The
21st Century
Social Circle
Influencers’ increasing impact in
the age of authenticity
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Whether sitting on their couch
at home or standing in line at the
grocery store, today, U.S. consumers
spend more than two hours every day
scrolling on social media — even more
among younger generations.
And smart brands have taken note of the massive captive
audience, with investments in influencer marketing on the rise.
In 2021, Influencer marketing investments reached a total of
$13.8 billion.
But finding success with influencer marketing starts with
understanding what attracts consumers to content — and what
turns them away.
In this study, we explore influencers’
increasing sway over consumers. What drives them
to follow influencers, and what they expect from in
return? We also dig into one of the industry’s biggest
buzzwords today, uncovering what authenticity really
means to consumers and how brands can strike the
right balance to keep their audiences’ attention and
win their purchases and loyalty.
THE 21ST CENTURY SOCIAL CIRCLE
While social media platforms originally popped Percentage of friends
up as a way to connect and keep up with real- and followers people
world friends, in recent years, its role has shifted
also know in real life
significantly. While 83% of Facebook users say that
remains their primary use for the platform, less than
⅓ of users across all other platforms say the same. 88%
49%
In fact, outside of Facebook,
LESS THAN HALF of the people 36%
consumers follow on social
media are people they know 17%
in real life.
13%
6%
Instead, consumers now seek other benefits
from their favorite social platforms, with primary
use cases being:
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
Keep up with Keep up with Get inspiration and ideas
real-world friends the news or tips/tricks
Instagram YouTube Twitch
Gain an inside view of Get honest reviews Get inspiration and ideas
celebrity/influencer lives of products/brands or tips/tricks
TIKTOK
Get engaging short
form video content
This shift in social’s role
means an increasing
percentage of people
consumers follow are In fact, 50% of millenials feel that the influencers
influencers — and it’s that they follow on social media know them
better than their friends do.
redefined how they view
their social circle.
I N C R E A S I N G I N F LU E N C E &
P OW E R I N G P U R C H A S E S
With consumers now viewing influencers as an extension
of their inner circle, it’s no surprise that they assign a lot of
weight to the opinions of those they choose to follow. In fact,
when it comes to recommendations and reviews, consumers
now trust influencers more than many other sources, with
92% saying they trust influencer recommendations more
than traditional ads. Respondents also said they are 5X more
likely to trust influencer recommendations than paid celebrity
endorsements.
more likely to trust
20% recommendations from
influencers than those of their
colleagues
7 OUT OF 10 consumers
trust influencer recommendations
just as much as the opinions of
their real-world friends
Even more interestingly, recommendations from influencers
match — or outweigh — those coming from consumers’ real-
life social circle.
And the reliance on influencers is only increasing. Compared
to just one year ago:
72% say their trust of influencers has
increased
66% say purchase decisions are
more driven by influencer
recommendations
64% rely more on influencers to help them
discover new brands and products
In fact, across Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, Instagram, Twitch and Pinterest
AT LEAST 78% of consumers say they
78% have discovered a new brand/product from an
influencer. 24% even say they find one daily!
1 IN EVERY 4 consumers have
purchased a brand or product based on an
influencer recommendation.
BUILDING TRUST THROUGH Believability is also
T R A N S PA R E N CY key for building trust
With consumers putting more and more trust in
influencers, it’s no surprise they are highly
selective when choosing who to follow. When it
comes to the criteria that consumers look for in
influencers,
3 OUT OF 4
say they’re more likely to trust
agree that a paid or sponsored post if it’s
84% authenticity is
important.
something the influencer has
posted about organically in the past
And consumers are quick to note that authenticity
isn’t exclusively about unfiltered images and 87%
captions. Instead, 84% say authenticity is defined
by honesty and transparency regarding when an
influencer is being paid or compensated for the say they’re more likely to trust a
things they promote, with 75% saying it’s about paid or sponsored post if it seems
sharing both the positive and negative aspects of like something the influencer would
the brands and products they promote. More and actually buy on their own
more, consumers want the whole honest picture
of a product or service before making a
purchase.
T H E AU T H E N T I C I T Y consumers have some
E XC H A N G E lofty expectations
regarding what they want
While authenticity is undoubtedly key for winning in exchange for their
and keeping the attention and trust of social
follow, including
audiences, the study also uncovered that — for
today’s consumers — there can be too much of
a good thing, with 93% saying forced or phony expect help
authenticity is just as likely to make them unfollow discovering new
an influencer as a lack of authenticity.
60% brands and products
they may not
The data also revealed the even greater otherwise find
importance consumers place in getting real,
tangible value from influencers, with
1 IN 3
citing it as a key expect access
94% reason they follow to deals and
promotions
influencers.
What’s more, they’re
willing to forego total
authenticity to get it.
65%
agree that getting
value from an
influencer — whether
helpful tips, product
recommendations or
access to deals — is
more important than
total authenticity.
60% of consumers would
be okay with an
influencer not being
100% authentic if they
still got real value from
following them.
STRIKING THE BALANCE
FOR SUCCESS
For brands looking to engage today’s digital deliver on
consumers, social media — and even more consumer demand
specifically, influencer marketing — is no longer
a nice-to-have, but table stakes for success. for immediate
As consumers place more weight behind the influencer value,
opinions and recommendations of influencers
and their new, extended online social circle,
while building
brands have a delicate balance to strike: deliver long-term trust
on consumer demand for immediate influencer through authentic
value, while building long-term trust through
authentic relationships. For those that miss the relationships
mark, there’s a lot on the line. But those who
get it right will reap huge rewards, from boosted
brand awareness and engagement to increased
conversions and lasting loyalty.
ABOUT SIDEQIK A B O U T T H E S T U DY
Sideqik empowers brands to engage with This study was completed at a 95%
consumers in an authentic and meaningful way confidence level with a +/- 4% margin of
through its influencer marketing platform. The error. Survey responses were collected
end-to-end solution integrates seamlessly with from more than 641 U.S. consumers who
a company’s existing marketing tech stack to have at least one social media account
streamline and prove ROI for their influencer on Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, YouTube,
strategy Founded in 2012 and headquartered Instagram or Pinterest, and follow at least
in Atlanta, GA, Sideqik relies on artificial one influencer on one of those social
intelligence and machine learning to help platforms.
brands discover the right influencers, manage
those relationships, and measure the impact
of carefully-crafted campaigns. Today, global
brands and Fortune 100 companies rely on the
Sideqik platform to understand and improve
influencer marketing efforts, including Coca-
Cola, Deathwish Coffee, Corsair, Logitech, TV
Guide, and Universal Music Group.
For more information, visit www.sideqik.com.
