See updated numbers in the 2019 influencer marketing report

Social media influencers and bloggers have proven to be great marketing tactics for brands. This year alone, around 72% of brands had influencer marketing built into their marketing budget, and some projections show that influencer investments will reach $10 billion by 2020.

Given the important role social media plays in the customer journey, brands turning to influencers more isn’t surprising. However, since the success that influencers, and therefore, brands, have depends on public perception, CivicScience studied the experience Americans have had with products pushed by influencers, bloggers, or celebrities by polling over 1,800 respondents asking if they’ve ever been motivated to purchase something from an influencer or celebrity recommendation.

Bloggers and influencers are influential when it comes to driving sales. Nearly 1/5th of American consumers have bought something because of an influencer or blogger versus 10% who have purchased something because of a celebrity. Considering the fact that celebrities have been featured in advertising for decades, this difference highlights the turn that brands might be taking towards lesser-known influencers and bloggers who may be more relatable than a celebrity.

Influencers, and to a lesser extent, celebrities, have an undeniable impact when it comes to pushing products and services to those who are on social media, but who is most likely to be influenced by this? A breakdown of demographics and online habits paints the picture of who’s most likely to react to influencer marketing.

Women are more likely to purchase based on sponsorships

Women are more likely than men to have purchased something based on a sponsorship from a blogger or influencer but are even more likely to be influenced by celebrity promotions as men.  

Influencers reach more than just a younger crowd  

While Americans ages 25 or younger are the most likely age group (36%) to have purchased something because of an influencer/blogger, a significant amount of older Millennials and Gen Xers have too – proving that the impact they have spans more than just among younger age groups.

The numbers look similar for celebrity impact:

While American consumers are more influenced by influencers/bloggers than celebrities, the story is similar – likelihood of purchasing something because of a recommendation or sponsorship decreases with age.

All income levels are impacted by influencer marketing

Those making under $50,000 in income annually are more likely than those making $100,000+ to purchase a product or service per recommendation from a blogger or influencer.

More time online means you’re more likely to buy

35% of those who spend an average of 2+ hours on social media each day have made a purchase based on a promotion or recommendation from a blogger/influencer and over 1/5th have bought something because of a celebrity endorsement. People who are motivated to purchase sponsored products/services may just be more likely to be influenced because of how often they’re seeing sponsored content. The more time people are spending online, the more companies and brands can benefit.

Instagram isn’t the only place for influencer marketing

We tend to think of Instagram as the most common place sponsored content via influencers/celebrities lives. While it’s the most popular site to use daily for those who have bought something from a sponsorship or endorsement, the below data show us that those motivated to buy something from either an influencer or celebrity recommendation are plugged into more than just Instagram.

  • 23% of those on Facebook daily have purchased something from an influencer/blogger recommendation
  • 18% of those on Facebook daily have purchased something from a celebrity recommendation

 

  • 34% of those on Instagram daily have purchased something from an influencer/blogger recommendation
  • 28% of those on Instagram daily have purchased something from a celebrity recommendation

 

  • 29% of those on Twitter daily have purchased something from an influencer/blogger recommendation
  • 22% of those on Twitter daily have purchased something from a celebrity recommendation

 

  • 26% of those on Youtube daily have purchased something from an influencer/blogger recommendation
  • 14% of those on Youtube daily have purchased something from a celebrity recommendation

With influencer marketing continuing to grow year over year, we can expect that women and younger demographics (under 25) will lead this trend, followed by older Millennials (25-34) and Gen Xers (35-54). Will influencer marketing become an even more significant portion of advertisers’ investments? If this tactic can prove over time to drive stronger impact and engagement while creating a network of audiences, it might become even more important for brands. 

See more of CivicScience’s influencer marketing data in AdWeek