ASMR, also known as “autonomous sensory meridian response” has recently become a popular trend on social media. For those of you who are unfamiliar, ASMR has been around for almost nine years now.
In 2010, a Facebook group that sought to explore what would soon become an auditory phenomenon introduced the idea. Familiar to most of us, from the top of your head to the tip of your pinky toe, ASMR causes a tingling feeling. Also, ASMR causes euphoria, which provides marketers and influencers with a large window of opportunity to profit from their products.
Since then, it has grown to be widely popular (think millions of followers) on YouTube and Instagram. There is a whole subset of ASMR influencers. Likewise, significant brands are paying attention, promoting the sensory aspects of their products to appeal to a younger, techier (yet millennial) audience.
If you haven’t heard of ASMR yet or are interested in creating ASMR content for brands, it is time to join the club.
The ASMR Content Market-Size
People are continually coming up with new ways to reinterpret the ASMR craze, which is growing and changing. Even using ASMR content as a sleep aid has lately gained popularity, with podcasts and sound bites created to promote relaxation and eventual sleep.
- TikTok: Posts with the hashtag #OddlySatisfying have more than 81.2 billion views.
- Instagram: As of August, there were 3.6 million posts with #OddlySatisfying. Moreover, the #ASMR hashtag has 13.1 million posts and 401 billion views.
- YouTube: ASMR is one of the most frequently searched terms on YouTube. The company reports a 70% rise in the number of relaxing videos. In 2015, searches for ASMR on YouTube increased by almost 200% year over year and had kept on growing since. A popular ASMR video may get over 16 million views on its own.
ASMR Content For Brands (And Opportunity For Influencers)
Brands and influencers must remember that while not every physical product will make for the best topic for this kind of video, almost anyone may. The ideal strategy is to illustrate the product’s advantages by having someone create a calming sound or a nice image. ASMR influencers use everyday objects, particularly food products: crinkling wrappers, eating candy, and opening cans.
The beauty industry is the star player in the trend. Long popular on YouTube, makeup lessons now often double up as ASMR videos as viewers have learned how calming they are. Some ASMR influencers apply a roleplaying technique to simulate sitting in a makeup artist’s chair, while others utilize makeup brushes to provide calming sounds. If you Google “ASMR nails,” you’ll find many creators flaunting their manicures while tapping and scratching noises. With 8.6 million subscribers growing, even Michelle Phan, the beauty queen, has made an ASMR video.
Understanding Successful ASMR Influencer Campaigns
1. IKEA: Oddly IKEA Campaign
It’s one thing to watch YouTube videos to help you fall asleep, but what if there was a visual production that simultaneously lull you to sleep and make purchases for your home? That’s a brilliant marketing strategy that IKEA did with their ASMR video.
A purposefully soft-spoken narrator leads viewers through a college dorm room furnished with some of the brand’s newest back-to-school items in the 25-minute “Oddly IKEA” commercial.
The brand’s intention is to relax those ASMR viewers in addition to marketing everything one would need to buy for a dorm room.
2. Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Super Bowl 2019
The 2019 Super Bowl commercial for Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold is a captivating illustration of ASMR in action. Actress Zoe Kravitz appears as the ASMR artist in the commercial. Zoe gives viewers a taste of what it’s like to sip Michelob beer. She twists the bottle’s cap, clinks it together, and swirls it on the table.
With the aid of autonomous sensory methods, it’s a simple act that becomes much more intriguing. The experience of pouring a glass of beer and waiting for the frothy foam to appear is realistically heard and felt by viewers.
3. Lush Cosmetics
ASMR Darling, a famous ASMR influencer, collaborated with Lush to produce a calming, product-focused video for the company and some of its most calming cosmetics. ASMR Darling focuses on the brand’s lavender-infused sleep-inducing products in the video uploaded to the Lush Cosmetics YouTube website. But Sleepy wasn’t the only thing ASMR Darling used to put people to sleep. The video essentially serves as a shopping list for people who want to unwind before bedtime. Everything from face cleansers to creams to moisturizers includes lavender in some way to promote relaxation.
Gen-Z Approved ASMR Content
Gen Z is the age group that connects with ASMR most, likely due to their interest in self-care and connection to YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms.
Consider Life with MaK, a YouTuber who is 14 years old. Makenna Kelly was seeking anything to improve her wellness in 2017 as she was feeling stressed due to school tests. She saw the possibilities of a specialized channel after learning about ASMR. She currently has more than 1.62 million followers, many of them are members of Gen Z like herself, and many of her videos have more than one million views.
3 Things To Keep In Mind For Creating ASMR Content
When trying to create content around ASMR for yourself or a brand, remember these three essential things for starters:
- Relevance is the key: According to experts, the most important thing to remember when implementing an ASMR campaign is to avoid exaggerating the experience to the point that the main message is lost.
- The viewer is the axis: It is crucial to ascertain which content would attract the consumer. Usually, it’s the slightest detail that we miss. This is why understanding your audience is so vital for ASMR influencers.
- Sound is the glue: It is crucial to get the sounds perfect and use the best resources because sound is an essential component of the visual experience. Most importantly, the positioning must be smooth for maximum impact.
Top ASMR Influencers To Inspire Your Content
The rise of ASMR influencers and their sheer demand proves that this weird, exciting trend works. Here are some ASMR creators who started years ago and are still going strong:
1. WhispersRed ASMR
One of the first influencers to introduce this trend to her 1 million viewers, this ASMR expert has been producing content since 2013. As part of her Tingle Basket series, WhispersRed ASMR collects everyday things and tests the range of noises they may make. This collection of videos she produces is among her many pleasing ones.
This influencer, a committed vegan, also breaks down a variety of vegan cosmetics in-depth while narrating in a calming tone. Unwind Your Mind: The Life-changing Power of ASMR, a book by WhispersRed ASMR, was published in 2019 and serves as an educational primer on the ASMR movement.
2. Gibi ASMR
Gibi ASMR produces a variety of costume videos, makeup roleplays, and even gadget reviews, bringing life and originality to the ASMR community. She even went so far as to create her original characters to add interest to her channel.
With an astounding 4.14 million followers, Gibi ASMR can further inform her audience about the calming effects of ASMR. Additionally, this influencer produces content for Twitch, where she often engages in round-the-clock streaming for her 275,000 viewers. For a nominal monthly price, users may access exclusive ad-free ASMR videos on the Zees app, which Gibi ASMR established in 2019.
3. Matty Tingles
Matty Tingles provides a soothing injection of optimism through his innovative videos, variety of props, and costumes. This ASMR influencer mimics WIRED’s Web’s Most Searched Questions videos and even performs incredibly lifelike haircut roleplays. Over 88 million people have viewed Matty’s ASMR channel.
4. Dean ASMR
Dean ASMR skillfully blends a variety of funny parodies with the relaxing ASMR noises. Since 2017, Dean ASMR has acted as various celebrities and imaginary characters in humorous ASMR videos. This ASMR influencer also maintains a popular Instagram account that informs his 17.2K followers about his trips and other hobbies.
5. Jojo’s ASMR
Jojo’s ASMR appreciates a restful night’s sleep as a college student. To aid him and his 2.19 million followers in falling asleep, he creates ASMR content using a range of objects and themes. This influencer also creates ASMR card tricks on his channel to display his exceptional magic skills.
Jojo ASMR brings together some of the top ASMR influencers to curate lengthy ASMR trigger videos, which fosters friendship within the ASMR community.
Ready To Embrace ASMR Virality?
The best part about ASMR videos is that they are relatively easy to make. As a creator, you don’t need astounding cinematography, color correction, and special training. You can easily create these videos with creativity, research, shooting, and editing skills. Many brands have started adopting ASMR advertising, which is a beautiful opportunity for you to get noticed and collaborate.
With Atisfyre, influencers and content creators can now work on their chosen campaigns without chasing brands. The AI-based platform connects influencers with brands to work on paid partnerships without the hassles of lengthy paperwork. So, what are you waiting for?
