital marketing.

Influencer marketing is a force to be reckoned with today. Brands are rapidly adopting this means of marketing to reach out to their target audience and engage with them. While some companies are following the usual method for reaching out to the highly engaged online audience, others are trying to fine-tune their influencer marketing strategies as per the latest trends to cash in on influencers and their vast popularity. Live videos have recently boomed the digital media industry. According to reports, nearly 80% of audiences prefer watching live videos from brands over reading blogs. Brands have also started to hop on the live-streaming bandwagon to stay ahead of the competition and reach a wider audience. As per sources, around 70% of B2B businesses using live streaming report positive results in their ROI. And this number will continue to grow.  Here are some fascinating ways live streaming is shaping the face of influencer marketing campaigns. 

Why is live video streaming important in marketing?

Makes influencers more accessible to the audience

The live-streaming form allows audiences to directly engage with popular influencers. It makes the audience feel like they are peers and not just followers of the influencers. There exists an undeniable thrill within the audience when they get a response from their favourite influencer or celebrity. This sense of excitement merely amplifies when followers get a live reaction to their questions. It gives a face and voice to the content that is lacking in the written forms of marketing. 

Builds trust with the viewers 

Live video streaming provides transparency between the influencers and the audience. Their voice rings truer during the live streaming than in a blog post, which results in increased influencer engagement and open conversations. If you're looking for a compelling way to build trust with your audience, live video is for you. Some examples of building trust with viewers during live streaming are offering a behind the scenes at your offices and production facilities, inviting industry influencers to interview some of your employees in live conversations with audience questions and comments, and more.

Allows content creation with quantitative ROI

Influencer marketing ROI is often difficult to measure. However, live streaming is one area where you can get measurable results that provide valuable information for designing future campaigns. This technique is highly engaging with viewers, attracting a much larger audience than traditional online video. You can watch their Facebook Live videos at three times the length of their recorded videos. Businesses can leverage powerful influencers and live videos to reach audiences across industries.

Provides an affordable way to add videos to marketing campaigns

Professionally produced videos can be incredibly expensive. Even the DIY approach videos require time and video editing software. Editing a 3-minute video takes around 3 hours, but a 30-minute live stream only takes 30 minutes, plus prep time. These two factors are one of the reasons why influencers love live streaming so much. All you need is a stable internet connection and a quality smartphone to stream videos live. After the live stream ends, you can save the recording and reuse it as a video for your marketing campaign.

Conclusion

Live video is a powerful medium that can be used in any influencer marketing strategy. Adding influencers to the mix makes your posts more impactful. By including authentic names and faces in your live videos, you can reach your audience in the most relatable way.

There is a famous quote by marketing Guru, Philip Kotler, “It is no longer enough to satisfy your customers. You must delight them.” And, influencers have mastered the art of doing so.As per stats, 80% of customers have made a purchase after seeing an influencer recommendation, which has propelled businesses to partner with influencers to upscale their marketing campaigns and experience significant growth. 

What is Influencer Marketing? 

Influencer Marketing is a practice that leverages the clout of people who have established a successful personal brand for themselves, predominantly on social media platforms. They are looked up to by their community and have a loyal follower base. Influencers have the ability to direct their follower's attention towards a particular brand and drive their purchase decision in a subtle manner. Their target audience both relates to them and aspires to be like them. There are numerous benefits of running an influencer marketing campaign, such as: 

• Influencer marketing exposes your brand to a wide set of audience.
• It ensures accurate framing of your brand’s perception. 
• Influencer marketing yields a higher conversion rate.
• Influencer collaborations offer long-term benefits by generating brand credibility and trust.

8 Tips to devise a Successful Influencer Marketing Campaign

Influencer Marketing is an amazing technique that aims to enhance your brand’s name in a creative manner, therefore demands diligent planning and smart implementation.  Set your KPIs Just like goals guide your campaign planning and implementation, KPIs guide your campaign analysis. Different influencer marketing campaigns may have different KPIs. For example, the dominant KPI for a campaign with affiliate links and discount coupons would be sales conversion but the dominant KPI for a campaign with a major message to spread might be clicks and impressions.  Specify your campaign goals Your campaign goals are a guiding light to your influencer marketing strategy. Prior to reaching out to an influencer, you must have an ultimate goal you wish to achieve through the collaboration, the message you plan to share, and the brand perception you wish to create. This would not only provide clarity to the influencer while creating content but would also shed light on the best possible ways to run your campaign.  Define your campaign budget Influencer Marketing is just one marketing technique under the wide roof of campaigns brands craft for their digital marketing. Therefore, a set budget must be defined in the initial stages after examining the influencer industry benchmarks. This would assist in staying away from unhealthy negotiations and would provide a structure with optimal utilization of monetary resources. Identify your target audience To identify your target audience, you must start by observing how your customers engage in the social media space and post that, create a customer persona with both behavioural and demographic elements specified. This would assist you in understanding your audience through the lens of influencers as the social media space is highly ruled by quality content creators. Choose the right influencers The influencers you choose would represent your business. They would be the face of your brand, even after your campaign ends because, content that goes online, always stays. Therefore, it is key to ensure that you choose an influencer that aligns with your brand’s values and has a follower base that you recognize as your target audience. Mass appeal is an added advantage with influencers but you still should choose one that is perceived as the industry expert of your niche.  Build your campaign brief You must prepare a campaign brief prior to pitching an influencer. Every influencer marketing campaign must have an exclusive brief containing the basic details about the campaign, such as the content expectation, main message, your brand’s perception, timeline of the campaign, etc. This gives the influencers an idea of how to create content that best caters to your brand image and when and how to deliver it. Select the best-suited campaign There are an array of campaigns that you can run depending on your ultimate goal, your target audience and the type of influencer you are deciding on working with. For example, macro influencers can be collaborated with for sponsored campaigns, or co-creation of products, and micro and nano influencers can be a part of giveaways, contests and even product reviews.  Tailor your campaign to the platform Lastly, it is imperative to tailor your campaign depending on the platform you are choosing to publish at. There is no “one size fits all” in the digital space. Almost every business is collaborating with an array of influencers to reach their target audience, but the ones that cater to the audience keeping in mind what they seek are the ones that are able to grab and retain attention. Also, Read Influencer Marketing Trends for 2023.

Conclusion

Influencers are like relatable celebrities in the social media space. People see them as their peers and not as brands. Therefore, they have a better connection with the audience, which is indeed loyal to them. Businesses have recognized the strong connection influencers have with their followers and are leveraging that for expansion and growth. If you are also looking for a way to reach out to your target audience and appeal to them in a subtle and aesthetic manner, then Influencer Marketing is the next best tool in your digital marketing toolkit. #ARM Worldwide identifies as a dedicated influencer marketing agency. We can help you build a strong influencer marketing strategy and improve your brand presence significantly.

As the number of digital video viewers is expected to reach 3.48 billion in 2023, marketers embrace video content as a reliable promotional tool. It is critical in today’s oversaturated, competitive, and ever-evolving marketing environment to have a diverse video content strategy in place. For your video content to thrive, you must learn to take calculated risks. Read on to gain insights into the future of video marketing and actionable practices to guide you on how to get started:

Rise of Video

Videos are not only engaging and visually appealing, but they also allow you to communicate your brand message in a more personal and memorable way. Video-first marketing plays a significant role in interactions as the customer goes through a journey from the consideration to the ‘sold out’ stage, convinced that yours is the product/service they need.

86% of marketers use video as a digital marketing tool. The majority (78%) say videos have directly helped them increase sales, while 86% also say that videos increased website traffic. A reason why video marketing is favoured as a marketing tool is due to its potential to explain everything in a format preferred by the audience — visually. Therefore, tutorial videos are especially popular among end-users.

Video Equals Value

Besides helping your website rank on relevant SERPs, videos make your snippet (or the actual result listing content) more eye-catching, meaning searchers will likely see it before seeing other results on the page. Video aids in lowering bounce rates. People spend over twice as long on a webpage with video than without. Its usefulness and engaging nature correlate with more time spent on your page.

Compelling marketing videos present your products in a conversational form, creating a sense of human approach, which is why 57% of consumers say that videos give them the confidence to purchase online. In addition, 92% of mobile consumers share videos on their social network, making it the most preferred digital format with the highest CTR. This gives a chance to spread brand awareness to a large crowd in less time.

Master Storytelling 

Influential storytelling videos guide viewers through relatable narrative-based visual content that gets to the heart of their pain points, kindles an emotional connection and suggests a satisfying solution. When creating videos, start with a vision of the feeling you want your audience to walk away with and how your story will create the emotional undertone that will make viewers want to follow the CTA.

A content calendar helps keep track of reels/shorts you need to create and distribute over the year. You can repurpose these video ideas to communicate to your audience by addressing their pain points. Video case studies are a powerful marketing tool as they prove to prospects that your business has something valuable to offer. This factor is crucial in nurturing leads and converting them into buyers.

Strategies to Ace Video

Your video marketing strategy is every bit as essential as execution. You can use video to boost qualified leads in your sales pipeline and match ROI. The trick to making your videos count is to build purposefully. The most effective digital marketing strategy to captivate a loyal and involved audience is to impact them where it counts. It never hurts to begin creating that intimate bond and devotion to your brand as soon as possible.

Companies with consistent branding are more successful than those without. Your videos should link to your website or a landing page, with explicit, on-brand creatives and unified messaging across each channel. A/B testing video campaigns should help you figure out what elements are working out and what isn’t. Remember to test and test again to determine the optimal content and timing of your video campaigns.

Opportunities with Video

The world of internet marketing has been dominated by video marketing trends. As a result, marketers can utilise a wide range of videos to build their brand presence. 

• Facebook Live: It offers consumers an unfiltered, raw look at the content that a company wishes to promote. Additionally, viewers can remark and respond to the video on Facebook Live in real-time.
• Interview-style Video: By conducting brief, professional interviews with the appropriate workers, you may provide your customers with a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the essence of your company.
• Informative Video with Animation: It includes crucial statistics about a company while showing trendy photographs or brief video clips with amusing graphics and humorous transitions.

Go Pro with Video

Without diving too deep into theory, the best way to define the purpose of your video marketing is to determine its standing in the marketing funnel. A data-led approach will help you iterate swiftly, double down on what's working, and steer away from what isn't. Whether organic or paid digital marketing services, the opportunities are endless if you take the right approach. Video is a powerful platform giving you a tremendous opportunity to impact your audience and drive business results.

Businesses must maintain their applications updated with the newest technological breakthroughs in order to make them more engaging and consumable. Staying relevant and updated on the latest trends is essential for survival. Businesses need to pick a UI/UX strategy that resonates with their brand, is user-friendly and intuitive. The design trends are developed based on technological advancements each year, and you need to be on your toes, discovering and optimising on these latest trends. Let's dive into some of the top UI/UX trends for 2022 that will force constant progress, self-learning, and differentiation of products: 

Hello ScrollyTelling

Scrollytelling transforms a long-form story into an interactive experience. It is a completely new, innovative way of visualising a story or info flow and grabbing the viewers' attention. Take Google, for instance; they do an amazing job in storytelling and engaging users to stick around till the very last word. The content is much easier to consume as users feel like active participants in the event.  The entire narrative of web designing is thought out in advance and built in the most entertaining way possible, so it is easier for users to retain information and connect with the website. Scrollytelling is a multimedia experience, stimulating deeper reflection and highlighting what can't be articulated by words alone. It's a very realistic content consumption experience that stems directly from how users interact with computers. 

Contactless Search: Voice User Interface

The trend toward VUI has been revving as processors get more miniature, and more Internet of Things (IoT) devices come online. Even the most resistant users agree that technical innovations don't bite, and one can even say that they make life easier. Utilising VUI alongside the traditional GUI could facilitate a less cluttered and more tailored experience focusing on inspiring the users, while more specific searches could be accomplished vocally. VUI execution in mobile app development will likely be among the most notable UI/UX design trends in 2022. The immediacy and versatility of voice form link the user's desire to the device's response. To reap the benefits of VUI, marketers must begin by composing detailed personas, work on potential limitations of particular devices, and make the best use of all action triggers. In addition, VUIs help companies increase customer engagement on apps with an emotional component (like exercise or productivity), providing a hands-free interactive experience like cooking, driving apps, smart home devices, etc.

Configuring Mega-Footers

Having an extended version of your header in the footer section can prove to be critical in bringing in multiple customer engagement points. They help with conversion rates by acting as a safety net at the very end of your website and provide customers with a second opportunity to interact with your website. In addition, Mega-Footers ensure easier website navigation by being a flavourful extension of your header. This helps with the overall website and E-commerce experience. Well-optimised Mega-Footers with high-ranking keywords and call-to-action buttons promote customer interaction by prompting them to react and gain valuable information. As a result, Mega-Footers function brilliantly to enhance a brand's image and act as a 'not-so-subtle' reminder to reinforce brand value. This reduces bounce rates and helps with lead generation.

Brutalism vs Minimalism

Brutalism and minimalism are web design languages that can evoke many emotions in customers, thereby triggering them to act on the CTA buttons. It promotes curiosity and improves engagement rates. By not focussing much on aesthetics but more on ruggedness and simplicity, these websites have a very straightforward and simplistic design that avoids unnecessary confusion. These design formats primarily focus on all the major elements of a website and therefore draw a lot of attention by highlighting the fundamentals with a minimal approach. For instance, let us consider Google's material design, which promoted the concept of flat designing. While the design remains sleek and minimal, the depth of experience is enhanced with movements and shadow effects.

Inclusive Design For All

Inclusivity extends to gender neutrality, culture, race, ability, and accessibility. A website should be put together in a way that anyone can get access to the content, and people also see others who they can relate to on the screen. The inclusive design shall aim to accommodate diverse experiences of users in how they interact with the world, both in the final product and in the design process itself, resulting in a universal design that all can enjoy.  The inclusive design employs coding best practices, so deciding to build an accessible site will naturally result in a decline in maintenance costs for your company and better overall usability. In addition, integrating inclusivity can act as one of the parameters to test and look into all stages of the product development, from UX prototyping to user interviews and usability testing.

SPECIAL: Into the Metaverse

When Facebook turned to Meta and presented a vision of their future – things would turn into a serious trend. The curtain-raiser of Metaverse design is a development that will forever change our association with technology and how we think about design. We are at the brink of the Metaverse, and designers are racing to design experiences using VR, AR, and now Extended Reality (ER) that combines existing technology to give birth to an entirely new UX. To introduce an entirely new UX, Metaverse will combine common ingredients of games such as UGC, a persistent shared world, and unique digital identities to elevate the experience into something new. Brands need to build fully immersive, 3D virtual spaces from scratch. There are opportunities for brands to create virtual venues, worlds, and spaces to host events and experiences in the Metaverse.

Final Thoughts: What to Expect

Taking a deeper look into the world around us, as well as up-and-coming technological advancements, can give you a more accurate picture of what's to come in the future of UI/UX design. To effectively design solutions for modern-day problems, businesses need to have an in-depth understanding of the challenges and types of environments users encounter each day. Focusing on these genuine, industry-led insightful trends that encompass larger fields like work culture, developments in UI/UX practices, and big technological breakthroughs can give you the push needed to become an empathic, modern, and cutting-edge brand. Related Article :- Top 5 UI/ UX Trends 2018

Over time, your blogs or articles get stale, they no longer possess the SEO quality and capacity that they once did. Every marketer deals with the issue of stagnant organic traffic while reviewing metrics at some point. Sometimes, all your content needs is a little refreshing and repurposing to keep your audience interested.  Check out how Repurposing content can become a way to use your previous blogs and revitalise them so they work harder for your SEO!

What is Content Repurposing? 

Repurposing content is the process of adapting and modifying the same content in a different format. With this, marketers have the power to reach a broader set of audiences and make them appreciate your content more. However, it requires you to format content in a way that appeals to the platform's audience. It's one of the well-known growth hacking tactics businesses use to drive traffic without wasting time or effort that goes on creating content from scratch. Repurposing gives you an opportunity to convey the same content to your new prospects without becoming redundant to those who have viewed it before. E.g., you could transform an eBook into a detailed video and post it on YouTube or create a podcast series. It also allows you to reach and target people at different stages of the buyer's journey without creating content separately. You earn reputation and credit as an industry expert by increasing organic visibility for your content.

How do you Repurpose Content? 

Before you set off rushing to recycle content, strategise a plan of action. Not all old posts are good candidates for repurposing. For example, you don't want to reuse content that failed to elicit a response from your audience. Use tools like Google Analytics to pick the posts performing exceptionally well. By updating this cornerstone content, you can create opportunities for internal linking, which is great for climbing up SERPs.  Reformatting your content for various mediums means appealing to more audiences and expanding your reach. E.g. If you have a YouTube content strategy, producing a video from an old blog post information could fit into that strategy seamlessly. Moreover, having a consistent flow of relevant content on your webpage and social media platforms is a significant component of empowering your brand, establishing credibility, and proving that you're worth trusting as a potential partner.

Why do you need it?

Rather than including a topic once and letting it disappear into archives, repurpose articles to consistently deliver your message to the audience. This works perfectly if you're starting with high-value, authoritative content. Repurposing your content gives your hot new blog an additional chance to be seen in a flashy, innovative format. In the age of fragmented content – repurposing is similar to content promotion 2.0. It saves your resources and opens up possibilities to reach a new segment of your audience. Think of it as going green - 'OUT' with the outdated and 'IN' with the latest and improved, attracting search traffic. Organic search provides the majority of site traffic. A study found that organic search holds a 51% share among traffic sources. Thus, repurposing optimised content in various formats can give you a significant lift in organic visibility and traffic.

Advantages of Repurposing

Content repurposing as a marketing strategy comes in handy for several reasons. It enhances your business marketing, saves you time, helps with your online presence, and much more. From top-performing pieces to flops, all types of content can be repurposed. In addition, repurposing allows you to get accustomed to diverse forms of content on various platforms, making you a much more versatile marketer for your business, improving your knowledge and skill sets. Marketers get the chance to redeem less successful content. For example, a series of blog posts that aren't getting many visits might collectively make a great eBook, attracting a lot of consultation requests. Furthermore, repurposing content into multiple forms of media is a great way to expand your reach out to varied members of your target audience. For example, when some could be visual learners, others might prefer audio, etc.

The Added SEO Boost

Repurposing content is the upcycling trend of the content world. SEO is not a sprint; it's a marathon, so provided you don't republish content word-for-word, repurposing could earn you a spot in the good books. Search engines like Google prefer websites they can trust. The more pages of search engine optimised information you have, the easier it can recognise you as a credible source of information. Users love to share interesting content, like blog posts, images, and infographics. The more you put out there, the more opportunities you have to get your content shared, creating high-quality backlinks for your site. By adding off-page URLs of blogs in video descriptions or social posts, you increase the possibility of others curating your content, meaning additional SEO assets to attract search traffic on many different theme variations. 

Final Words

Beyond simply getting more traffic out of an older blog post, repurposing can actually be a valuable social media management tool too. Repurposing content allows you to reach people you missed the first time around. The best articles to repurpose are those which provide a gateway to your current goals. The more you post, the more precise your site analytics become. You possess several ideas to repurpose your content. All you need is a little strategy to make your content worthwhile on different digital platforms, including several creative ways to attract more audiences.

Converting potential leads into customers is one thing but retaining them is where the challenging work begins. Customer retention saves you more money than acquiring new ones. As per data, there is a 45% chance of purchase from a second-time buyer. This further moves up to 56% by the time they come around for their fourth visit. Taking good care of your customers, helps your business grow and thrive while retaining them brings in profits and enhances your brand image without any added efforts.

A small group of loyal customers can be vital contributors to a majority of sales.  Since retained customers make for such valuable assets, we bring you five effective strategies to make your customers return for those repeat purchases. 

Go for Multi-Channel Marketing

Businesses should analyse their consumers’ purchasing behaviour online and deploy this strategy to keep them engaged in the future. Time is of the essence when it comes to replenishable items. This is why businesses must segment their customers on the basis of products they buy on a regular basis and send across reminders via e-mails, in-app notifications, messages, etc.

The RFM Model (Recency, Frequency, and Monetary value) should definitely be used for automated marketing to retarget customers, re-engage them, and ensure faster cart checkouts in the process. Further, businesses should run trigger campaigns to have an in-depth understanding of their customers’ response rates, as this will help immensely with personalised messaging.

Cultivate Effective CRM Plans

Ensuring a great customer experience is crucial for any business if they want retention to come into play. This is where Customer Relationship Management comes in. Businesses should use CRM software to centralise all customer data in one place, analyse it, and provide customer experiences that are consistent with their promises. 

They should also leverage CRM analytics to segment their customers on the basis of who is more profitable, who purchases more often, etc. This helps in making regular updates to their shopping requirements. Another interesting way is to create dialogues with customers through integrated marketing communications. This will improve brand positioning, build loyalty, and ultimately lead to retention.

Connect with Your Customers

Customers like to be a part of the brand family as much as they like the brand. Businesses should try and partner with them by sharing. This way, caring will automatically come in from their side. One method can include sending personal invites via effective channels for any big product launch or brand event. This will make the customers feel acknowledged and important, and they will feel a sense of belonging and obligation towards your business.

Genuine interest should be shown while taking feedback and reviews from your customers on ways of providing frictionless experiences. However, you have to be careful to not spam them in the process. Additionally, separate chat rooms should be made with the sole purpose of piloting strategies, beta testing, and experimenting with their customers.

Accessibility-first Customer Support

Providing impeccable customer service is an important and effective one-way ticket to customer retention. If the service is good, the business will surely have its customers’ long-term attention. Data suggests that around 92-93% of customers will engage in repeat purchase if they experience good post-purchase service.

Businesses should focus on having a 24*7 portal for addressing criticism and providing prompt and efficient service to their customers - be it via calls, mails, or live chats. A feedback loop system should be in place that works on collecting, distributing, and analysing customer feedback. 

Personalise Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs are simply a way of letting your customers know that they are valued for their relationship with your business. Businesses should focus on building strong loyalty programs to turn customers into committed brand advocates and members of your brand community. 

Customised loyalty programs will provide personalised and brand-specific rewards to your customers. Furthermore, businesses must use reward gamification methods to motivate their customers to reach exclusive VIP tiers in their loyalty programs. Data reveals that around 92% of customers will take recommendations from their trusted friends. This is why businesses should give points to their customers for providing referrals. This will ensure both retention and acquisition.

Retaining customers is definitely an excellent way to sell more and create a hurdle-free road to achieving business aims and goals. Therefore, businesses should continuously try to garner their customers’ trust and loyalty through well thought out marketing strategies. It will ensure a proactive retention approach and healthy profits in the long run!