If you are a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or a Youtube user, you have probably encountered many influencers on your timeline. They appear on feeds either because you’re following them or because someone you follow just shared their posts.
These days, seeing influencer posts is becoming pretty common. This is because many brands have seen their potential as marketers and pay them to endorse products or services through posting on their social media accounts.
However, if you are still wary about investing on “influencer marketing,” here are stats that will prove just how it will be a good investment:
1. It’s 129% More Likely For Customers To Buy Something They’ve Seen On Social Media.
A study by Deloitte found out that there is 129% chance for customers to buy something if they see that they are used on social media. This is expected especially if the customer trusts the influencer who posted about the brand.
Influencers mainly focus on posting their contents on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook as these platforms have the most number of users.
According to Statista, as of September 2017, there are 2 billion Facebook users, 1 billion Youtube accounts, 700 million Instagram users, and 300 million people on Twitter. These numbers show no sign of declining.
It’s true that social media has become a great equalizer for Small to Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) to rival large companies. A successful post relies more on relevance than a brand name. It does not simply promote the brand and its products and services.
It is interesting and informative. It piques the interest of the target customers. Luckily, social media platforms have great features that will help you extend your marketing campaign’s reach.
2. 94% Of Brands That Have Used Influencers Believe They Have Helped In Sales.
A survey was lately conducted by a company called Linqia. They asked retailers, companies, and agencies who invested in influencer marketing if it was worth it, and 94% of them answered that it has indeed worked for them.
Influencer marketing entered the business industry at the end of 2015 and exploded in early 2017. This relatively new marketing strategy capitalizes on social media’s reach by paying Internet celebrities with huge followings to promote a brand or product in their social media accounts.
Why is it effective? For one, it makes use of authentic content. Influencers have earned the trust of their followers, and they put their name on the line when they promote a brand.
Thus, followers know they will not promote products and services they have not tried themselves. About 92% of customers trust influencers more than brands. If brands want to drive their message to their target audience, they must find the right influencer.
Another advantage of influencer marketing is its ease of production and relatively lower costs.
It’s gaining lots of popularity among brands that are not too keen on shelling out money on traditional advertising tactics. Even big companies like Amazon has launched their social influencer program already.
3. 60% Of People Read Blogs And Social Media Posts Before Shopping.
Studies show that 60% of customers consider blogs or social media posts that they’ve read before actually buying a certain product. This is not surprising as blogs and social media are the best platforms for consumers to read reviews.
As the world rapidly shifts towards social media, consumers turn to fellow consumers for information before they make their purchasing decisions. This is in contrast to the past when they look at the brands themselves.
If the influencer has already established a name to be trusted, customers will most likely rely on his reviews about products. Visionary marketers should be able to see that social media influencers open a whole new world of possibilities.
They create a new channel to connect brands with their customers more organically. With social media posts, brands can amplify their message by tenfolds.
4. 86% Of The Trending And Most-Viewed Videos On Youtube Were Created By Influencers.
In a 2017 research conducted by the State of the Creator Economy, it has been found that more people visit Youtube annually compared to other social media platforms.
What makes Youtube special is that it offers both visual branding opportunities and attributable traffic towards your website.
The biggest Youtube content creators with the most-viewed videos usually land with big brand partnerships. Google, Disney, Audible, and Motorola are some big brands that have successfully tapped Youtube influencers. Some of the top beauty influencers on Youtube are Jeffree Star, NikkieTutorials, PatrickStarr, and Jaclyn Hill.
Youtube is such an effective advertising platform that even the Youtuber content creators themselves can launch their own merchandise, and it will become a success. Most of beauty product influencers already have their own makeup lines because of the trust they’ve earned from the people who watch them.
5. 63% Of Millennials Prefer Non-Celebrity Endorsements.
Nowadays, celebrities aren’t as effective as endorsers when it comes to the social media platform. Millennials, who are currently the biggest consumer demographic, prefer Youtube over television.
In a study commissioned by Defy Media, it has been found that 63% of people within the age range 13-24 would prefer to buy products recommended by a Youtuber. Only 48% of the respondents said they would buy products promoted by TV or movie stars.
Millennials apparently prefer to see endorsements from non-celebrity bloggers. It may be because they can relate more to influencers because they seem to have normal lives just like them. In contrast, traditional celebrities are simply paid for products they may or may not have used.
Read More: 5 Successful Influencer Marketing Steps to Make More Money
Conclusion
It may seem like a risky thing to spend money on influencer marketing, but these stats should help you make your decision. Now that more and more people are engaging in social media, customers will most likely rely on influencers when it comes to deciding on buying products or services from brands. Just make sure that the influencers you will be spending money on can be trusted.
Feature Image Credit: Istockphoto.com
In Post Image Credit: Istockphoto.com & estorefactory.com
