As influencer marketing has completely taken off in recent years due to a desire for more authentic advertisement, it’s no wonder that video content is also becoming so popular. A generation that does not take well to ‘forced’ adverts have an increased interest in video content, where they can feel as though they really know and relate to influencers.
Why video content?
When it comes to influencer marketing, the most popular social media channel for photos is Instagram, and YouTube for videos. However, in ongoing updates, Instagram has fully incorporated the use of video content in the form of posts, stories, IGTV, IG Live, and Reels. You are probably thinking – surely this is enough to overtake YouTube for influencer marketing? But, there is a noticeable difference in the type of content posted on each platform.
In general, video content is so popular amongst the influencers due to the fact that they can be more descriptive, informative, or opinionated than photos – well, you see a photo in one second, but a video could be 15 minutes! So, it’s pretty clear that for product promotion, a lot more can be said within a video than a single caption. Influencers like to show products in use, give tutorials, demonstrations, reviews, and many more ways that could require that little bit of extra time. In fact, content can be categorized by the 9 best types of social media videos to understand how they’re being used by influencers.
For the audience, video content is often preferred due to the perception that influencers seem more genuine this way. You don’t just see the perfectly posed Instagram snaps, but instead, hear the voice behind them. In turn, this leads to the feeling of a trusted relationship between influencers and their audiences.
For brands, although video content can primarily be more expensive than photos, there are also many additional benefits. Influencers can aid a brand either through posting existing content, such as re-sharing a brand’s posts or through content creation. This can reap so many long-term benefits such as increased brand awareness. Influencers like to create their own content in order to strengthen their own personal brand by customizing to the feel of their own account and regular content.
Types of influencers that use video content
There are endless types of content that can be created on all of the most popular social media channels. Often, video content is produced by influencers in the categories of fitness, lifestyle, food, gaming, and travel, to name a few.
The key to any type of content is to understand your audience and what they like to see. Of course, influencers begin their accounts due to a passion for what they do. However, influencer video content is about what the audience wants to see, not the influencer. Because of this, polls and questionnaires will often be created and posted for users to answer in order to understand the audience’s demographics and interests better. A deeper insight into the audience’s problems, queries, and curiosities is vital in creating engaging video content.
Travel
Travel influencers can often fall under the same bracket as lifestyle influencers when looking at video content. This is because many travel influencers will post videos in the form of vlogs (video blogs). This way, the audience can be taken on an adventure, exploring new places, and discovering new cultures with the influencer. These vlogs will typically be posted through their YouTube channel. However, YouTube influencers from travel have amassed impressive followings on Instagram too, due to the highly visual nature of the platform. As well as vlogs, Q&As have been highly requested from travel influencers on YouTube, with audiences wanting an insight into the deeper details behind managing a life travelling 24/7.
Fitness
Sport and fitness influencers are big on the video content scene. For a start, the majority of what they do and are influential requires in-depth explanations and tutorials. Sure, you’ll see Instagram influencers posting pictures of their six-pack abs, but the fitness influencers that engage their audiences are those that explain how they achieved these fitness results. Influencer video marketing in the fitness industry really isn’t so complex, and in fact, has some of the most effective results amongst influencer categories. YouTube is great here because fitness influencers can record detailed tutorials on things such as a specific gym exercise. Another video type that has become popular amongst fitness influencers are hauls and unboxings. These will usually be in partnership with a brand that has gifted the influencer new gym clothing or products like food and equipment to try.
Social media channels used for video content
Although with Fitness and Travel influencers, their main platforms tend to be YouTube and Instagram, we’ve not yet had a look at the recently emerging TikTok. These three platforms have all become the staple channels for influencers, but can be used for different types of content.
YouTube is great for longer, more detailed videos like we have seen with fitness and travel influencers. YouTubers will generally spend a significant amount of time editing their videos and working on themes and features for their channel. For example, viewers like to see channels that follow a consistent style, as well as being able to follow a posting schedule, to anticipate videos. There are several free video editing software’s which will be used, or more experienced influencers will often pay for more advanced editing tools.
As Instagram has regularly updated its platform to include several means of posting video content, it’s no wonder that the app has become the hub for influencers. Here, you are likely to see influencers amongst the categories of lifestyle, fashion, and beauty as some of the most popular. Through the different media channels on the app, these influencers will tend to post styling videos, skincare or make-up tutorials, clothing hauls, etc.
So, when we think about TikTok, the video content on this emerging platform is slightly different. With 15-second, short, highly edited videos including music and effects, it’s interesting to see how brands have succeeded with influencers here. With a short attention span, or maybe a hatred for advertisements, TikTok fits in perfectly to create video content that can’t be missed and seems perfectly natural. Influences from all sorts of categories are taking to the platform to post original content, as well as partnered content. For example, foodies are absolutely loving it, posting step-by-step recipes and cooking videos, where you don’t have to watch them accidentally crack the egg peel into the bowl!
Conclusion
So, if you’re considering working with influencers to boost your marketing goals through video content, then we would definitely encourage it. At the end of the day, you are often having an increased brand exposure without even needing to create the content yourself! I’d suggest heading over to Heepsy, where you can find influencers that will perfectly align with your campaign goals!
