Category: Marketing Automation

Have you ever purchased something because a well-known person you admire used the product or service?
I’m guilty of this — in fact, I recently bought myself a new waterski because a professional water skier and micro-influencer, Whitney McClintock, shared a video on Instagram of herself using the ski.
I was in the market for a new ski and followed Whitney for quite some time. I figured since she used this particular ski, I should too — if Whitney promotes it, why wouldn’t I love it?

You might be thinking, “Slightly questionable logic, Kristen.” Maybe.
But, did Whitney’s post get me to buy the ski? Oh, yeah. (And I do love my new ski for those of you wondering.)
This is just one example of a tactic used by businesses across virtually every industry called influencer marketing.

Examples of these channels include social media, blogs, columns, digital and print ads, and television. Influencer marketing is increasingly more popular among businesses these days because traditional advertising has become less effective in attracting leads and customers.
Influencer marketing works because it uses tactics like word-of-mouth marketing and social proof, which are now critical aspects of any successful marketing strategy.
Customers trust their peers, friends, and people they admire more than the companies selling the products and services they buy and use.
Before we dive into the different types of influencers, let’s review the difference between a brand influencer and a brand ambassador, as they’re often confused terms.
Brand Influencer vs. Brand Ambassador
A brand influencer refers to someone who has a following within a specific niche that they engage with regularly. Because of this, they have the power to impact their purchase decisions.
The major types of brand influencers are:

Micro-influencers
Celebrity influencers
Blog influencers
Social media influencers
Key opinion leaders.
We’ll define each type later on.
For example, social media influencer @carlosdharrisjr recently partnered with ECCO Shoes to promote its product. Harris tags the brand in his posts to increase the brand’s awareness and encourage them to learn more about them.

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A brand ambassador, on the other hand, is hired by a business to work under contract to help them achieve specific goals: increase brand awareness and boost conversions and sales.
A brand ambassador’s contract is typically long-term, anywhere from several months to years. During that time, they represent the brand and the lifestyle associated with it and have deep knowledge about the business’s products or services. They don’t necessarily need to be an influencer before becoming an ambassador.
For example, Quest Nutrition’s brand ambassador program requires all interested individuals to apply to their program. Quest looks for individuals who embody their brand, are positive spokespeople for their products, create social media posts to promote their products, and live the Quest lifestyle.
Anyone who fits their criteria can apply and has the potential of being accepted. Applicants aren’t required to have a highly successful YouTube account, thousands of followers on Instagram, or a popular blog to become a brand ambassador.

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In this article, we’re going to focus on brand influencers.
However, before we dive into the various types of brand influencers, let’s take a look at some important statistics that prove working with an influencer is effective in helping you reach your marketing goals.
2021 Influencer Marketing Stats
Influencer marketing is an investment — to get it right, you have to devote time to ensure you find the right influencer to promote content that appeals to your target audience.
You also have to spend money and/ or resources to reward the influencer, run various campaigns with the influencer, and more depending on your specific marketing goals.
Here are some statistics to help you understand the lay of the land.

In 2021, roughly 58% of marketers said influencer marketing was the most effective marketing trend, ahead of SEO, experiential marketing, and short-form video content. (HubSpot Blog Research)

80% of marketers say influencer marketing is effective, and 89% say it works just as well (if not better) than other marketing channels.
In 2022, 86% of marketers plan to continue investing the same amount or increase their investment in influencer marketing. (HubSpot Blog Research)
Instagram is the most popular platform for influencer marketing. However, Facebook is considered the most effective social platform for influencer campaigns. (HubSpot Blog Research)

71% of marketers say the quality of customers and traffic from influencer marketing is better than other sources.
In 2022, 71% of marketers plan to increase their investment in influencer marketing on Clubhouse. (HubSpot Blog Research)
Snapchat and Twitch are among the lowest-performing channels for influencer marketing. As a result, they’re the top two platforms marketers plan on divesting from in 2022. (HubSpot Blog Research)
The biggest challenge marketers face with influencer marketing is measuring the ROI of the campaign. Cost is the second biggest hurdle marketers face.
Of all age groups, Gen Zers trust influencers the most.

1. Micro-Influencer
Micro-influencers — like Whitney — have a relatively modest following of thousands or tens of thousands of people. They create relevant content for their audience and communicate with them via social media platforms, blogs, other written publications, websites, and forums.
Due to the size of their following and the type of content they create, they typically have high engagement rates. Having a smaller audience allows micro-influencers to bond with the people who follow them more regularly (as compared to a celebrity with millions of fans) via their channel.
This makes them appealing to work with for businesses looking to develop personal relationships among their target audience.
How to Work With a Micro-Influencer
Micro-influencers can be established on a variety of channels. So, once you’ve chosen the micro-influencer to partner with, you can have them write a post about your service, share an online review, or post a picture on Instagram with one of your products. Due to the manageable size of their base of followers, they’ll be able to engage with your target audience on the content they share about your products and brand.
This way, they can answer any questions the audience members may have about your products, communicate their experience with your products, and direct audience members to your website or customer support team if necessary.
Micro-Influencer Example
Sisters Hermon and Heroda are fashion micro-influencers with roughly 89K followers on Instagram.
In addition to sharing fashion looks and tips with their followers, they are also disability advocates and often share what it’s like being deaf.

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In their ad, the duo shared a video in which they illustrate how being deaf can be considered a barrier in society and how that can make you feel powerless.
They then introduce the brand, Molton Brown, and how its latest fragrance makes them feel “audacious, intense, and passionate.” In the caption, they continue to share how the brand’s collection resonated with them because of their life experiences.
This is a great example of how influencers can effectively tie their own personal stories to a brand’s product, making the messaging even stronger.
2. Celebrity Influencer
Celebrity influencers are famous people with large followings — typically in the millions — who are known across many industries. They’re widely recognized and, therefore, have the potential to be very successful in influencing your target audience.
Even if your target audience doesn’t overlap with all of your celebrity influencer’s fans, having them promote and/ or use your product or service is a powerful form of social proof. Since celebrities are so well known, they’re effective at reaching multiple audiences across various channels.
How to Work With a Celebrity Influencer
Since celebrities are so well-known, there are many ways to work with them. You may focus on social media, print or online ads, TV commercials, blogs, or other written publications.
You can ask the celebrity to:

Post a picture or video promoting your products.
Share the benefits of using your products.
Offer coupons and discount codes to their audience.

Celebrity Influencer Example
In a recent Instagram post, supermodel Winnie Harlow shared a post in which she rocks a Fendi back, with a short copy that reads, “The first secret to success is believing in yourself.”

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Fendi’s mission is all about turning dreams into reality. Harlow has been vocal about her struggle with bullying as a child due to her appearance. However, that didn’t stop her from pursuing her dreams of becoming a supermodel.
She serves as a symbol of perseverance and confidence, which is in great alignment with the brand. As a brand, you want to make sure that the influencers you work with align not only with the audience you want to reach but also with your values.
3. Blog Influencer
A blog influencer is someone who writes for their established blog and has thousands, or millions, of subscribers and readers. Their reach and influence set them apart from other bloggers (meaning, they aren’t just writing for themselves or a very small group of people).
How to Work With a Blog Influencer
To collaborate with a blog influencer, you may write a guest post for their blog, ask to be mentioned in one of their posts, or sponsor a post about one of your products or services. If you sponsor a post on the influencer’s blog, you can also provide images of your products for them to share as well.
Blog Influencer Example
A popular lifestyle blog influencer is Hannah Bronfman of HBFIT.
Bronfman writes about health, beauty, fitness, and creating a life that makes you happy and feels good. Between her blog subscribers, social media following, ads, the book she wrote, and the app she created, Hannah has millions of audience members and fans who keep up with her life.
Her blog features a variety of product, gym, and spa reviews. She collaborated with Face Gym, a local facial studio, on a sponsored blog post about their services and facial treatments.

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Bronfman included information about the unique studio, facial experience, why her audience members would love the services Face Gym offers, as well as a coupon code for their first visit.
There are also pictures of Face Gym and the services they offer in Bronfman’s blog post to give audience members a better idea of what to expect from the studio in terms of services and atmosphere.
4. Social Media Influencer
Social media influencers are well-recognized on social platforms, such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter, and are followed by thousands or even millions of people.
Social media influencers share content about a wide range of topics such as health, workouts, cars, diet, outdoor activities, travel, fashion, art, beauty, and interior design.
How to Work With a Social Media Influencer
Once you find a social media influencer with an established image that works for your brand, posts content you feel complements your products or services, and has followers who are also members of your target audience, you can determine what type of content you’re going to have them promote.
If the influencer is on Instagram, you may have them post a picture with your product and tag your social account. If they’re on Facebook, you can ask them to share a live video of them opening your product and if they’re on Twitter, you can have them write a brief statement about your product and pair it with a picture of them holding it.
On YouTube, you may have the influencer share a video of them using your product while explaining the reasons why they love it.
On any social media platform, you can also have an influencer host a contest or giveaway with your products or share coupon codes.
Social Media Influencer Example
Tabitha Brown is an actor and vegan influencer who gained popularity on TikTok and Instagram through her buoyant personality. Her 3.9M followers on Instagram consist of health-conscious individuals who enjoy learning about Brown’s vegan recipes, lifestyle, and life advice.
Recently, Brown partnered with plant-based meal company Orro and posted an image on Twitter of her pouring one of their products into a glass.

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The post directs the audience to the website where they can learn more about the brand and discover their line of products.
Because Brown is such a strong figure in the plant-based, vegan community, she was a great partner for the brand. She even has a strong community of non-vegan followers, who simply enjoy her personality and content. This allows Orro to potentially reach multiple personas.
5. Key Opinion Leader
Key opinion leaders (KOLs) are high-level experts on a specialized topic within a particular field. For example, a KOL might specialize in makeup application, the Paleo lifestyle, or Bikram yoga.
If your business is looking to attract audience members in a very specialized field, a KOL is a great option — due to their expert knowledge on a certain topic, KOLs are trusted contributors in their industries and have followings of people who are also invested in those subjects.
How to Work With a KOL
KOLS, like micro and celebrity influencers, are present on many channels, such as social media, blogs, other written publications (like academic journals), and ads. Therefore, your business has many options for how you decide to work with a KOL.
You might have them review one of your products on YouTube, mention you in their column, write a blog post about your brand, share a post about your product on Instagram, or pose with your product for a print or digital advertisement.
KOL Example
Kandee Johnson is a makeup influencer with over 3.9 subscribers on YouTube and over 1.8 million followers on Instagram.
She’s a makeup artist pro — her expert knowledge on makeup application makes her a key opinion leader in the makeup and cosmetic industry. Kandee shares thousands of makeup tutorials, makeup tips and tricks, and product reviews on YouTube and Instagram.

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She has shared sponsored content for BoxyCharm — a subscription service that provides customers with a box of several new beauty products every month — promoting their service, as well as her favorite products in the box, among her millions of followers and fans.

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BoxyCharm’s target audience includes lovers of beauty products, cosmetics, and makeup which works with Kandee’s huge base of followers. They had Kandee share a post with one of their boxes, describe which products inside she was most excited about, and tag them in her post.
Now that we’ve covered the different types of influencers your business can work with, let’s review how to find these influencers so they can begin helping you reach your target audience.
How to Find Influencers
Identifying the right influencer to work with might seem like a daunting task — so, we’ve put together this list of ways you can use to find the right person to help you improve your brand awareness and reach.
Google Search
The most straightforward way to go about an influencer search is with the help of Google (or any search engine). Remember an influencer is already creating content in your field and reaching your target audience. So, a Google search for industry-related terms and keywords will surface experts in those areas.
Review articles related to various topics in your field, conduct individual searches for people you’ve heard of or know are already high impact contributors, and scan industry-specific sites and web pages for influencers.
Social Media
You can also search for influencers on various social media platforms. Whether or not you’re going for a social media influencer, most influencers will likely have some sort of social media presence — their profiles serve as a great way to learn more about them.
On social, search for keywords and phrases, specific users, hashtags, and tagged audience members on specific posts (brands and social users may have tagged influencers you could potentially work within posts).
Don’t forget to look in the comments sections of high-traffic posts related to your industry or type of work as influencers may have posted comments and interacted with members of your target audience there. You can even get some ideas from influencer posts on your competitor’s accounts.
Referrals
Use your current network (professional and personal) to obtain referrals. Look for KOLs on LinkedIn and ask your team if they’ve recently followed any micro-influencers on social who regularly post content that’s compatible with your brand and image.
If you’ve worked with any influencers in the past, ask them if they’re willing to connect your business with other influencers they know as well.
Blogs
Reading blogs is another great way to locate influencers — that is, both the blog authors and their sources. Scan for the people mentioned in the blogs. Perhaps the blogger is reviewing their work, mentioned a quote from them, or asked them to contribute to the piece.
Additionally, themed publications (business, art, beauty, or fashion) often do expert round-ups where they feature dozens of influencers. You can research the individual further to determine if they’re a good fit for your business.
Influencer Software
Due to the rising popularity of influencer marketing, various technologies and software have emerged to help businesses identify influencers and measure their success.
Two of the most popular options include BuzzStream and BuzzSumo.

BuzzStream allows users to research influencers. As a user, you also can build profiles, review influencer interactions, measure their success through engagement metrics, and review their contact history.

BuzzSumo allows you to identify key influencers that are popular among your target audience. It also allows you to analyze which types of content perform best for influencers and review the content of your competitors.

Talent Agencies and Agents
If you’re looking to hire a specific celebrity influencer, it’s unlikely you’re going to be able to send them a direct email or give them a call (although that’d be pretty cool). Instead, you’ll probably have to go through a talent agency or work with an agent to determine whether or not that celebrity is willing to work with your brand and for what price.

Let’s dive into how you can create an influencer marketing strategy for your business. This strategy will allow you to manage all aspects of your relationship with an influencer. It’ll also ensure they’re successful in helping you achieve your campaign goals.
1. Determine your campaign goals.
The first step is to create goals for your influencer marketing strategy — these will help you measure the success of your campaign. Think about your objectives in terms of SMART goals.
When working to develop influencer marketing SMART goals, there are three factors to keep in mind: reach, relevance, and resonance. These will help you focus your goals on the different aspects of influencer marketing.
Use a free template to determine your SMART goals.

Reach is the ability to deliver content to your target audience through an influencer — it helps you improve brand and product awareness. For example, how many people on Instagram are actually seeing the content an influencer is posting about your product?

Relevance is the level of connection your audience feels to your brand, product, or service due to the work of an influencer — it’ll help you enhance brand loyalty. For example, if your audience sees a celebrity they love and admire with your product, they might begin to feel a strong connection to it, too.

Resonance is the ability to drive audience members to a specific action because of an influencer’s content — it’s all about impact and memorability. Resonance helps you increase your follower count, drive traffic to your site, and boost conversions. For example, if your audience reads a blog post written by an influencer about your product, they may click on the link in the blog post that directs them to your website so they can buy it.

2. Define your campaign audience.
Regardless of which type of influencer you work with, your target audience will remain the same. Different influencers may have different ways of connecting with your audience, but your business’s overall marketing goals and buyer personas don’t change.
Before moving forward with your influencer marketing strategy, work with your marketing team to develop and learn about your buyer personas.
This will help you identify the exact type of customer you’re going after and, therefore, help you determine what type of influencer and content will appeal most to them to ensure your target audience is aligned with that of the influencer.
Learn how to build buyer personas for your business.
3. Set your budget and choose your influencer type.
Based on our review of the five major types of influencers, you should be able to determine which type will work best for your business’s goals and target audience. From there, you can start building a budget.
For example, if you’re a startup with a low budget, you might choose to work with a micro-influencer. If you’re a mid-sized company with more resources, you might choose to bring on a celebrity influencer or work with a KOL who’s highly regarded in their industry.
HubSpot Blog Research found that marketers typically pay between $501 and $10K for nano, micro-influencer, and macro-influencers, with $10K+ budgets reserved for mostly mega influencers.
According to the survey, roughly 90% of marketers have a budget specifically for influencer marketing, with 45% allocating between $100K to $500K.
4. Choose your influencer and review their work.
Once you’ve determined the type of influencer you want to work with, it’s time to identify the right influencer for your company.
Quality of content and engagement are the top two factors marketers review when considering an influencer on social media, according to a 2021 survey from HubSpot Blog Research. Surprisingly, follower count falls fifth on the list, behind alignment with company values and branding.
However, this falls in line with recent data showing that brands are caring less about the size of influencers’ following, as they give more weight to other elements.
When considering someone for a campaign, ask yourself (and the influencer) the following questions:

Does this influencer and their lifestyle fit my brand image?
Have they worked with any of my competitors?
Who is this influencer’s current audience?
Is my target audience active on the platform/channel primarily used by this influencer?
Does working with this influencer make sense for my budget?
Has this influencer actually used any of my products or services before? Are they a customer?
Does this person have a personality I want to work with?
What will this influencer expect from me?

5. Develop your campaign messaging for your influencer.
Once you’ve chosen an influencer, it’s time to plug them into your campaign. Work with your marketing team to develop your campaign messaging and determine what content your influencer should (and should not) publish.
Be sure to share your brand guidelines — including details about your brand voice, tag lines, and language to avoid — with your influencer so they can remain on-brand with their content. Remember, whether an influencer posts about your product or service one time or 100 times, they’re still representing your brand and business. Ensure they have the tools to do so accurately.
In this stage, you should also determine whether your influencer will be creating content for your campaign on their own or if you’ll be providing the content for them to post.
Lastly, be sure to discuss how they’re going to help you boost traffic with their content and which target metrics you can expect per post or piece of content.
6. Finalize campaign expectations with your influencer.
Finally, review all of the expectations you have for them in addition to any expectations they have for you. Remember your chosen influencer may have worked with other brands before yours — meaning, they may already have their own processes in place for the way they do business.
Additionally, their expectations are going to differ depending on the type of influencer they are. For example, a micro-influencer is going to have different expectations for the way you communicate with them versus a celebrity. A micro-influencer may speak directly with you whereas a celebrity may have an agent communicate on their behalf.
Lastly, you’ll want to ensure these expectations are written, agreed upon, and signed by both you and the influencer — you can organize all of this information through an influencer contract. This will help you avoid any issues and discrepancies down the road.
To help get the ball rolling, here are some examples of the expectations to review:

How this influencer will be paid or rewarded (money, swag, discounts, coupon codes, etc.)
How long you’ll be working together
How you and the influencer will be communicating with each other
Any other terms of contract necessary for your specific business to review

6. Pay your influencer.
Influencers don’t work for free.
You’ll need to discuss compensation early on so you can both be on the same page about what the work will entail if you decide to move forward.
If you’re a small company with little to no influencer budget, there are still ways to collaborate with influencers. You can offer:

Swag (such as clothing, accessories, or product samples)
Free products and/or services
Access to discount codes and coupons

7. Measure your campaign results.
Lastly, you must measure your influencer marketing strategy results. This is how you’ll determine the level of success you’ve had in reaching your audience with the help of the influencer.
According to data from a 2021 HubSpot Blog Research survey, revenue is the most important metric to marketers when measuring the impact of an influencer campaign.
To start, refer back to the SMART goals you set (as well as influencer marketing metrics) to help you determine whether or not you’ve achieved your objectives.
Here’s more detail on which metrics you’ll want to keep an eye on when measuring your influencer marketing strategy success:

Engagement: Keep an eye on all engagement involving content shared by the influencer about your brand and products. Engagement includes various interactions such as Likes, shares, Comments, Retweets, Mentions, Direct Messages, and Reposts on channels like social media, blogs, and forums.

Reach: Determine your reach, or how many people are actually seeing the content your influencer is sharing about your brand, by looking at your overall number of views.

Resonance: Learn about the level of resonance — or the actions that were completed — by your audience members after they consume and/ or interact with the influencer’s content involving your brand.

Brand Awareness: Measure your brand awareness among the audience members of your influencer as they begin sharing content related to your brand. There are quantitative — such as direct traffic and social engagement — and qualitative — such as social listening and awareness surveys — ways to measure your brand awareness.

Clicks: Review the number of clicks on the content the influencer shares about your brand, whether it’s a direct link to your website, a CTA, a social media giveaway, or a signup form.

Conversions: Calculate your conversions (the number of leads who become customers) as a result of your influencer marketing strategy. You can calculate conversions on your website or through URLs (such as discount/ checkout codes found on the influencer’s social media account or blog) by dividing your conversions by your overall number of visitors.

Return on Investment (ROI): Calculate the return on your influencer marketing investment by dividing the return (or benefit) by the cost of the influencer marketing investment.

Follower Count: Track the increase and decrease of your number of social media followers or blog subscribers over time to see whether or not the influencer is helping you boost your follower and/ or subscriber count.

In terms of measuring the success of the influencer’s work, BuzzStream and BuzzSumo both have analytics tools built into the software to help you measure the success of the influencer’s work. These types of software are especially helpful in allowing you to determine ROI from your influencer marketing strategy, which is known to be the most difficult metric to measure when working with an influencer for businesses.
Google Analytics is great if you want to track overall traffic directed to your website and the number of leads converted. The software provides you with a deep look at acquisition, behavior, and conversions related to an influencer and your visitors.
For example, if you ask the influencer to conduct a giveaway or contest, look at the number of people who participated. Say you give the influencer a discount code for audience members to use at checkout, see how many people used it to make a purchase.
If you provide the influencer with specific URLs with tags to specific posts or landing pages, you can also track their performance by looking at the number of leads directed to those pages.
Now, onto measuring influencer marketing success on social media. HubSpot’s Social Tool can help you pull specific engagement-related data, like reach and interactions, from various platforms. Additionally, the respective social platforms you’re using may have analytics tools built-in as well, such as Twitter Analytics and Instagram Insights.
Do you still need some inspiration for your influencer marketing strategy? Let’s look at three successful strategies implemented by major companies.
Influencer Marketing Examples
There are many successful influencer marketing campaigns your business can look to for guidance when trying to think of ways to reach your target audience. Here are a few examples:
1. Hydro Flask and Andrea Hannemann, Social Media Influencer
Andrea Hannemann, more commonly known as @earthyandy, is a social media influencer based in Hawaii.
Her account, which has over one million followers, depicts her life — she’s a vegan, earth-conscious, and outdoorsy mom and wife.
She has an affinity for clean eating and cooking as well as plant-based foods and products. Andrea regularly posts beautiful pictures and videos of her lifestyle and diet (which her kids and husband participate in) and receives hundreds of thousands of interactions on her posts.
Andrea was featured in a video sponsored by Hydro Flask, which she posted on her Instagram page, showing the ways in which the reusable, insulated, and functional water bottle fits into her life. The post was also a giveaway and received close to 400,000 likes and over 40,000 comments.

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Hydro Flask was able to identify a social media influencer who’s lifestyle and content fit their branding and image and conduct a highly successful giveaway. The post increased their brand awareness among Andrea’s one million followers.
It also helped move traffic from Andrea’s page to the Hydro Flask Instagram page, as her post included several links taking audience members directly there to learn more about the company.
2. Nespresso and George Clooney, Celebrity Influencer
Nespresso teamed up with George Clooney, a globally-recognized celebrity, and brought him on as a celebrity influencer for their Cup Above campaign. Nespresso was able to identify the actor as someone who’s known by the general public and fits their sophisticated, elegant, and high-end image.
Nespresso now has print ads, digital ads, social media posts, and television commercials starring George.
3. American Express and Leo Chan, Social Media Influencer
Leo Chan is a popular fashion blogger with over 100K followers on Instagram. over one million subscribers. He also has a popular lifestyle blog, called Levitate Style.

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As part of a paid partnership with American Express, Chan posted on Instagram to outline the benefits of having an AMEX card while putting it in the context of his own day-to-day adventures.
This is a great example of how brands can pair up with influencers who match the audience they’re attempting to reach.
How Influencer Marketing Will Change in 2022
Innovative industries are continuously changing; influencer marketing is no different. Influencers and marketers alike are finding new ways to reach audiences and promote products.
As we move into the new year, there are five key ways that influencer marketing will be changing. Make note of these changes as you adapt your marketing strategy.
1. Micro-influencers will have a greater impact.
Micro-influencers may seem like the smallest players in the influencer marketing game, but they pack the biggest punch.
Recent research suggests that micro-influencers may actually produce better results than mega-influencers. That’s because as influencers become more popular, sometimes their engagement goes down.
And according to HubSpot Blog Research, brands are not looking at follower count first when considering influencers. It’s more about the quality of their content and their engagement rates.
Because of this, micro-influencers will likely have more influence than celebrities in 2022.
2. Influencer activity will extend beyond Instagram.
A 2021 HubSpot Blog Research survey found that Instagram is the most popular place for influencer marketing. However, it’s surprisingly not the platform that brings in the highest ROI.
Turns out, that’s actually Facebook.
This doesn’t mean that Instagram is fading into the background anytime soon. However, it seems more brands are expanding beyond Instagram and considering how other channels can support their marketing efforts.
In 2022, keep an eye out for influencer marketing on YouTube, Tik Tok, Snapchat, and Pinterest, especially if your audience leans more toward Generation Z.
3. Employees and customers will become influencers.
We’ve talked about the power of marketing through your customers, but have you considered how powerful your customers could be as influencers? Customers are people who already know about, like, and own your product; this makes for an easy transition from customer advocacy to customer influence.
The same goes for your employees — people who’ve invested time and creativity into growing your business. This factor alone gives your staff genuine credibility.
As people who are already engaged with the development of your product or service, employees can be natural advocates. In 2022, we’ll likely see the rise of these two parties as brand influencers.
4. Businesses will invest in long-term relationships, not one-off campaigns.
You’ve read about it in this guide — it can be tough and expensive to identify and connect with the right influencer. In the past, brands usually hired influencers for one-time campaigns. As we move into 2022, however, we’ll likely see brands building long-term relationships instead.
Not only does this effort save time, energy, and money for marketers, but it also allows the influencer to build trust with and make a greater impact on a brand’s audience.
Long-term relationships with influencers also increase credibility for whatever product or service the influencer is marketing.
Kickstart Your Influencer Marketing Strategy
Influencer marketing has become increasingly popular for brands to invest in. With the rise of word-of-mouth marketing and social proof, it’s a great way to connect with audience members, enhance brand awareness, and boost conversions. By identifying the type of influencer best suited for your business and developing an influencer marketing strategy, you’ll improve your reach among potential customers.
So, begin developing your business’s plans for incorporating influencers in your marketing tactics today so they can help you build new and lasting relationships with your target audience.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in May 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

 

 

SilverTree and Perwyn investment will fuel SALESmanago’s international expansion and support its trajectory in becoming the leading European SaaS marketing automation and customer data platform focused on mid-market e-commerce
SALESmanago is a high growth company and added over 300 mid-market and enterprise customers (on average 50% growth per annum) 
Blue chip customers include BMW, Burger King, Starbucks, Toyota, Victoria’s Secret, Crocs and T-Mobile
Tim Weller (Chairman of Trustpilot, a listed online reviews platform with a ~$1.6bn market cap) joins as SALESmanago’s Chairman
Rafal Brzoska (founder of Inpost) and Jean-Philippe Baert (experienced MarTech executive) will join the SALESmanago Board 

 

London, Krakow – November 30, 2021 – SALESmanago, the leading SaaS no-code CDP & Marketing Automation platform, today announces that it has been acquired in a nine-digit Euro acquisition and growth investment by SilverTree Equity, a leading private equity firm with deep expertise in technology and software businesses, and Perwyn, a family-backed private equity and growth capital investor. SilverTree and Perwyn have committed to significant growth equity financing to fuel SALESmanago’s expansion.

 

SALESmanago is, on average, growing at 50% per annum. This transaction provides the business with further capital and resources to become a global leader in the strategic and high-growth mid-market CDP & marketing automation market.

 

This investment seeks to strengthen SALESmanago’s position as a European SaaS market leader. The company has long been at the forefront of MarTech and has been consistently recognised for its feature-rich, cloud native product with a short time to market and proven customer value.  SALESmanago has been recognised by both the Financial Times and Deloitte as one of Europe’s fastest growing companies.  

 

Headquartered in Krakow, and with operations across all European countries, the Americas, and Asia, SALESmanago allows organisations to deliver a unique customer experience. The platform creates a complete 360-degree customer profile powered by AI, allowing companies to execute a seamless, hyperpersonalized omnichannel marketing execution strategy. Over 2,500 organisations around the world and across verticals and sizes – including enterprise and mid-size clients – rely on SALESmanago’s software solution to optimise their marketing efforts. 

 

Greg Blazewicz, SALESmanago’s Founder and CEO, said: 

 

“We founded SALESmanago in 2012 with the ambition to deliver a world-class customer data platform. Since then, the company has grown rapidly into a CDP and marketing automation market leader. Our partnership with SilverTree and Perwyn brings us additional strength to fuel our rapid growth and accelerate our current momentum internationally. The combination of these two investors, with their strong software and international growth expertise, provides more access to global resources and enables us to invest even more to deliver innovation and value for our clients.”

 

SALESmanago is well positioned in a large, attractive, growth market which remains largely underpenetrated. Its product supports a comprehensive range of native features, drawing on 10+ years of helping customers to execute marketing strategies based on key customer metrics such as CLV and churn prediction, website behaviour, and campaign engagement. In turn, it provides businesses with a unique opportunity to leverage these insights to drive sales leads and CTR and email opening rates, and to ultimately grow their business. 

 

John Messamore, Managing Partner of SilverTree Equity, commented: 

 

“We expect budgets for MarTech SaaS applications to continue to grow as e-commerce businesses respond to increasing competition. Further, changes in regulation and the ability to collect and leverage third party data and cookies are driving significant investment in platforms that help leverage fully-compliant first party data, which is the core of SALESmanago’s CDP platform.” 

 

Nicholas Theuerkauf, Managing Partner of SilverTree Equity added: 

 

“Within the attractive marketing automation space, we believe that SALESmanago is exceptionally well positioned to continue to gain market share. SALESmanago’s feature-rich, omnichannel marketing automation and customer data capabilities help attract, retain, and grow customer relationships and their platform delivers superior customer outcomes and ROI. We look forward to our partnership with Perwyn and supporting Greg and SALESmanago’s strong management team to drive the next phase of the company’s growth.” 

 

As part of the transaction, SALESmanago is pleased to announce that several seasoned technology executives have been appointed to support SALESmanago’s growth journey: 

 

Tim Weller (Chairman of Trustpilot), Rafal Brzoska (founder and CEO of Inpost), and Jean-Philippe Baert (experienced MarTech executive) will join the SalesMango Board of Directors 
Ivo Totev (CMO of Suse and former CMO of Unit4), Adam Hale (former CEO of Fairsail and Head of Software Europe at Russel Reynolds), and Matt Harris (former KPMG partner) will join as Operating Partners 

 

Olle Davidsson, representing Perwyn on the SALESmanago Board together with Ravi Sharma, said: 

 

“We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Greg Blazewicz and the wider management team and are impressed by the success they have achieved to date. SALESmanago has an outstanding product at its core.  It has proven that it can successfully grow internationally and has repeatedly outperformed well established incumbents in competitive tenders and on key operational and financial metrics.  With Perwyn and SilverTree’s funding support, coupled with the appointment of new high profile Non-Executive Directors and Operating Partners, we believe that the business has all the necessary ingredients to successfully address the sizeable market opportunity.”

 

Andrew Wynn, Founder and Managing Partner at Perwyn, added: 

 

“Over the last few years, we have made several investments in software and technology enabled services businesses, including in MarTech. With this background the SALESmanago opportunity resonated particularly well with us and we are excited to partner with Greg and SilverTree.  Perwyn has traditionally looked at Western Europe headquartered companies and we are delighted to have now increased our scope with this investment in Poland, a country with a fast growing digital economy and a vibrant technology sector.”  

 

SilverTree and Perwyn were advised by EY, Eversheds Sutherland, Crosslake Technologies, and Bain & Company.  SALESmanago was advised by GP Bullhound.

 

About SALESmanago

 

Headquartered in Krakow and founded in 2012, SALESmanago is a leading SaaS marketing automation and Customer Data Platform company. Its solution harnesses the full power of first- and zero-party data, combining advanced analytics and AI automation to deliver highly configurable personalized experiences, across a comprehensive range of natively built and integrated marketing execution channels. 

 

SALESmanago’s customers are a mix of large blue chip and mid-size organisations located across Europe, the Americas and Asia and spanning all industry verticals. Customers include Starbucks, Burger King, Pizza Hut, BMW, Toyota, Harley Davidson, Victoria’s Secret, Crocs and T-Mobile. 

 

For more information, please visit www.salesmanago.com or contact:

 

Greg Blazewicz

Greg.Blazewicz@salesmanago.com 

 

About SilverTree Equity

 

SilverTree Equity is a sector specialist private equity firm. SilverTree invests exclusively in software, technology, and technology-enabled businesses. The firm is differentiated by its focus on value creation, sector specialism, and a deep network of operational resources and industry relationships. The SilverTree team has successfully completed or been involved in over 75 transactions. 

 

For more information, please visit www.silvertree-equity.com or contact:

 

Nicholas Theuerkauf

nicholas@silvertree-equity.com

 

About Perwyn

 

Founded in 2013, Perwyn is a family backed, international private equity and growth capital investor.  Perwyn works closely with investee companies applying strategic and operational expertise in addition to providing capital.  Perwyn is free from the usual private equity funding cycles, focusing above all on our investments rather than fund raising.  We approach investment with an evergreen model and believe in genuine partnership with management teams, seeking to facilitate long term growth and development.

 

There are two main focuses of our business.  Perwyn Private Equity is an active lead investor, seeking buyout opportunities in established, growing, cash generative market leaders headquartered in the UK or Europe where it can make a material impact on growth and profitability. We invest in businesses with an EV of £/€50-300m, seeking partnership investment support for growth initiatives or transition.

 

Perwyn Growth Capital invests in growing businesses across the same markets, with a passion for backing entrepreneurs and founders on their winning strategy. We seek primarily growth equity investments of £/€5m-100m.

 

For more information, please visit perwyn.com or contact:

 

Belvedere Communications 

 

John West

+44 20 3687 2753

jwest@belvederepr.com 

 

Llew Angus

+44 20 3687 2754

langus@belvederepr.com 

 

As a marketer, you’re not only focused on generating leads for your inbound funnel, but you’re also a content writer. Whether it’s for your paid ads, blog posts, or to fuel your email marketing, you know that content is essential for almost every aspect of what you do. And if you want y9our content to…
The post 10 Best Content Writing and Editing Tools to Help You Become a Better Writer appeared first on Benchmark Email.

With a purchasing power of more than $143 billion, Gen Z is expected to shake up the retail industry.
Although many in Gen Z are earning their first paychecks, entering college, or just joining the workforce, studies show that the generation shops and spends money much differently than its millennial predecessor.

While millennials and past generations were more loyal to brands, Gen Z is more interested in buying products that will give them the best value based on their price. Gen Zers also admits to being more impulsive in their shopping habits than older generations.
A Breakdown of Generation Z’s Spending Habits
When it comes to the total share of spending, Gen Z accounts for an estimated five percent in the U.S., according to Afterpay’s 2021 Next Gen Index. However, that number is expected to grow 10% by 2030, as most will be entering the workforce.
With every age group, generation Z’s spending habits declined at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the Afterpay report reveals that Gen Z recovered faster than older generations.
So what are they doing right now? Well, they’re shopping more online.
A 2021 Consumer Culture Report by 5WPR found that Gen Z is now spending 43 minutes more per on online shopping than they did before the COVID-19 outbreak.
They (77%) say online shopping allows them to discover products from new or small companies they wouldn’t find in person. Only 38% say they prefer in-store shopping.
The number one place Gen Z lives online is YouTube. It’s where they spend their time but also where nearly half (47%) research products they’re interested in purchasing, according to the report. Instagram comes next, followed by Snapchat, then TikTok.
The report also suggests that Gen Z is the most passionate when it comes to buying products from brands that align with their values. The study found that 45% of Gen Z have boycotted a business and 36% enjoy buying products that display their social and political beliefs.
Another thing we can expect from Gen Z is their reliance on influencers to recommend products.
A 2021 Survey Monkey report found that this generation trusts influencers the most, with 11% using them as their trusted source for product recommendations – compared to 7% in millennials and 3% and lower in 40+ consumers.
To help brands market to Gen Z when they reach full purchasing power, here’s what we expect them to invest in over the next year.
5 Things Gen Z Will Spend Money On

According to a 2021 Consumer Culture Report by 5WPR, Gen Z is prioritizing electronics and technology along with health and wellness.
Conversely, Millennials and those from older generations prioritize travel and experiences, home goods, and furniture.
Based on additional research, we also found that Gen Z also pays special attention to small businesses. They are also willing to wait for a good discount before making a purchase and take advantage of buy-now-pay-later purchasing options.
Let’s dive into each category below.
1. Electronics and Technology
Gen Z will occasionally splurge on technological experiences that help them have fun, such as video games. In fact, a 2019 study found that two-thirds of Gen Z men say gaming is a “core component” of who they are.
While you might worry that Gen Z isn’t worth marketing to because they won’t splurge on your products, this age group certainly can be persuaded to make larger purchases that offer fun experiences or improve their daily lives.
But, even though they will invest in higher-priced products, Gen Z will still need thorough convincing before pulling out their wallets. It’s incredibly important for brands targeting Gen Z to create content that demonstrates why the age group needs their product, how the product could solve daily boredom or woes, and why it’s better than a competitor’s.
For example, although some consumers might consider Fitbit fitness trackers frivolous, this brand does a great job of explaining why its product can be a necessary tool to use within a fitness routine.
On social media, Fitbit gives facts about why walking and cardio – two activities the bracelet can track – are important to health. And, in a November blog post, Fitbit more deeply connected its product to health needs by discussing how its reporting software could help people communicate better with their doctors.
While Fitbit doesn’t claim its product is necessary for health, the brand shows audiences how the product can be used to help them track their fitness needs and progress.
When a pessimistic or budget-conscious Gen-Z member researches Fitbit, they might find its content informative and helpful. From there, if they’re interested in a healthier lifestyle, they might realize that Fitbit is a credible brand that could help them with their fitness needs.
2. Discounted Goods
Eighty percent of Gen Z surveyed in 5WPR’s report say they will wait for an item to go on sale before buying it.
Why is Gen Z so conscientious about their spending habits? Mounting research suggests that the age groups’ thoughts on money link directly to the economic era they were raised in.
While millennials grew up in more stable financial times, most of Gen Z’s earliest memories took place during the U.S. recession. Much of this generation grew up in highly budgeted households or saw how their families were impacted by economic troubles.
Meanwhile, a large percentage of millennials, as well as those in other age groups, are able to recollect times where their economy was booming.
Organizations including the Pew Research Center say these eras have psychologically molded how each generation thinks differently about money. While researchers believe both millennials and Gen Z are money conscious, with goals of avoiding financial instability, millennials are considered to be “more optimistic” future finances.
As Gen Z ages, studies and purchasing behaviors hint that they haven’t been able to shake their concerns of financial instability. Much research shows that to get Gen Z to invest in a product or service, the offering needs to be so valuable to them that they can justify purchasing it.
A recent Business Insider report revealed that Gen Z isn’t easily persuaded by a logo when it comes to clothing. In fact, unlike other generations, brand loyalty is one of the last things they think about when making a purchasing decision. What the generation does focus on is price and value.
In the report, a 20-year-old named Amanda Chermin explained, “I can’t afford nicer brands of clothes – I like to save and would rather have money in the bank than be broke.”
Instead of splurging on the hottest brand from New York Fashion Week, the age group is more likely to purchase cheaper clothing that’s either not from a name brand, on clearance, or re-sold.
Or they’ll buy now and pay later (BNPL).
Millennials are the leaders of the BNPL model but Gen Z is growing the fastest, accounting for 14% of users on Afterpay in the U.S.
80% of Gen Zers who use the software spend it on fashion. However, wellness, beauty, and recreation are other top categories.
Although they aren’t loyal to the same stores and brands millennials zoned in on, Gen Z still feels pressure to buy and wear clothing that’s considered good quality or fashionable. Aside from purchasing affordable clothing, the need to look their best has also led to many in Gen Z to invest in clothing rental services or try-before-you-buy shopping experiences.
Although Gen Z is expected to spend less money on clothing than other generations, researchers believe they still feel pressure to look good in front of their peers. These pressures, which might stem from social media, school, work, or social environments will still drive the age group to clothing stores or ecommerce sites. While retail marketers should expect shifts in spending behaviors from this generation, Gen Z will still buy clothing that looks good on them, is good quality, and has an affordable price.
The themes related to clothing purchases are important to keep in mind — even if you aren’t marketing clothing products. As we’ve established, Gen Zers are always looking for a good bargain and won’t use just a brand name to justify a purchase.
Regardless of how popular or well-known your brand is, you’ll still need to highlight why your products are better than cheaper versions from competitors.
Although your logo might not persuade Gen Z to buy your product, you can still use authentic brand trust and popularity to your advantage. Although Gen Z is budget-conscious, they also care about what their peers think of them. This means that they might still feel a need to splurge on a product, such as a clothing item if they know that people in their age group have it.
If you’re marketing to Gen Z, consider asking popular influencers or happy young adult customers to discuss your product on social media. An authentic product review will not only build a sense of brand trust, but it will also show Gen Z audiences that the product is popular and being used by people they follow.
From there, a Gen Z member might research or purchase a product simply because it’s more popular or has better reviews than a cheaper alternative.
3. Health and Wellness
In 2019, a survey found that Gen Z was more concerned with mental and physical health than older generations. Today, that still rings true.
Health and wellness is the second-highest category Gen Z spends on, according to 5WPR’s 2021 consumer report mentioned earlier.
In fact, this group seems to be leaders in the wellness movement building over the past few years, which promotes awareness surrounding mental health, ethical food sourcing, other related wellness issues.
For instance, WSL reported that Gen Zers are more likely to use natural remedies than traditional medications, seven points higher than Millennials. They’re also less likely to eat fast food.
The article also highlights how Gen Z also invests more (5% to be exact) in wellness than Millennials, a data point that’s reflected in 5WPR’s 2021 Consumer Culture Report.
4. Small Businesses
Since January 2020, small business spending has increased more than 260% for Gen Z on Afterpay, 80% higher than Millennials.
This conscious effort likely stems in part from the recent pandemic, as many small businesses struggled to survive.
In a June 2021 survey conducted by Sendinblue and CITE Research, 46% of Gen Z consumers said they purchased more from small businesses than pre-pandemic.
Most were driven by the ability to build a strong bond between consumers and contribute to the local economy.
Another interesting reveal is that consumers are more willing to share their data with small businesses, in exchange for discounts and deals. Another caveat is that brands must share how the information will be used.
This is great news for small businesses that are figuring out how to reach Gen Z consumers. It’s an invitation to be more transparent about your business and not be afraid to show what’s happening behind the scenes.
5. Education
Another key component of generation Z’s spending habits is education.
While millennials are one of the most highly educated age groups, Gen Z is on track to have the highest level of education.
In 2020, the Pew Research Center reported that college enrollment is more likely in Gen Zers than Millennials and Gen Xers at a comparable age. They’re also more likely to have a college-educated parent.
At this point, Gen Z’s already been shown to start saving for college at a much younger age than millennials.
As members of the generation enroll in college or begin to spend their own money, news outlets have predicted and reported bursts in school-related purchases fueled by Gen Z shoppers.
Aside from purchasing supplies, Gen Z is also likely to invest in courses or educational programs that will advance their future earnings.
From 2019 to 2020, Gen Z learners watched 50% more hours of educational content on LinkedIn. They also spend 12% more time honing hard skills on LinkedIn Learning than the average learner on the platform.
Ultimately, many researchers believe that Gen Z’s interest in academia is rooted in their need for financial stability. Many in the age group believe that a good education will lead to a great job with high pay.
As a marketer, it’s important to keep Gen Z’s budgeting and educational goals in mind. This generation wants to learn new things, is saving for college, and prioritizes investments that better their future. You’ll need to convince them that your product is worth buying – even when they’re putting most of their money into a college fund.
As you create your product promotions or campaigns, consider how your product could help or benefit the experiences of someone planning for college, college students, or young professionals.
If your product isn’t specifically geared toward education, your campaigns could zone in on how it could improve a college or work-life experience.
For example, if you’re marketing furniture, you could create a promotion that highlights products that would fit in an apartment or dorm room. Or, if you market a clothing company, you could highlight clothing items that could be worn in a job interview in a blog post on your website.
Aside from creating content that directly links your product to career interests or academics, you can also lean into Gen Z’s need to learn new things by developing educational content that teaches audiences about your industry.
After viewing your educational content, audiences might want to learn more about your product and develop a stronger sense of trust for your brand. Later, if they’re interested in buying a product related to your brand’s industry, they might consider your brand first.
If you want to leverage educational content, keep the age range of your audience in mind. While younger members of Gen Z might be primarily interested in B2C brand content due to their college or high-school age, Gen Zers entering internships or the workforce might value educational B2B content that can show them how to get ahead in their industry.
How to Market Based on Gen Z’s Spending Habits
Based on research noted above, Gen Z is less likely to splurge on frivolous products or brand names. As a marketer, hearing about these mounting studies might make you nervous.
But, in the long run, the consumer trend of putting value first shouldn’t scare or shock you. In fact, it should motivate you to ask, “How can I provide better value to my customers?”
Although Gen Z might seem more budget-conscious, this doesn’t mean they won’t buy anything from you at all. In fact, many of your most frugal prospects will still buy, invest in, or splurge on your brand’s offerings if they seem valuable, help them solve pain points, or provide a positive, memorable experience.
Ultimately, bettering your brand, focusing on the customer experience, and promoting positive company reviews will go a long way with Gen Z and all other audiences.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

2021 was a big year with advertisers, as they managed the remnants of the COVID-19 crisis and pandemic along with growing data privacy concerns.

So, how exactly did advertisers fare in terms of strategy, challenges, and ad spend? To help you prepare for your 2022 strategy, we’ve gathered 27 stats.
You’ll learn which strategies advertisers are leveraging today, which ones they plan to invest in, and the challenges they faced and may face in 2022.
Current Ad Strategies

84% of marketers’ companies run marketing campaigns and for 42% of respondents, advertising products is one of their main goals. (HubSpot Blog Research)
This year, print advertising was a low priority for marketers, with only 19% of marketers leveraging it. It was also one of the least effective channels for advertisers. (HubSpot Blog Research)

Paid social is a top paid channel for marketers. (HubSpot Blog Research)
In terms of account-based marketing (ABM), paid ads were one of the top three tactics marketers used, behind creating custom content and identifying target contacts/roles. (HubSpot Blog Research)
In 2022, 21% of marketers plan to leverage paid social for the first time. (HubSpot Blog Research)
In 2022, around 66% of advertisers plan to respond to data depreciation by 1) learning how to leverage their data in privacy-forward ways, 2) demanding more data transparency from partners, and exploring the adoption and experimentation of artificial intelligence. (Forrester)
Advertisers plan to leverage AI for privacy-safe targeting, identifying conversion-ready audiences, and dynamic creative optimization (DCO). (Forrester)
Around 18% of advertisers plan to divest from print advertising and direct mail (HubSpot Blog Research)
Some advertisers will also divest from physical ads, such as signage and billboards. (HubSpot Blog Research)

Pro-tip: For your ABM needs, consider Terminus (formerly Sigstr). The platform allows you to create and target custom account segments, keep your team in the loop through connected data and insights, and measure your success in a user-friendly dashboard.
Advertising Challenges
In the past two years, data privacy has become a top concern for both consumers and marketers. In 2020, we faced the death of the third-party cookie, with Chrome blocking this type of data tracking. In September 2021, Apple announced that the IOS 15 update will affect marketers’ ability to track user behavior.
All of this has translated into challenges in paid media and many of them listed below relate to data privacy:

65% of advertisers are confident in their creative assets while only 26% are confident in their targeting abilities and only 10% in media. (Forrester)
87% of advertisers believe traditional targeting and tracking methods are at risk today due to data privacy concerns and policies. (Forrester)
64% of advertisers fear a loss of consumer trust in their ads, which can translate into a decrease in brand loyalty. (Forrester)
Most advertisers (91%) believe consumers expect more personalized and engaging ads. However, 87% of advertisers say stricter data privacy implementations have made it harder to scale personalized ad experiences. (Forrester)
85% of advertisers say they have a ton of data but struggle to find privacy-friendly ways to use it. (Forrester)
In 2021, U.S. advertisers spent $153.2 billion on internet ads, $81 billion more than on TV ads. (Statista)
Paid media is the number one place advertisers plan to allocate their marketing budget in the next year. (Not Another State of Marketing Report)
Total ad spending declined year-over-year by 1.2%, driven by a dip in traditional ad spending. (eMarketer)
B2B digital advertising is expected to reach $12.6 billion in 2022. (Statista)

Ad Spend and Budgeting

In 2021, U.S. advertisers spent $153.2 billion on internet ads, $81 billion more than on TV ads. (Statista)
Paid media is the number one place advertisers plan to allocate their marketing budget in the next year. (Not Another State of Marketing Report)
Total ad spending declined year-over-year by 1.2%, driven by a 15.7% contraction in traditional ad spending. (eMarketer)
B2B digital advertising is expected to reach $12.6 billion in 2022. (Statista)

Looking Forward
With data privacy becoming a big part of the conversation surrounding paid media, recent data suggests that the big focus moving forward is finding privacy-friendly ways to target users and track performance.

In 2022, around 66% of advertisers plan to respond to data depreciation by 1) learning how to leverage their data in privacy-forward ways, 2) demanding more data transparency from partners, and exploring the adoption and experimentation of artificial intelligence. (Forrester)
Advertisers plan to leverage AI for privacy-safe targeting, identifying conversion-ready audiences, and dynamic creative optimization (DCO). (Forrester)
Around 18% of advertisers plan to divest from print advertising and direct mail (HubSpot Blog Research)
Some advertisers will also divest from physical ads, such as signage and billboards. (HubSpot Blog Research)
In 2022, 21% of marketers plan to leverage paid social for the first time. (HubSpot Blog Research)

As you think about AI and its impact on your advertising strategy, consider the ad platform AdRoll. It uses AI to personalize product recommendations on various channels, including the web and email. AdRoll also supports other tools so you can connect your ad ecosystem simply and easily.

TikTok.
Clubhouse.
Twitch.
These are just some of the many new social media apps we’ve seen grow in popularity over the past year — and that’s along with all the ‘oldies but goodies’ like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
The expanding list of popular social media platforms undoubtedly makes a social media marketer’s job harder: Which platforms will provide the highest ROI? Where’s your audience hanging out? And which ones aren’t worth the effort?
As the social landscape changes, HubSpot’s Blog team surveyed over 500 marketers to determine the biggest challenges social media marketers will face in 2022 — and how to prepare.
Let’s dive in.

5 Social Media Challenges Brands are Facing in 2022
1. Determining on which platform(s) you should market your brand.
In 2022, 26% of marketers say their biggest challenge will be determining which platform(s) they should invest time and resources.
This makes sense: The most popular social platforms aren’t always the best fit for your brand or business goals, so it can be difficult to determine which apps you should include in your marketing strategy.
To choose the right platforms for your brand, HubSpot’s Senior Manager of Social Media Kelly Hendrickson told me, “It all comes down to your audience. Who is your audience, and where do they spend their time on social media?”
She adds, “[Most] platforms share broad audience demographics data, so even without a study, you may be able to figure out where your low hanging fruit is. If it’s a bit harder to test out a few hashtags related to your business on various platforms to see where your audience is already participating.”
Alternatively, it’s helpful to consider which types of content your audience prefers. For instance, if you’ve conducted market research and found your buyer persona enjoys video content, then you’ve narrowed down your platform(s) to video hosting apps like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Stories — to name a few.
Finally, keep in mind your social media goals when choosing your platform. For instance, if your primary goal is to increase sales, then perhaps you want to test out targeted, personalized Facebook ads. If, alternatively, you’re hoping to expand your brand awareness, you might test out some newer platforms like TikTok or Clubhouse.
Additionally, in regards to TikTok, Instagram Reels, or Snapchat, Hendrickson told me, “The data shows that generally each of these channels skews towards a younger audience base. While that may seem less opportunistic if your audience is older, just remember, your audience of tomorrow may be on these platforms.”

2. Creating engaging content.
As a content creator, I can tell you firsthand: Creating content is hard.
And, apparently, most marketers agree. In fact, 24% of marketers say creating engaging content will be their biggest challenge in 2022.
Creating high-quality social media content is time-consuming, so consider how you might get the most bang for your buck by repurposing content across channels. For instance, if you take the time to create a 10-minute YouTube video on a topic, cut short snippets from the video to repurpose on short-form channels like Instagram Stories, Snapchat, or TikTok.
You can also create a social media post with some of the information you researched for the video.
Additionally, Rachael Samuels, the Senior Manager of Social Media at Sprout Social, believes dedicating time, resources, and headcount towards social media is vital for long-term success.
As she puts it, “The social landscape is becoming increasingly saturated with new networks and seemingly endless potential audiences to engage. Social teams of one are no longer enough to keep up with the demand.”
Samuels adds, “As consumer preferences and expectations continue to grow in the year ahead, social marketers require greater investment in their teams and resources to be successful. To get ahead of this challenge, brands must ensure social is prioritized as a critical communication tool and provide their teams with the resources needed to produce creative, relevant, and authentic content.”

Additionally, to truly see ROI from your social efforts, you’ll want to take the time to integrate it into every stage of the customer journey. Perhaps you can use certain platforms for support for existing customers, whereas you use others to reach new audiences.
Samuels says, “Having an integrated marketing plan that addresses social media at each touchpoint of the customer journey is critical for overall business success. When brands fail to invest in social and their respective teams, they run the risk of losing customers and perpetuating burnout.”
3. Finding ideas for new content.
23% of the marketers report that finding ideas for new content is their biggest challenge heading into 2022.
It can be tricky to consistently pitch new ideas for social platforms — particularly when social platforms feel overcrowded with content already.
While this isn’t an exhaustive list, here are a few social media content suggestions when brainstorming ideas for your 2022 calendar:

Post your new blog on your Instagram Stories.
Conduct a poll on Instagram.
Share user-generated content on Twitter.
Create and share website content on Facebook.
On LinkedIn, post articles/stats about your industry.
Highlight milestones of your company on LinkedIn.
Create graphics for Instagram and Facebook.
Show the faces behind the company on Snapchat or Instagram.

To combat this challenge, you also might consider using user-generated content to spruce up your pages. Alternatively, take the time to research what types of content are trending on which platform(s).
Christina Garnett, HubSpot’s Senior Marketing Manager, Offline Community & Advocacy, suggests researching what already exists when looking for new ideas. She told me, “In his book, The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea at the Right Time, Allen Gannett writes that ‘to create something novel you must know what already exists.’”

Garnett says, “When trying to find the new you must consume and see what kind of content is already available and then look for gap opportunities. Are there questions not being answered? Different perspectives not being shared? Maybe the content exists but not in a format that is tailored for a specific learner or audience.”

Garnett adds, “Once you determine what you can create, you need to determine who needs it, and how it can best be packaged to improve their experience. Content has the same need to find product-market fit as products and solutions do. In the pursuit of the novel, you not only need to determine what doesn’t exist, but why it doesn’t. Creating for the sake of creation isn’t enough when it needs an audience.”
While this research can be time-consuming, it can enable you to position your brand as a thought leader in your industry and will undoubtedly lead to new content ideas.
4. Measuring ROI.
In some instances, measuring ROI can be relatively easy — particularly when it comes to monetary value, such as how many sales you received from a specific Facebook ad.
But when your social media goals involve more abstract concepts, such as “increase brand awareness”, it can be difficult to quantify and measure your campaign’s success.
22% of those surveyed agree that measuring ROI is their biggest challenge as they enter 2022.
Fortunately, measuring ROI across social platforms can be done, but it’s not straightforward. Take a look at HubSpot’s free lesson, How to Measure Social Media ROI, to learn more about how to track social media ROI when it comes to building brand loyalty, retaining customers, protecting your reputation, and more.

5. Creating content that generates leads.
Finally, 22% of those surveyed report creating content that generates leads to be their biggest challenge as we enter the new year.
To create a strong social media lead generation strategy, consider driving your audience from certain social platforms back to dedicated landing pages, or track clicks on specific CTAs for each campaign.
For instance, if you’re running a campaign aimed at driving revenue towards a new product offering, you’ll want to create a product landing page that you link to on each of your social profiles. Then you can track how many clicks come from each page, and alter your strategy accordingly. (If you see most clicks coming from Facebook, perhaps you put paid advertising behind your Facebook strategy.)
Alternatively, if you’re hoping to drive sign-ups for an email newsletter, you’ll want to create a CTA for social pages that drives your social audience to sign-up for your newsletter.
Social media advertising is another powerful way to generate leads through social media.
However, it’s important to keep in mind — to create truly unique social media ads, you’ll want to ensure those ads seem spontaneous and casual.
As Talkwalker’s CMO Elena Melnikova puts it, “The challenge will be brands, used to producing highly-polished commercials, creating ads that come across as spontaneous.”

“Too commercial, and this young audience will scroll past your brand, looking for the next dance routine. Read the room. Follow the trends. Be spontaneous.”

Melnikova adds, “Savvy brands will work with influencers to create content. And with the majority of TikTok influencers being Gen Z, they’ll understand how to ensure their content stands out, and increase a brand’s engagement figures.”
And there you have it! The biggest five challenges facing social media teams in 2022.
Now that you know which challenges you might be up against, take the time to brainstorm unique solutions that will help you level up your social media strategy into 2022 and beyond. 

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There are two types of employees – “exempt” and “non-exempt.” You might’ve seen these terms on job postings, or heard them in conversation.
If you aren’t sure what they mean, don’t worry. Trying to understand labor laws can be confusing, especially if you’re new to the workforce. — We’ve broken these terms down to help you navigate the exempt vs. non-exempt employee classification.

How the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Affects Exemption Status
Signed into law in 1938 by President Franklin Roosevelt, the Fair Labor Standards Act establishes minimum wage, overtime pay eligibility, and recordkeeping standards in addition to youth employment guidelines for both the private and public sector. During the time the act was signed, child labor was the norm and adults often worked 10 or more hours per day, six to seven days per week.
While the conditions that brought about the FLSA may seem like the dark ages, the law is still relevant today and plays a major role in how the modern workforce is regulated. It establishes the guidelines for how work hours are documented and how exempt and non-exempt employees should be paid. Generally the FLSA provides an exemption from minimum wage and overtime regulations for employees in the following fields:

Executive
Administrative
Professional
Outside sales
Computer-related occupations

That said, job titles alone do not determine exempt status. Instead the employee’s specific job duties and salary have to meet requirements set by the Department of Labor. Certain states, like California, impose additional requirements to qualify for exempt status.
Exempt Employees
One of the biggest differences between exempt and non-exempt employees is overtime pay. An exempt employee is not entitled to overtime pay according to the FLSA.
Instead, exempt employees are given a salary, and they are expected to finish the tasks required of them, whether it takes 30 hours or 50. Exempt employees are also excluded from other FLSA protections afforded non-exempt employees.
To be exempt, an employee must earn a salary basis no less than $684 per week, or $35,568 annually.
Non-Exempt Employees
On the flip side, non-exempt employees must be paid overtime — one-and-a-half times their hourly rate, for any hours worked beyond 40 each week. As the name implies, they are not exempt from FLSA regulations.
Most non-exempt employees must be paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25, but some states with a higher cost of living have set minimum wages above the federal base. Non-exempt employees can be paid a salary, an hourly wage, or commission.
Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Employee Examples in the Workplace
Let’s consider this example to demonstrate the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees:
Sarah, who is an exempt employee, is stressed because she hasn’t finished her proposal due Monday. She spends most of Friday night tweaking it and finishing it up, staying at the office until late. On Monday, she gets her paycheck — the same amount of money she would’ve gotten if she hadn’t stayed late.
Meanwhile, John, who is a non-exempt employee, chooses to take extra shifts and work overtime on Fridays. He doesn’t have to — he could leave at 5 p.m. if he wanted to, but on Monday when he receives his paycheck, he knows he’ll receive extra money from the overtime hours worked.
Which classification is right for you?
Working as an exempt or non-exempt employee will each have their own set of pros and cons. Which classification works best for you will depend on your personal needs and preferences. 
This article was originally published Oct 19, 2018 but has been updated for comprehensiveness.