Marketers are now spending more on microinfluencers than they are celebrities, a study by affiliate service provider Rakuten Marketing has found.
The 2019 Influencer Marketing Global Survey discovered that celebrity influencers comprise 28% of annual influencer spend compared to 40% for microinfluencers.
Additionally, nearly three out of four brands agree that they believe influencers are concerned whether their posts drive sales for brands and 67% of US marketers are able to tell when influencer campaigns drive sales
At 39%, brands would be encouraged to invest more in an influencer program if they could see the impact of their activity across the wider consumer purchasing journey.
U.S. consumers value authenticity and true brand advocacy when it comes to the influencers, and men are an unlikely target audience. Some of the report’s key findings are as follows:
Paris Loesch of Rakuten Marketing said: “It is safe to say that the marketing space has evolved considerably in the past decade or so thanks, in part, to the rise of social media and image-based content.
“This study proves that brands are ready to capitalise on integrated marketing strategies that include influencer partnerships – especially if success is measurable. Most importantly, we are seeing the true value of an influencer’s impact on consumer behaviours.”