Here's how influencers can increase their visibility & seal the brand deals

There's no denying that influencer marketing is lucrative. The market grew from $1.7 billion in 2016 to $9.7 billion in 2020. In 2021, it soared to $13.8 billion, indicating a steady growth. In 2022, the market expanded to a whopping $16.4 billion industry.

This growth is attributed to the increasing popularity of short video formats on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, the effect of the global pandemic on consumers, which catalyzed social media consumption, and the optimization of data collection, which marketers used for social media ads.

Influencer marketing is a great tool when it comes to increasing visibility for businesses and creators. Right from marketing content-building skills, and entertainment to enhancing marketing strategies, influencer marketing is a key aspect of most brand communications. With so much evolving in this industry, more and more people today want to switch to becoming full-time influencers and thus increasing the competition within the industry. Influencer marketing is about trust. By using an influencer for marketing campaigns, businesses benefit from having their brand vetted - by an influencer - before introducing a product or service to a potential customer base. If an influencer approves, consumers are more likely to trust the brand.

In fact, 63 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds trust influencer opinions more than messages from brands themselves, making influencer marketing a highly effective strategy to target Gen Z consumers. For other age groups, influencer marketing is still relevant and valuable. Influencer marketing has grown 42 per cent over the past year - worth $13.8 billion in 2021 - with 63 per cent of businesses planning to increase their influencer marketing budget in the next year.

But why do teens prefer YouTubers to their favourite celebrities? The obvious answer is relatability. Let's take Kylie Jenner as an example. Yes, she's an iconic figure in the eyes of impressionable teens, but is her lavish lifestyle something they can really relate to? It's unlikely that the average teen can find common ground with Kylie, whereas YouTubers represent a more relatable personality and lifestyle.

The survey suggested that YouTube vloggers interact with and listen to their followers, creating the feeling of a friendship rather than a fandom. And that's the difference. YouTubers create a bond with their fans, leading to a more engaged audience. According to the Google survey, the top 25 YouTube stars generated three times as many views, twice as many actions and 12 times as many comments as videos created by celebrities.

Although influencer marketing is not something everyone can excel at, it is definitely much more accessible than most digital marketing avenues. With the rising number of people becoming influencers, brands have more options at hand which in turn makes it increasingly difficult for influencers to increase their visibility and get brand deals.

First things first, competition exists in every industry so even if you do feel overwhelmed by the increased pressure to perform and be out of the box, know that it is completely okay to just be yourself. There's no need to get stressed or anxious, in fact, take things at your own pace. Being original and yourself makes the audience relate with you and thus will also help you in crafting original content.

If you haven't already done this, a great way to improve your visibility is to niche down to a specific industry. If you are a new parent, focusing on baby products, education, insurance, finance, etc can be a profitable sector to build a specific audience. Just replicating trendy music and dance steps to communicate your point is not going to be enough. Influencers need to develop their own communication style. The audience is very well able to identify when an influencer is completely focused on delivering quality and non-plagiarised content and starts taking you more seriously. Over time, this helps get stronger brand deals too.

Every time there is a brand collaboration, make sure you back it up with stories about its impact on the brand. Did it increase their sales, their followers, or inquiries in general? Add the statistic to your page so other brands can also know of the value you bring to the table.

For times when you feel there is not much activity going on, network with businesses closer to your niche and have a friendly collaboration with them. This could include hosting a dinner party where brands can get to know you personally and together you'll probably discuss plans ahead. Building intimate connections like these will help you add a personal touch and make the brand feel valued thus giving you an edge in the competitive influencer industry.