Results demonstrate that social media influencers are revolutionizing social commerce

Inmar Intelligence, a data-driven technology-enabled services company, today announced findings from a recent survey of 1,000 U.S. adults that explored the role social media influencers have in social commerce and on consumer purchasing behavior. The survey found that 84 percent of respondents have made a purchase based on an influencer’s recommendation.

Influencer marketing has been on a consistent rise over the past few years as brands evaluate new ways to connect with their audiences. Consumers are spending more time on social platforms as a result of the pandemic, making this channel increasingly important for marketers. When asked why consumers trust influencers, Inmar Intelligence found that 61 percent of consumers listen to influencers because they trust their product/category expertise. In addition, 52 percent said they provide honest reviews even if they don’t like a product; 47 percent said they can relate to influencers and 41 percent said they trust influencers because they are authentic. Influencers serve as a one-stop shop for everything that consumers might need from being the inspiration to start their shopping journey through the end purchase.

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Additional key findings from the survey include:

• In the last year, 67 percent of consumers have spent over $151 based on influencer recommendations with 10 percent saying they have spent over $1000
• 81 percent of consumers trust an influencer’s recommendation more than a celebrity’s recommendation
• 88 percent of respondents ages 41 – 56 said they made a purchase based on an influencer’s recommendation
• When asked about why they follow influencers, 65 percent of respondents indicated they do so to learn about new products, 54 percent do so to hear/read reviews of products or services, 44 percent do so to learn about discounts or other promotions and 41 percent do so to stay updated on trends
• 66 percent of respondents said they have made a purchase through a social platform
• Instagram was the most preferred platform used to engage with influencers: 74 percent of respondents use Instagram to connect, closely followed by Facebook (73 percent) and YouTube (68 percent)

“Social commerce has been a hot topic in the industry for some time, but influencers are not always included in that narrative. The truth is, content from influencers gives shoppers a reason to buy and inspires purchases,” said Spencer Baird, EVP and President MarTech at Inmar Intelligence. “That’s why influencer marketing is a key offering in our Retail Cloud. We know that companies who utilize influencer marketing are better suited to connect with their target audience since influencers have established a proven connection with consumers who trust and value their opinions.”

Inmar Intelligence’s influencer product uses first-party purchase data aggregated by ShopperSync™, our proprietary data intelligence platform, to develop and target social-based influencer campaigns for leading brands, retailers and agencies. By activating the most relevant influencers, Inmar Intelligence is able to help our brand and retail partners meet the rising consumer demands for personalization and inspiration. As a key element of Inmar Intelligence’s Retail Cloud, our influencer campaigns focus on driving tangible and attributable lower-funnel results by leveraging the power of social media and Inmar’s retailer relationships.

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