The Influencer Age Over

Brands and influencers have had a symbiotic relationship for the past decade. However, recently, there has been a groundswell of data, brand reports and discussion concerning the declining effectiveness of influencer marketing.

Who we spoke to

227

Content creators

Brand representatives

750

Consumers

Why we wrote this report

For many, the issues with influencer marketing are a result of changes in social media preferences, societal progression and regulation in the discipline.

In 2022 the influencer marketing industry was valued in excess of $15 Billion, it’s colossal, and it’s not going to disappear, but that doesn't mean it can’t evolve. With all this noise, we wanted to investigate three things:

01| Is there an issue with influencer marketing or is it as effective as ever?

02 | How should brands approach the discipline in 2023?

03 | If there is an issue, what does the next evolution of the discipline look like?

To answer these questions, we needed some help. We wanted to consult all parties involved in the discipline, Social Media Personalities, Brands, Influencer Agencies and Consumers. So that’s exactly what we did.

Our research showed traditional influencers are "out" and creators are "in"!

Only 7 %

Of the consumers we surveyed said they trusted sterio influencers

157%

Since 2016, the volume of influencer posts has increased by 157%

47 %

Of social users are fatigued by repetitive influencer posts on platforms like Instagram

87 %

Of consumers we spoke to felt they would actively or subconsciously skip 'generic' influencer #ADS.

"LAST YEAR, I WORKED WITH A BIG MAKEUP BRAND AND ASKED THEM IF WE COULD COLLAB ON A LOOSE POWDER X SETTING POWDER; LOADS OF MY FOLLOWERS WERE ASKING ABOUT A PRODUCT LIKE THAT. THEY THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY; NOW THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!"

SOFIE

Youtube Creator

[ Drag ]

Some More

Important Stats

80%

Of consumers in have bought something recommended by a creator in 2022,

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74% Of creators' asserted their own products or services represent their primary income source, not brand deals

70%

Of consumers prefer to learn about products and services through content created by experts or industry professionals rather than influencers.

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4 in 10 millennials say their favourite creators understand them better than their friends

66%

Of consumers believe content creators are more trustworthy than influencers.

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100% Of the brands we spoke to running creator approaches all experienced improved ROI.

Only 3% of the brands we spoke to had used creator insights to inform decisions in marketing, product or the wider business

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61% of consumers trust the product recommendations from creators, only 38% trust branded social media content.

74%

Of youtube subscribers relate to youtube creators more than traditional celebrities