Influencer marketing is a core component of almost every brand’s marketing strategy. Recent studies found that about three quarters of all brands currently work with influencers in some capacity and 84% of brands plan to increase their influencer marketing spend in 2019. Although marketers are investing in the tactic, it’s also important to understand how influencers themselves engage with brands. Here, we shed some light on how established influencers prefer to work with brands to ensure successful collaborations.

Here are some things you need to know about influencers before planning your next campaign:

Gender

80% female

20% male

Type of influencer

38% lifestyle (food, DIY, etc…)

16% fashion

9% beauty

7% parenting

5% art/music

5% fitness/sports

20% other

Number of followers

Fewer than 25K 52%

25K-100K 20%

100K-1MM 20%

1MM+ 1%

Other 6%

Most relevant social platform

Instagram 100%

YouTube 92%

Blogs 85%

How do you manage brand sponsorships?

86% manage it myself

13% agent or personal assistant

How often do you follow FTC guidelines when posting for a brand?

74% all the time

14% some of the time

4% about half the time

7% rarely or never

How likely are you to promote a brand or product you don’t believe in?

79% unlikely

19% depends on the offer

4% likely

Do you post in exchange for free products instead of monetary compensation?

94% yes

4% no

Of brand sponsored content, what percent is paid for monetarily?

half to all 57%

less than half to none 43%

How often do you receive unclear directions when working with brands?

59% sometimes

17% half the time

13% never

9% most of the time

Are brands too controlling?

51% sometimes

18% half the time

19% never

9% most of the time

Have you ever blacklisted a brand?

67% no

33% yes

Why?

30% acted unprofessionally

22% didn’t pay

21% didn’t uphold deal terms

15% too restrictive to work with

12% other

Looking to add influencer marketing to your marketing mix in 2019? Contact us today to learn how our suite of experiential marketing services can help you build emotional connections with consumers – both in person and on social.