All that brands want (and need) for Christmas? Influencer marketing

A recent global survey has revealed that influencer marketing is a hefty factor that weighs into purchasing behaviour, with 88% of consumers stating it affects their spending choices.

The research conducted by Vamp, a creator marketing platform, indicates that a further 88% of respondents say they’ve purchased something inspired by influencer recommendations in the past six months.

As the wallets of shoppers shrink during the busy Christmas period and traditional advertising costs skyrocket, the data hints at the importance of having influencers in brands’ marketing strategies.

Deck the halls with boughs of sales

“The days of marketers questioning whether influencer marketing is a legitimate channel are over,” warns Aaron Brooks, cofounder and president of Vamp.

The survey results echo Brooks’ sentiment, particularly amongst younger age groups. The data shows that influencer marketing is the most effective amongst 18 to 34 year olds, with a preference of 85% above other traditional advertising like digital and radio.

This generational divide expands as 50% of 45 to 54 year olds see TV advertising as the most influential marketing method. In fact, the older respondents were, the less they trusted influencer content.

While it will not be a blanket sales solution, the trends predict that teams trying to sell to under 34s who shy away from influencer marketing are leaving money on the table.

How to make it snow with influencer marketing

Digital marketing is a saturated market. Just on YouTube, more than 500 hours of video are uploaded every minute.

The speed and density of social media advertising creates a dilemma for brands that want to cut through the noise to connect with their target audience.

The survey results recommend targeting short form over long form video. Of the respondents, 55% said they prefer the former, while 19% prefer photography, and 12% blogs.

Within influencer marketing, 41% of respondents said the most effective methods were reviews and recommendations, 37% preferred product demonstrations, and 33% wanted discount codes.

When breaking down the data based on online presence, respondents said the best influencer content was found on Instagram (34%) followed by YouTube (27%) and TikTok (18%).

Importantly, Vamp’s survey broke down the myth that partnering with big influencers should be the knee jerk reaction of any marketing team.

Only 27% of respondents were swayed by the influencer’s reputation or celebrity status, which goes to explain the growth in popularity and efficiency of nano-influencers who have smaller but highly engaged audiences.

“It could provide an opportunity for marketers to get ahead of their competition, drive that all important cut through, and impact their business bottom line in what is sure to be a highly competitive Q4,” recommends Brooks.