IZEA Worldwide, Inc., operator of IZEAx, the premier online marketplace connecting brands and publishers with influential content creators, published the results of a social media consumer study examining their perspectives on influencer marketing. The study is part of IZEA Insights, an ongoing research program examining the world of influencer marketing through the lens of consumer, marketer, and influencer participants.

Managed by Jana O’Brien at The Right Brain Consumer Consulting, the study collected feedback from U.S. social media consumers via KANTAR’s national consumer panel. To participate, qualified adult respondents must have spent 15+ hours per month online beyond email, visit 1+ social media platform at least monthly, and have noticed an influencer marketing message/post/content in the past year.

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Key Influencer Marketing Statistics for Social Media Consumers Include:

— 56% have made a purchase based on a sponsored/paid social media post from an influencer. — 63% say they find the content created by social media influencers to be more compelling than scripted advertising written by a marketing professional. — 66% say the fact that influencers have tried the product they post about makes them more credible than traditional paid advertising. — 66% believe the social media influencers they follow are credible regarding the products or services they endorse. — 69% have ‘liked’ a sponsored influencer post in the past.

“Based on social media consumer responses it is clear that influencer marketing has become an accepted and effective method for brand marketers to reach them,” said Ted Murphy, Founder and CEO of IZEA. “Those that use social media find influencers to be engaging and credible – with the ability to drive them to both product trials and purchases. The mainstream acceptance of influencer marketing by consumers continues to positively impact the increasing investment from brands across virtually every category.”

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Social Media Consumers Aspire to Be InfluencersAn overwhelming 67% of social media consumers would like to be a paid social media influencer for their favorite products and brands, while 30% indicated that they believe they are currently considered a social media influencer, themselves. On average, aspiring influencers seek to be paid $157 as reasonable compensation per post for creating sponsored content, an interesting perception when compared to IZEA’s previous report that influencers typically receive payment in excess of $1,000 per post. Social media consumers also believe that today’s teens find being a professional social media influencer more aspirational than any traditional profession, including teacher, lawyer, physician, or even a movie star.

More Effective Than Television or Banner AdsInfluencer marketing is encroaching on traditional advertising by providing more persuasive marketing messages to consumers. The majority of social media consumers (61%) say that influencer marketing and influencer content is more likely to get them to try a new product than traditional paid advertising through TV, online, radio, magazines, or newspapers. This echoes the sentiment of experienced content and influencer marketing practitioners as reported in previous IZEA studies. The majority of marketers surveyed (62%) believe that influencer marketing is more effective than online banner ads.

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