Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- Overview
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- Figure 1: Profile of influencer followers, December 2018
- The dominance of celebrity culture
- Pop culture drives influencer content
- Key takeaway
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- Figure 2: Types of accounts followed, December 2018
- Relationship between influencer and follower
- Developing a kinship with influencers
- Key takeaway
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- Figure 3: Influencer connection and celebrity status, December 2018
- The impact of influencers on the purchase process
- Social media great for building product awareness
- Key takeaway
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- Figure 4: Purchasing on social media, December 2018
- Trust in influencer marketing
- Users know when they are being sold to
- Key takeaway
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- Figure 5: Trust in influencers, December 2018
- Topics searched on different platforms
- Areas of interest vary among social sites
- Key takeaway
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- Figure 6: Correspondence analysis – Symmetrical map – Reasons for visiting social media sites, December 2018
- What it means
Influencer Landscape – What You Need to Know
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- Influencer content set to continue upward trajectory
- Celebrities dominate the discussion
The Influencer Marketing Landscape
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- FTC regulates sponsored social posts
- Sponsored post volume on the rise
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- Figure 7: Sponsored post volume, January 2017-December 2018
- Influencers earning top dollar for posts
- Consumers looking to corporations to share values
- Media consumption dominates daily activities
- Heavy investments in digital advertising continue
Types of Accounts Followed
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- Half of social media users follow accounts they don’t personally know
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- Figure 8: Profile of influencer followers, December 2018
- Social amplifies celebrity status
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- Figure 9: Types of accounts followed, December 2018
- Women follow accounts with online clout
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- Figure 10: Types of accounts followed – Select items, by gender, December 2018
- Younger consumers looking for new voices
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- Figure 11: Types of accounts followed – Select items, by age, December 2018
- Black, Hispanic users seek out entertainers
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- Figure 12: Types of accounts followed, by race and Hispanic origin, December 2018
Key Trends – What You Need to Know
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- Creating relationships between consumer and viewer
- Some cracks showing in new communication
- New influencers on new platforms
What’s In?
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- Going for small and smaller
- Who’s doing this well?
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- Figure 13: @thesorrygirls “Google Pixel” post, November 2017
- Emphasizing authenticity
- Who’s doing this well?
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- Figure 14: @jayversace “Reebok” post, October 2018
- Partnering equity with exposure
- Who’s doing this well?
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- Figure 15: @drinkbabe “Christmas” post, December 2018
- Politics on the platform
- Who’s doing this well?
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- Figure 16: @ocasio2018 “Christmas” post, December 2018
What’s Out?
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- Strategizing based on follower count
- Getting influencers to follow through
- Dangerous products receive backlash
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- Figure 17: @jameelajamil Twitter post, November 2018
- “Sponcons” and the art of faking influence
What’s Next?
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- Using avatars as influencers
- Products to make anyone an influencer
- Finding the next platform
- Multi-channel networks for more integrated exposure
- Getting younger and more creative with creators
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Entertainment more important than education on social media
- Bring on the fun
- Difficult to get a non-follower
- Different platforms attract unique interests
- Account discovery tends to be organic
- Learning from products via social media
- High expectations for influencer content
- Consumer segmentation highlights opportunities
Categories Followed
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- Key opportunity
- Category diversity shows preference for entertainment
- Fun accounts are key to influencer content
- Educational accounts have their audience
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- Figure 18: How To Cake It welcome video, January 2019
- Life advice low in viewers, high in engagement
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- Figure 19: Categories followed, December 2018
- Gender gap reveals distinct differences
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- Figure 20: Categories followed, by gender, December 2018
- Young adults want to be artistic
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- Figure 21: Categories followed – Select items, by age, December 2018
- Black, Hispanic users get inspired
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- Figure 22: Categories followed, by race and Hispanic origin, December 2018
Qualities of a Good Influencer
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- Key opportunity
- Fun content beats practical…
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- Figure 23: Qualities of a good influencer, December 2018
- …except for brand posts
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- Figure 24: Reasons to follow brands on social media, December 2018
- Younger users looking for a break from the norm
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- Figure 25: Qualities of a good influencer – Select items, by age, December 2018
- Parents more likely to seek validation
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- Figure 26: Qualities of a good influencer – Select items, by parental status, December 2018
Reasons to Not Follow Influencers
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- Key opportunity
- Many don’t see the value in influencer accounts
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- Figure 27: Reasons to not follow influencers, December 2018
- Older users need value demonstrated
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- Figure 28: Reasons to not follow influencers – Select items, by age, December 2018
Platforms to Use and Discover
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- Key opportunity
- Overview
- YouTube
- Snapchat
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- Figure 29: Correspondence analysis – Symmetrical map – Reasons for visiting social media sites, December 2018
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- Figure 30: Reasons for visiting social media platforms, by social media platform, December 2018
Tools to Discover New Accounts
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- Key opportunity
- Sharing drives new account discovery
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- Figure 31: Tools to discover new accounts, December 2018
- Younger users more actively seeking
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- Figure 32: Tools to discover new accounts – Select items, by age December 2018
Influencers and Product Promotions
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- Key opportunity
- Plenty of opportunities to learn and buy on social media
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- Figure 33: Purchasing on social media, December 2018
- Little trust that influencer promotion is genuine
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- Figure 34: Trust in influencers, December 2018
- Product associations can have consequences for influencers
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- Figure 35: Unfollowing accounts that promote products, December 2018
Attitudes toward Influencers
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- Key opportunity
- The role of influencers in media
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- Figure 36: Influencer connection and celebrity status, December 2018
- Learning from social media (over and over again)
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- Figure 37: Learning from social media, December 2018
- Follower count doesn’t affect perceptions of influencers
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- Figure 38: Attitudes toward microinfluencers, December 2018
Consumer Segmentation
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- Factors
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- Figure 39: Consumer segmentation, December 2018
- Fame Followers (43%)
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
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- Figure 40: Consumer segmentation – Fame Followers, by demographics, December 2018
- Connected Confidantes (30%)
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
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- Figure 41: Consumer segmentation – Connected Confidantes, by demographics, December 2018
- Mellow Monitors (27%)
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
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- Figure 42: Consumer segmentation – Mellow Monitors, by demographics, December 2018
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – Correspondence Analysis
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- Methodology
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- Figure 43: Correspondence analysis – Principal map – Reasons for visiting social media sites, December 2018
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