As we shift into a new, socially-distanced normal, entire industries are experiencing rapid change and disruption. The ACTIVATE team is observing and analyzing the changes happening across the influencer marketing landscape, translating our observations into partnership considerations. Additionally, we’re grateful to be able to tap into our community of 46K+ influencers to ask them how they’re feeling, what they’re experiencing, and what they expect to see next in this space. We’re happy to bring these insights to you and hope they can be useful as your team navigates brand marketing over the next few months.
This week, we’re bringing you insights on shifts in platform usage and post frequency that influencers have adopted since stay-at-home orders were mandated across the world. We surveyed over 475 influencers within our community, and here’s what they had to say!
54% of respondents said their screen time has increased significantly since the stay-at-home orders were put in place.
Our Take: As a whole, consumers are spending more time on their connected devices while at home. Naturally, we are seeing a greater desire to connect with others through social media to preserve a sense of normalcy. While consumers are spending more time on their devices and social media, this has the potential to fuel deeper engagement and higher views on influencer content. It’s also a prime opportunity for creators to test out new content formats. We’re seeing a surge in live programming from creators as well as innovation in connecting with audiences in new ways, from giving back to those in need, to supporting and highlighting followers who are doing good during this unprecedented time.
2. 41% of respondents admitted to joining TikTok during the stay-at-home mandate.
Our Take: TikTok has been one of the most talked about social media channels since last year, though up until recently we saw that many veteran creators and older audiences were slow to migrate to this platform. In the last month, we’ve seen user growth on TikTok accelerate, thanks to more time spent at home and captive audiences. TikTok’s content mix of light-hearted videos, dance renditions, and fashion try-ons also allow followers to enjoy some much-needed comic relief. Now is a great time to experiment on TikTok, establish a presence, and garner valuable learnings on what works best for your brand. TikTok is also beginning to roll out a feature to select creators that allow for them to insert a URL into profile bios. This will allow for your brand to drive traffic to a specific webpage directly from the TikTok app.
**ACTIVATE more recently integrated with TikTok within the platform so that our brands can get deeper insights into creators on TikTok channels — check it out here!
3. When it comes to content consumption, influencers report they are consuming as well as posting to video-based platforms more than ever. Check out the leaders below!
Creators say they are posting more frequently to:
Instagram — In particular, 73% of respondents said that they are posting to Stories significantly more.
Facebook — 35%
TikTok — 32%
Creators are consuming more:
Instagram (IG In-Feed, Stories, Live, IGTV) — 65%
TikTok- 51%
Youtube- 30%
Our Take: The demand for short form video content has steadily increased over the last several years, and it appears that 2020 may be the year video solidifies its dominance in the influencer space. For brands that haven’t experimented with influencer video content, now is the time. Influencers reported that their top video subjects include Question + Answer sessions, Fitness Routines, Dance Classes, Cooking Classes, and DIY projects. This surge in takeaway-driven content is ideal for brand integration. Additionally, our research shows that the ACTIVATE community is posting more to Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, specifically to continue to connect with loved ones.
If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to demo@activate.social.