TAKUMI TRENDS LETTER #25 📈
Welcome to the TAKUMI insights subscription 📊.
If you’re looking for the inside scoop on influencer marketing 📱, social media updates ⚙️, creator culture 🤳, and Gen Z insights 📈, then look no further. TAKUMI’s insights team is curating the most impactful industry news and weekly developments right here 👇.
Cyber Monday spending was reportedly down due to early shopping | 30th Nov 2021
“From November 1st to the 29th, Adobe reports that shoppers have spent a total of $109.8 billion, an 11.9 percent increase from last year. So far, there have been 22 days where shoppers have spent over $3 billion, while it tracked only nine around this time in 2020.”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: Spending on Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year saw an end to the growth trend that had been mounting over the past few years 📉. According to Adobe Reports, the decrease in spending on the two days of flash sales can be attributed to a rise in early shopping, possibly in anticipation of supply-chain issues which have caused growing concern for Christmas. Brands extended their discount periods and started their promotions earlier, with less consumers waiting for the Black Friday weekend to shop the sales 🛍. Despite the dip in sales day spending, there was an overall increase for the month of November, pointing to the effectiveness of extended promotion windows and of starting brand campaigns early to motivate consumers.
Further, according to eMarketer, 'Smartphones accounted for 44.4% of Black Friday’s digital transactions, a 10.6% increase from Black Friday 2020', highlighting the continued boom of eCommerce tools across social media, and the unwavering popularity and convenience of shopping on smartphones.
Micro-influencers present macro opportunities | 29th Nov 2021
“As influencer marketing moves further down the purchase funnel, brands will have to add more nano- and micro-influencers to their rosters to meet demand and their sales goals. Why? There are only so many Kardashian-Jenners out there—and only so many brands that can afford them.”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: Our 2020 Whitepaper research found that 38% of 16-24 and 25-34 year olds trust an influencer on YouTube more than a high-profile figure or celebrity. Mega and macro influencers, although they have large followings, charge huge amounts for partnership posts and often have less loyal and engaged followings than their micro and nano peers 📊.
Social platforms have been nurturing creator talent in recent years, introducing competitive incentive programmes to help creators monetise their content 💸. TikTok's Spark Ads, which allows brands to sponsor creators' organic content, along with its Creative Exchange which connects brands with creator talent, also help marketers incorporate influencers into their strategies. But even these programmes are not always the most effective spend of marketing budget, and creators can't merely rely on them for consistent work and income either. Agencies like TAKUMI take the most streamlined, data-driven approach to influencer marketing, which allows brands to leverage the full spectrum of creator talent across multiple channels 🌍.
YouTube Is Testing a New 'Search Insights' Tool to Help Guide Your Content Efforts | 27th Nov 2021
‘‘Each element could be highly valuable for your content planning. Called ‘Search Insights’, the new feature, currently in testing, will eventually be available in your Analytics/Research tab, and will come with two separate tabs for query research.”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: The new Search Insights tool could transform the way that marketers and creators approach their content strategy on YouTube ✨. The Content Gap tool in particular will help to identify user demand that is currently not being met by the content on the app, helping marketers and creators to manage their strategies more effectively by producing videos that people want to see ▶️. We know that backing up creative output with insights and data is key for effectively identifying and reaching the right audiences, and improved capabilities on YouTube for capturing these insights will certainly help 📊.
LinkedIn Adds New Tools to 'Creator Mode', Including LinkedIn Live Access and Newsletters | 30th Nov 2021
‘‘Like all social platforms, LinkedIn is looking to build more tools to highlight top creators, and make them more aligned to the app, in order to keep them posting more often - and subsequently keep their audiences coming back for their thoughts and insights.”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: LinkedIn is continuing to nurture thought leadership on the platform, encouraging creators to share their insights and areas of expertise with users in increasingly creative ways 💡. Access to Newsletters and Linkedin Live will help creators to broaden their presence on the platform and increase engagement with their growing communities 🌍. Linkedin is continuing to evolve; it remains a marketplace of knowledge and professional connection, but with a greater emphasis on visuals and entertainment, all aligned and spearheaded by creators 🙌.
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