61 min read
| March 6, 2025
Imagine this: you come across an influencer’s Instagram post with a product that catches your eye. You want to learn more about it, but you can’t find any information other than on the product page. Would you still be interested in buying it? On the contrary, imagine coming across the same product in a Reel or TikTok. You get to see the product in use while the influencer lists all the key benefits.
Now that makes for a much more compelling promo content than the first scenario.
Influencer marketing is more than just finding the right influencers to work with. It’s also about figuring out how they should deliver your message. More specifically, which content formats will be best to engage your audience?
The best influencer marketing content formats for your campaign depend on factors like platform and campaign goals, among others. Your industry also plays a key role since your audience may prefer specific content types based on the information they need. Think: informative long-form videos for industries in the B2B sector.
In this article, I'll explore the most effective content formats for influencer campaigns, keeping all these factors in mind. I’ll also show you how to tailor your strategies to maximize ROI. Let’s get started.
1. Short-Form Video
From Reels and TikToks to YouTube Shorts—short-form video is dominating the social media scene. These videos are bite-sized, only needing a few seconds of your time. So they’re super easy to consume and engage with, making them perfect for influencer marketing.
In fact, over 38% of experts in the 2025 Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report agree that it’s one of the most impactful influencer marketing content formats.
Source: The Influencer Marketing Hub Benchmark Report, 2025
Best Platforms and Strategies
Short-form video performs best on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. They’re perfect for sharing bite-sized information or entertaining content. Influencers can put together comedy sketches or share relatable experiences. This allows them to creatively position your brand or solution in a way that resonates with the audience.
Case Study
Swiffer, a cleaning tools company, used short-form video for an influencer campaign promoting the new Unstoppable scents for their PowerMop. They partnered with influential comedy creator Leenda Dong, who created a hilarious TikTok video to position the brand’s products. The video drove millions of views, generating over 471k likes and 22k saves.
2. Carousel Posts and Multi-Image Content
Multi-image content like carousel posts and slideshows are also a great way to keep audiences engaged. Since users have to slide or tap through these posts, they tend to stay for longer and engage with the content. So incorporating them into your influencer marketing strategy will help you drive plenty of engagement.
A Socialinsider study even found that carousels are the most engaging content format on Instagram, with an average engagement of 0.55%. Even on platforms like LinkedIn, multi-image posts drive the highest amount of likes and comments.
Best Platforms and Strategies
Carousel posts are ideal for Instagram influencer marketing campaigns. You could have influencers share photo dumps featuring your products. Or get them to post a series of photos from your influencer event. This helps to tell a coherent story with your brand at the center.
Similarly, you can make use of multi-image content in B2B influencer marketing campaigns on LinkedIn. Consider putting together an expert roundup featuring expert quotes and insights in a carousel post.
Source: LinkedIn
Case Study
Kayali, the perfume seller, regularly hosts influencer events to promote their latest fragrance launches. For their Yum Boujee Marshmallow | 81 event in L.A., they invited key social media personalities in the perfume and beauty industry.
The brand then uploaded an Instagram carousel post featuring snapshots and videos of the event. Some of the videos featured influencers posing with or trying the new fragrance. This carousel post generated over 11k likes and hundreds of comments from excited fans.
3. Long-Form Video
Although short-form video may be having its moment, longer videos can be just as impactful. This is especially true if you’re promoting products that consumers don’t necessarily buy on impulse. In this case, they’ll turn to longer explainer videos, demos, and reviews to research the product first.
A Wyzowl study even found that 98% of people have watched a video to learn more about a product.
Best Platforms and Strategies
YouTube is the leading platform for long-form video. And with the prominence of influential creators on the platform, it’s the perfect place for video influencer marketing. From detailed walk-throughs and explainers to first impressions and honest reviews, there are plenty of ways to use long-form videos in your influencer campaigns.
Case Study
Bambu Lab partnered with YouTuber Scott Yu-Jan to showcase their A1 mini 3D printer in action. The influencer created a 9-minute video showing the process of making a dock for iPhone standby mode using the printer. This highlighted the printer’s features and capabilities using a uniquely informative yet entertaining angle. The video ended up with 98k likes and over 3k comments.
4. Live Streams and Q&A Sessions
With the opportunity for real-time interactions, live streams are another effective influencer marketing content format. Unlike other content formats, live stream conversations aren’t edited or pre-recorded. This adds authenticity to the interaction, making audiences more likely to engage with the campaign.
In fact, the State of Influencer Marketing report cited earlier even notes that live streaming is the most impactful content strategy for influencer marketing. Over 52% of experts vouched for its effectiveness.
Best Platforms and Strategies
Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are the most effective platforms for hosting influencer live stream sessions. Statista even reports that these are the top three platforms where people buy products during a live streaming event. Twitch is another popular option, although the user base is a lot more niche compared to the big three.
You could host live Q&A sessions where influencers answer the most pressing questions from your community. Live demo sessions are also a great way to have influencers show your product in action.
Some platforms like Facebook and TikTok even support live shopping. Customers can instantly buy products featured in the live stream while influencers demonstrate how to use them.
Case Study
Walmart hosted a “Spring Shop-Along: Beauty Edition” event on TikTok with influencer Gabby Morrison. The event featured the creator revealing their favorite beauty picks from Walmart. The 60-minute session also featured the influencer demonstrating their beauty routine using the products they chose. After a similar shoppable live stream event prior to this, Walmart saw a 25% increase in TikTok followers.
5. User-Generated Content and Influencer Collaborations
Sometimes, everyday consumers can be influencers too. Some of them may have enough followers to be considered nano-influencers. And the content they create about your brand can be very effective for boosting brand trust and credibility.
Whether it’s a post reviewing your product or simply featuring it, user-generated content (UGC) serves as social proof. It shows your audience that people are vouching for your brand. This helps you win their trust and get them to buy your products. That’s why UGC ranks third among the top influencer marketing content formats.
Another option is to collaborate with influencers on content creation. This typically involves having influencers create content for your brand and sharing it on your socials. In this case, what you’ll have if influencer-generated content.
Best Platforms and Strategies
Instagram and TikTok are some of the most popular platforms to leverage UGC and influencer collaborations. You can get customers to tag their posts with a certain branded hashtag and feature some of the best pieces in your socials. Alternatively, you can organize a giveaway campaign where people can participate by submitting their content.
Brands may also work closely with influencers to create content for their brand socials. In some cases, they’ll get influencers to amplify the reach of their branded hashtag campaigns. This helps them drive more participation and collect more UGC in the process.
Case Study
ColourPop Cosmetics keeps their Instagram page filled with content from influential creators and small-time makeup artists. These creators put together unique makeup looks using the brand’s products, inspiring customers to unleash their creativity.
Matching the Right Content Format with Your Campaign Goals
One of the biggest factors to consider when choosing the right influencer marketing content format is what you wish to achieve from your campaign. Let’s figure out which content formats work best for common influencer marketing goals.
Brand Awareness
If your goal is to boost brand awareness, you want to reach as many people as possible through your campaign. So it helps to focus on content formats that see high levels of engagement and are likely to go viral.
Short-form videos and multi-image posts are great for this as influencers can leverage them to entertain their audience. And the more entertaining the content is, the more views it can generate.
Moreover, these content formats are likely to drive visibility since they see the highest engagement. This makes them ideal for achieving your brand awareness goals.
For instance, Garnier USA partnered with comedy creator Joe Mele to raise awareness about their new Hair Filler + Polypeptides range. The creator’s short video featured his father using the products in a comedic setting. It generated over 12k likes and hundreds of comments, allowing Garnier to effectively boost brand awareness.
Sales
When your biggest focus is on sales, you’ll want to use content formats that can help share important product information and influence buying decisions. Think of content that can show your product in action, demonstrate use cases, or prove its value. The goal is to ultimately inspire customers and give them the confidence to go through with their purchase.
Live stream content is great for this as influencers can show the product in action and answer questions in real time. This helps to clear up any uncertainties, so customers have the confidence to make real-time buying decisions. Plus, with live shopping features, the buying process becomes effortless as viewers can buy the products they see in a live stream while viewing the stream.
For products and services that need more research, long-form videos are also great for clearing up any doubts and enabling sales. Influencers can provide their viewers with detailed reviews, demos, and walk-throughs to ease customers into buying the products.
That’s exactly what ASUS did when they partnered with YouTube tech reviewer, Pete Matheson, to promote their new Zenbook A124. The YouTuber created a 16-minute video reviewing the laptop and positioning it as a close competitor to the Macbook Air. He included a link to buy the laptop in the video description so interested viewers can instantly make a purchase.
Shorter videos can also have a similar impact when promoting products and services with a shorter buying journey. A Reel or TikTok showcasing a certain product in action or highlighting its key benefits may be enough to convince customers to make impulse purchases. Bonus points if you include attractive offers and discounts to sweeten the deal.
Community Engagement
Some campaigns may focus on building an engaged community around the brand. This is where user-generated content makes the most sense, with influencers helping to kickstart the process.
Hashtag campaigns encouraging customers to share content featuring your brand can help you engage your community. Activate micro-influencers and nano-influencers to help spread the word within niche communities. Encourage these communities to share their unique stories and experiences involving your brand. Then leverage the user-generated content in your brand’s Stories or Feed posts to drive community engagement.
Pura Vida Bracelets keeps their Instagram Feed filled with high-quality content from influencers and everyday customers. This helps to nurture an engaged community around the Pura Vida brand.
Best Influencer Content Formats Based on Industry
The industry you’re in plays a key role in which influencer marketing content formats are suitable for you. Certain formats are better for sharing certain types of information. Let’s take a quick look at which content formats are ideal for the top influencer marketing sectors.
- Beauty and Fashion: These industries thrive on eye-catching visuals. Reels and carousels are ideal for sharing creative outfit inspos, makeup looks, and more. Live stream shopping sessions can also work just as well.
- Tech and Gadgets: These industries need detailed explainers and honest reviews to help customers make informed decisions. Long-form videos and live stream sessions are perfect for informing and educating the audience.
- Health and Wellness: These industries need to share interesting yet bite-sized information that will help customers make informed wellness choices. They also need to showcase results to garner trust. Reels, carousels, and user-generated content are all suitable for achieving these goals.
- Travel and Hospitality: These industries need to showcase experiences and aspirational lifestyles to inspire travel decisions. Engaging short videos and long-form vlogs are both extremely effective for this. User-generated content also serves as social proof to build trust.
- Finance and B2B: In sectors like finance and B2B, you need to break down complex topics in a way that makes sense to the target audience. Long-form video explainers, live webinars, and live Q&A sessions are the ideal format to achieve this.
A Look into the Future: Content Format Trends for 2025
As social platforms evolve along with changing user behavior, we’re likely to see changes in these content format trends over the months. These, in turn, will shape the content format trends for 2025 and beyond.
While video continues to reign supreme, brands and creators alike will need to adapt to new trends and algorithm changes. The Instagram algorithm, for instance, still favors Reels over image posts. However, the way it ranks Reels is different from the way it ranks in-feed posts. When it comes to the Instagram Reels algorithm, watch time and the use of trending audio and effects play a huge role in content visibility and engagement.
Meanwhile, other influencer marketing trends are also shaping the way brands and creators are navigating the landscape. For instance, many brands are turning to employee-generated content as an extension of their UGC strategy. Thanks to positioning employees as trusted brand advocates, a lot of brands are finding authentic and human ways to engage their communities.
The rise of voice search is also resulting in more conversational influencer content. Creators are making small tweaks, like titling their videos based on how people ask questions to align with the voice search algorithm.
The growing shift toward sustainability and social responsibility is also shaping the future of influencer marketing. This has led to the popularity of trends like “deinfluencing,” where influencers talk about what not to buy and share their authentic opinions about viral products.
With more and more consumers looking to make more conscious buying choices, influencers are adapting a more sustainable approach to content creation. The focus is no longer on pushing for sales but more on promoting mindful consumption through conscious buying choices.
Win with the Right Influencer Marketing Content Format
The most successful influencer marketing campaigns have several things in common. One of those is their strategic use of the right content formats. This largely depends on factors like your campaign goals and your industry.
While short videos and multi-image posts are highly engaging, they don’t necessarily work for all types of campaigns. For instance, longer videos and live Q&A sessions may be more effective in breaking down complex information into more understandable concepts. Use the tips and ideas shared above to figure out the best influencer marketing content format to use for your campaign.
