So what do we know? Are Influencers the baddies or not?!
Despite the general distaste toward advertising and being advertised to, 92% of our survey participants follow at least one Influencer. Of the 51 people surveyed, only 1 person did not use Instagram. Over 59% of users used Instagram over 5-10 times a day, with 66% of users using Instagram for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours per day. In contrast, the average American watched about 3 hours and 58 minutes watching television daily.
About one in four Instagram posts are ads.
In a single sitting of using Instagram, a consumer is exposed to exponentially more ads than from traditional print or television because print does not get refreshed or re-utilized and television’s option to completely change channels, or the longer running nature of movies or television shows. Survey respondents said that 84% of the Influencers they followed posted advertisements through their posts and stories.
What about people who disregard ads?
61% of survey participants disregard Instagram advertisements, similarly, 62.5% also never bought a promoted product. What this means is that regardless of how minimal or substantial the following level of engagement with the promoted items were, whether through reading and researching, or clicking on the link, there was an awesome 38% conversion rating on items purchased. Of the products purchased, the majority fell under the categories of beauty, health, sports, and travel. Though the majority of people verbalized distaste toward advertising, it seems from our findings that those who did not completely disregard the advertisement were drastically affected by Influencers.
Just how big is this influence?
People are being affected by these micro-celebrities. 75% of survey respondents followed celebrities on Instagram, but of the 36% of people who purchased items, none of them were associated with celebrities. Rather it was the Influencers who promoted fashion, sports, travel, health and music, that made the sales, with fashion carrying the most traction. For those who purchased items, there were several factors contributing to their positive response. They looked to influence for their knowledge and expertise toward the products and genre, the Influencer represented various teams or organizations, they represented a certain lifestyle/confidence and sense of fashion/aesthetic, the fact that they had influence itself was a powerful motivator, the topics they cover, and the entertainment they provide. We find from this feedback that though there may be a sentiment in the general public of a “useless leach who profits off pure looks”, the data shows that Influencers truly are ones who provide a staging ground for burgeoning communities. They are ones who provide the expertise, interests, and passion and allow community interaction using Instagram and other social media as a platform.
People vs. Data
The influencer has the ability to construct an authentic persona as the face of products, and convert those products to lifestyles that others emulate and propagate as a larger community expression. With regards to user attitudes toward Influencer advertisements, perspectives were slightly negative, but mostly understanding of the structure behind Influencer sponsorship. People understood the Influencer to be extensions of brands, but were able to accept them as different than advertisers due to their community involvement and perceived authenticity. Users were happy with products that were utilized by the Influencers in their day to day use, or with products that the Influencer really understood. They also gravitated toward products that related to their niche or interest. Users were interested in products that were healthy and gravitated toward responsible advertising, seeing it as a necessary evil. Discontent toward Influencers and their advertisements were correlated with lack of sales, and in-authenticity. One user replied, “I’m not content with it(advertising) because the products I previously used didn’t even work. The products being used are only for their gain and they scam their fans. Some of the products are also harmful to consumers. For example, some celebrities endorsed juices that can help with weight loss but it turned out it was promoting an unhealthy way of losing weight.” In this response, one can see the general skepticism of the user base, but also the willingness to accept the Influencer and their advertisements, even purchasing items on their suggestions insofar as they remained authentic.
Based on the qualitative survey responses, we found that users who purchased items that were advertised from influencers were more inclined to try a product that was promoted and willing to support the influencer through their sponsors. They did not view the influencer as an extension of the sponsor, but rather as a community member who was the receiver of a corporate benefactor. They paid more attention to products that were vegan, cruelty-free, zero-waste, and affordable. They also approved of the advertisements when they expand the exploration of genre related products. In these ways, the influencer is utilizing its position to establish a shared community in that there is shared interaction with a common purpose.