Five influencer trends that impacted social media content in H1
When ‘doomscrolling’ your TikTok feed in recent months you will have likely landed on a bunch of creator videos featuring symmetrical shots, bright colours and quirky characters…yep, you had found The Wes Anderson trend!
These influencers are all around us, and at Eat the Fox, we see the value in clients having their finger on the pulse - not only to steer platform and content strategies but also to inform wider comms and marketing plans.
With experts predicting 840 million worldwide TikTok users in 2023, and more than 50 million people now considering themselves to be ‘influencers’, let’s get a grip of the top influencer trends we’ve seen impact social content in the first half of the year. You’ll be in the know in less than three minutes…
Trend 1: ‘Deinfluencing’ has changed influencer marketing norms
‘Deinfluencing’ has shaken up both how influencers feature brand content and how consumers perceive it, with an explosion of content creators calling out overhyped and/or overpriced items. And while we are all craving more authenticity and transparency, particularly from the social media sphere which often feels unrealistic, this new trend of deinfluencing might just have been what we were looking for.
For many, the term ‘deinfluencing’ sparked much debate about the end of the influencer or content creator. But instead, it’s a reflection of the shift in consumer buying and spending habits, as overconsumption continues to threaten the future of our planet. Influencers are here to stay, but their content is set to become more authentic, transparent and honest in a bid to retain trust and loyalty from followers.
Trend 2: The ‘photodump’ is a call for authenticity
We loved the ‘photodump’ trend, commonly seen on Instagram with A-list celebrities such as Gigi Hadid and Kim Kardashian jumping on it.
Users were ‘dumping’ a set of photos with no rules, whether it be from their favourite event, moments from the past month or just what is happening in their life. Again, we’re seeing a shift towards authenticity as we move from perfectly created pics to content that purely makes us happy. The trend is great for brands who are working with creators, as they won’t be confined to one post as well as it nurtures loyalty, through creating relatable content.
Trend 3: The power of simple aesthetic
It’s what we mentioned earlier: American filmmaker Wes Anderson, famously known for films such as The Grand Budapest Hotel and his eccentric visuals. It’s sure to say that Anderson’s distinctive film-making style of aesthetically pleasing colour pallets and symmetrical framing made a monumental impact on TikTok, with users jumping on the trend to create short clips depicting themselves as ‘the main character’.
Whether it be documenting a bus ride, a recent trip overseas or just your average morning walk, these clips are light-hearted and celebrate how we can all enjoy the simple things in life, which is refreshing. The power of the ‘ordinary’ is a factor that can greatly benefit brands, who are looking to connect with possibly a new target audience. Amplifying the brand or service your trying to sell through a simple lens, can be attractive and even hook viewers to want and ask more.
Trend 4: It is time to Be Real
Continuing the theme of authenticity, we’ve seen a rising trend for creators championing little to no filters. Particularly on TikTok, filters have been called out for setting unrealistic and unattainable expectations of skin texture, face shape and eye and hair colour and now creators are pulling back.
Not only are influencers promoting using less filters, but also drawing attention to the stark contrast of before and afters, or filter vs reality. The consumer trend has also paved the way for the introductory boom of the app Be Real, which encourages users to post unfiltered images once a day. Authenticity is key for consumer brand relationships, in order to drive credibility and loyalty, so it is time for brands to ‘Be Real’!
Trend 5: Build a unique identity for your brand
To an extent, ‘vlogging’ has been around since the early noughties, existing mainly on YouTube, Facebook and older platforms such as MySpace. While this isn’t a new trend, we have seen an uplift in creators, who typically exist on TikTok and Instagram, adding vlogging to their portfolio to connect with audiences on a deeper and more human level. Previous content themes including ‘get ready with me’ and ‘what I eat in a day’ are back and it seems vlogs are here to stay. For brands wanting to work with creators, vlogging can be the perfect route to show the product/service in detail as well as build a distinctive brand identity.
