20 Surprising Influencer Marketing Statistics

As social media has become a more integrated part of our lives, influencer marketing has exploded. 

People are turning to their favorite Instagram stars, Twitter personalities, and YouTubers for advice and recommendations on purchasing decisions. To get the most out of any influencer you may use, it’s crucial to build an influencer marketing strategy.

Social media has given normal people an opportunity to build their own brand through stimulating content and engagement. 

These new influencers are more relatable than traditional celebrities. After all, countries across the globe are using social media platforms in one form or another. And, since more people are joining social media networks every day, companies have realized they can leverage these platforms for marketing.

Influencer marketing is a powerful brand-boosting force, and here we’re going to find out more about it with our guide on the latest insights.

Essential Influencer Marketing Statistics

There are a wealth of insights to suggest that influencer marketing remains on the rise. With an ever-expanding pool of popular influencers to work with across niches, there’s never been a better time to invest in this wildly impactful branch of digital marketing. And, these stats prove it.

Let's take a look at some of the most eye-popping results of these studies. 

Here are 20 influencer marketing stats that will surprise you.

1. Gen Zers generally trust influencers more than celebrities

It's extremely difficult for brands to build the same level of trust that influencers possess, but thanks to influencer marketing that trust can be transmitted to your brand. So much so that 45% of European GenZers are more inclined to buy fashion items they’ve seen influencers wear over traditional celebrities or their peers.

In an age where there’s a huge upsurge of Gen Zers using TikTok as their primary search engine, tapping into influencer marketing to appeal to these content-hungry digital natives only seems natural.  Another effect of influencer marketing is that brands don't have to waste resources promoting themselves, and instead use influencers to speak on their behalf and deliver the message they want people to hear and trust.

2. More brands and marketers use AI for influencer marketing

As the adoption of autonomous technologies across sectors continues to rise, an increasing number of brands and marketers use AI for influencer marketing.

According to Statista, 58% of marketers currently use AI technology for sourcing the right influencers for their campaigns, while 18.6% use it for sourcing and distributing relevant content. As AI adoption continues to rise, we expect to see it used more widely for influencer marketing purposes in the coming years.  

3. 75% of people use social media for purchasing advice

This LinkedIn statistic should be important to any brand wondering whether to invest more of their budgets in social media and influencer marketing. Social media platforms are pivotal when it comes to building trust, offering brand value, and showcasing your products’ key USPs. By working with the right influencers in your niche, you stand to grow your audience, cut through the noise, and sell more products. 

4. 69% of consumers trust influencer recommendations

This statistic from Matter Communications demonstrates the growing importance of social media influencers for brands to connect with their audiences. If consumers feel confident about an influencer's recommendation, they are more likely to make a purchase, and even make repeat purchases. Brands are able to piggyback on the trust of influencers.

5. TikTok’s Creativity platform for influencers

To encourage creators that dream of making a living from TikTok by using their unique voice and creativity, the platform launched the TikTok Creator Fund in 2020. Following controversy about its skewed payment model and low rates of remuneration, the platform has now launched the TikTok Creative Platform Beta across several nations, including the U.K, U.S, France, Brazil, Korea, Japan, and Germany.

While in its infancy, the platform promises to offer fair rewards and a more flexible payment model to its top content creators—and this initiative is likely to attract droves of new influencers across niches. 

6. TikTok is the most popular Influencer Marketing Channel

As a highly influential social media channel among young digital natives, TikTok is now the most popular social media channel for branded marketing content. Now, around 66% of brands use TikTok for their influencer marketing efforts, compared to 47% on Instagram and 33% on YouTube according to The State of Influencer Marketing 2024: Benchmark Report. This is a testament to the growing power of video-based media in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.

7. U.S TikTok influencer content earns healthy engagement rates

With a consistently healthy engagement rate of 18% for U.S influencers using TikTok reported Influencer Marketing Hub. This percentage is higher than most other popular social media platforms, including YouTube (0.51% engagement rate) and Instagram (2.39% engagement rate). A sure-fire reason to invest in TikTok-based influencer marketing.

8. Influencer marketing campaigns earn $5.78 for every dollar spent

60% of marketers plan to increase their influencer marketing spend in 2024. In addition, businesses earn $5.78 for each dollar spent on influencers, with some seeing as much as $18. That's a significant return on investment in anyone’s book. In terms of influencer channels, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter are cited as the most effective platforms according to Influencer Marketing Hub. 

9. Influencer marketing helps acquire better customers

It's becoming more important than ever to build relationships with influencers who resonate with your brand and to create campaigns that are aligned with the values of an influencer's followers. In addition, a whopping 85% of marketers state that influencer marketing is helping them with their customer acquisition efforts.  

10. Fashion, beauty & gaming are the most popular niches for influencer marketing

According to The State Of Influencer Marketing Report, Fashion & Beauty is the most popular vertical for influencer marketing, with at least 21.6% using it as part of their core strategy. The top ten most mentioned fashion brands by influencers are Zara, Shein, H&M, NA-KD, Pretty Little Thing, and ASOS. Gaming closely follows in terms of popularity, with 11.9% of brands investing more in their influencer marketing efforts. 

11. Brands plan to increase spend on influencer marketing

More brands and marketers are coming to realize the incredible results that influencer marketing can produce. This impact is resulting in an increase in spending, with some 94% of small businesses planning to increase their budgets in the next 12 months according to a Taradel survey. Not only is spend increasing to help boost brand awareness, reach new audiences and improve brand advocacy, but it’s also fast becoming an important channel, with many marketers setting campaign KPIs to measure success. 

12. The influencer marketing industry is expected to hit $24bn by 2022

As an industry, influencer marketing has expanded exponentially over the past two years. Worth just $1.7 billion in 2016, the industry is set to reach $24 billion according to Statista by the end of 2024 as the industry witnesses more growth and becomes a more effective marketplace.

This growth means more widespread use and will require marketers to evolve their approach to influencer marketing in the way campaigns are measured, create analytics to scale campaigns and look at how to manage relationships between brands and influencers. 

13. Most marketers with an influencer marketing program work with a pool of content creators

According to Meltwater’s State of Social Media Report, most marketers like to work with a small pool of between one and 10 influencers within their industry or niche. This suggests that building water-tight, long-lasting relationships with influencers that offer genuine value (in terms of brand growth, increased conversions, and customer acquisition) offers the best return on marketing investment in today’s landscape.

14. Google searches for ‘Influencer Marketing’ rose by 400% between 2016 and 2023 in the U.K alone

Not only is influencer marketing one of the world’s most effective forms of digital marketing, but Google searches for the term in the U.K alone have skyrocketed by 400% since 2016 according to Adobe. This is a testament to the brand-boosting power, value and enduring value this powerful digital marketing medium continues to offer.

15. 42% of customers use ad-blocking

More and more Internet users are removing traditional ads from their online experience. In the US ad-blocking usage is 37% on laptops and 15% on mobile reported Backlinko, as consumers are tired of being hammered with pop-ups and banners. But influencers are now filling the gap. People aren't blocking videos from their favorite social media celebrities - in fact, they're eating up every word they say. Advertising power is shifting to real people and influencers.

16. Marketers spend up to $100,000 - $500,000 on influencer marketing campaigns

Spending on influencers has increased over the past few years, and it's only going to rise. Many budgets for influencer marketing are on the rise, with 20.9% of marketers expected to invest an average of $1,000-$10,000, followed by 22.8%  spending $100,000 to $500,000 in multifaceted campaigns reported Oberlo.

17. 76% of users intended to purchase based on a social media post

It’s true. 76% of users across platforms intended to or have made a product purchase off the back of a social media post. Visual posts appear to be the most effective forms of social media content for conversions, with Pew Research finding that 4 out of 10 consumers make a swift buying decision after engaging with an influencer marketing post.

18. YouTube is catching up with Facebook

While Facebook is still the alpha dog, YouTube is snapping at its heels particularly when it comes to making millionaires of its influencers. The platform has made celebrities and influencers of regular people (think PewDiePie and Ryan’s World), and fame is open to all age groups and demographics. There's something for everybody on YouTube, and marketers are taking notice by putting more money into influencer marketing on the platform.

19. 60% of consumers are influenced by social media or a blog while shopping in-store

This changes the meaning of comparison shopping. According to research, 3% of consumers would consider buying a product in-store if promoted by a celebrity, compared to 60% for an influencer. Not only is the influence greater, but over half of customers are consulting blogs and social media on their mobile devices prior to shopping, highlighting the importance of easily accessible information and posts (social and blogs) to reveal a product's reputation.

20. 71% of marketers believe influencer partnerships are good for business

Influencer marketing campaigns should not be a one-and-done proposition. They are a valuable ongoing strategy in a marketer's toolkit, with nearly three-quarters of 71% of marketers agree that the quality of customers and traffic is better from influencer marketing compared to other sources reported Smart Insights, showing that influencers can boost conversion. If you can partner with them and create a long-term relationship, making them ambassadors of your brand, the message they portray comes across as more trusted instead of promotional. It helps to boost your brand's credibility if you're seen as trusted by an influencer.

Start Influencing with a Social Media Marketing Course

It’s better late than never when it comes to developing an influencer marketing campaign. Make the most out of each social media platform by learning new strategies and techniques with a fully certified and industry-recognized Social Media Marketing course. It’s time to get influential!

Related

• Influencer Tracker Tool
• How to Develop a Social Media Strategy That Drives Brand Awareness & ROI
• What is Digital Marketing?