We know that people generally trust and engage with influencers, but just how much of an impact are they actually making when it comes to persuading consumers to act and make purchases? Based on new survey data that explores how social media consumption, influencer perceptions and buying habits have evolved in the past year, we’re continuing to see that consumers are making purchase decisions based on influencer content. The data shows 81% of respondents have either researched, purchased or considered purchasing a product or service after seeing friends, family or influencers post about it.
Consumers Want Real
Consumers want authenticity from the influencers they follow, and are gravitating toward those that create relatable, original content or provide credible expertise. As such, 69% of respondents are likely to trust a friend, family member or influencer recommendation over information coming directly from a brand.
Relatability tops the charts (61%) of the influencer personalities consumers find most appealing when deciding to follow them on social media, followed by:
Expert personalities (43%)
Just-for-fun personalities (32%)
Aspirational personalities (28%)
Only 11% of consumers prefer celebrity influencers, which is a notable reduction from our 2020 influencer survey (17-22%). And when asked what the most important attribute was when learning about a company, product or brand, consumers’ top choice was authenticity (39%).
Collaborating with the right influencers is the difference between a good campaign and a great campaign. And, when combining AI and data-driven technology with an experienced influencer marketing partner, brands can quickly identify and build real relationships with the influencers who most genuinely capture their audience and campaign needs.
Edutainment Content Is on the Rise
Another notable takeaway was that consumers’ favorite types of influencer content to engage with are how-to content, such as recipes, tutorials or step-by-step instructions (42%), followed by stories with short bits of information with video and/or photos (35%), and photo- or image-based posts with information in captions (33%). Additionally, YouTube was respondents’ number one choice (36%) when asked what platform they find the most authentic/beneficial content from influencers.
With more sponsored content hitting consumers’ social feeds and a transition of consumers now seeking real value from the influencers they follow, it’s important for brands to share content in a way that resonates, feels authentic and maps to the type of content consumers prefer – quick, snackable information that lets your audience walk away with new tips or knowledge.
Consumers Hunger for Food, Wellness and Beauty Content
And what are consumers most interested in seeing and most likely to act on (i.e., purchase, research, spread the word or consider purchasing)? Here’s what we found:
Food and beverage (59%/52%)
Health and wellness (43%/38%)
Beauty and personal care (42%/36%)
In comparison to 2020’s data, the new research shows that while food and beverage and health and wellness remain the most popular influencer content categories, beauty and personal care replaced personal technology for the number three spot. Additionally, 63% of consumers have noticed an increase in sponsored content from influencers on social media in the past year, so by prioritizing content that falls in one of these core categories, this may help break through the growing noise.
While consumers’ relationship with influencers and their content changes frequently, agencies and clients alike are tasked with staying one step ahead of the game. With these insights, we’re able to better understand what moves the needle in the influencer world, and from there – inform successful campaigns.
