101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today

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Influencer marketing has taken social media by storm in the last five to 10 years. Since COVID-19, more talented people have joined the Creator Economy and revolutionized the way brands connect with audiences online.

These 101 influencer marketing statistics demonstrate that creators set the tone for brand sentiment on social media. The data also demonstrates that social media is a marketplace where digital word-of-mouth can “make or break” brands in the 21st Century.

How to use these stats to improve your influencer marketing campaign

As you go through this list of influencer marketing statistics, look for answers to some of the biggest questions in the industry:

  • Why does influencer marketing work?
  • What are reasons why some influencer programs are more successful than others?
  • What do consumers think of social media creators?
  • Where are consumers most likely to engage their favorite influencers?
  • How many brands use influencer marketing?
  • What types of creators/social channels/content perform best for audiences?

Once you have answers to these questions, you can also leverage these statistics to do the following:

  • Set reasonable expectations for your current influencer program
  • Plan influencer campaign budgets
  • Get a better understanding of your audience
  • Target the right audience, channel, and creators online
  • Pitch new ideas to your boss or team
  • Expand your reach to new channels
  • Find new ways to repurpose influencer-generated content (i.e., paid ads) for greater ROI

16 Statistics proving influencer ROI

1. Influencer-generated posts consistently outperform branded posts, according to 60% of marketers.

(Source: Mediakix)

Consumers appreciate third-party, lifestyle content over polished images and videos from the brand’s own creative team.

2. Experts believe that influencer marketing will become a $15 billion industry by 2022.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 1

Image via Oberlo

Oberlo

Influencer Marketing Industry Growth

The influencer marketing industry is set to hit $15 billion by 2022.

(Business Insider, 2019)

3. Marketers find that influencer-generated content receives an average 8x more engagement than branded content.

(Source: Mediakix)

User engagement is one of the best ways to track whether content resonates with a particular audience online.

4. Influencer whitelisting outperforms traditional social media ads by 20-50%.

(Source: Lumanu)

Influencer whitelisting occurs when a creator gives a brand they trust advertising permissions on their social media account. The brand uses that creator’s content to promote ads to new audiences from the creator’s profile. These ads feel more organic to consumers and as a result, perform better than traditional advertising.

5. 90% of influencer marketers find that creator campaigns produce as good or better returns than all other marketing mediums.

(Source: Mediakix)

6. Studies show that influencers produce as much as 11x more ROI than any other digital marketing approach.

(Source: Mediakix)

7. Influencer marketers see an average of $5-6.50 return on every $1 invested in social media creators.

(Source: Mediakix)

8. The average earned media value (EMV) on influencer-generated content for brands is between $12-18.

(Source: Mediakix)

EMV calculates the value of all third-party mentions. Social accounts with high EMV achieve significant ROI from a single post, whereas those with low EMV have little to no impact.

9. Influencer marketing increased from a $1.7 billion to a $13.8 billion dollar industry in the last five years.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 2

Image via Statista

Influencer marketing market size worldwide from 2016 to 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Global influencer marketing value 2016-2021
  • In 2016, the market size was 1.7 billion U.S. dollars.
  • In 2017, the market size was 3 billion U.S. dollars.
  • In 2018, the market size was 4.6 billion U.S. dollars.
  • In 2019, the market size was 6.5 billion U.S. dollars.
  • In 2020, the market size was 9.7 billion U.S. dollars.
  • In 2021, the market size is predicted to be 13.8 billion U.S. dollars.

Even though influencer marketing was growing rapidly in 2019, lockdowns and safety protocols associated with a global pandemic further elevated the role of social media creators among consumers.

10. Experts predict that marketers will collectively spend more than $4.5 billion dollars on influencers by 2023.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 3

Image via Statista

Influencer marketing spending in the United States from 2019 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Influencer marketing expenditure in the U.S. 2019-2023
  • In 2019, marketing expenditure was 2.42 billion U.S. dollars.
  • In 2020, marketing expenditure was 2.76 billion U.S. dollars.
  • In 2021, the market expenditure is predicted to be 3.69 billion U.S. dollars.
  • In 2022, the market expenditure is predicted to be 4.14 billion U.S. dollars.
  • In 2023, the market expenditure is predicted to be 4.62 billion U.S. dollars.

11. More than 60% of companies used influencer marketing in some capacity in 2020.

(Source: Statista)

12. Nearly 40% of B2B marketers plan to use influencer marketing more in the future.

(Source: Statista)

Influencer marketing has performed well for B2C ecommerce brands. Now, several B2B industries are cashing in and achieving great success.

13. More than 70% of companies planned to increase their influencer marketing budget in 2021.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 4

Image via Statista

Expected change in influencer marketing budgets in the United States from 2019 to 2021

Change in influencer marketing budgets in the U.S. 2021
  • In 2019, 39% share of respondents expected an increasing influencer marketing budget, and 61% share of respondents expected the influencer marketing budget to not increase.
  • In 2020, 57% share of respondents expected an increasing influencer marketing budget, and 43% share of respondents expected the influencer marketing budget to not increase.
  • In 2021, 71% share of respondents expected an increasing influencer marketing budget, and 29% share of respondents expected the influencer marketing budget to not increase.

14. Expanding reach and acquiring new customers are the top reasons why brands used influencer marketing in 2021.

(Source: Statista)

The social proof associated with an authentic brand endorsement by an influencer can shorten the buyer’s journey, lower customer acquisition costs (CAC), and increase customer lifetime value (CLV).

15. The percentage of marketers using influencer marketing in the U.S. is predicted to increase by 17% between 2019 and 2022.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 5

Image via eMarketer

Share of US Marketers Using Social Media and Influencer Marketing, 2019-2022

% of total marketers

  • In 2019, 91% of total marketers were using social media marketing, while 55.4% of them were using influencer marketing.
  • In 2020, 91.7% of total marketers were using social media marketing, while 62.3% of them were using influencer marketing.
  • In 2021, 91.9% of total marketers were using social media marketing, while 67.9% of them were using influencer marketing.
  • In 2022, 92.1% of total marketers were using social media marketing, while 72.5% of them were using influencer marketing.

Note: companies with 100+ employees; includes both paid and unpaid (i.e., compensation in the form of free product or trips) brand-influencer partnerships

Source: eMarketer, Nov 2020

Creator management is increasingly going hand-in-hand with social media marketing. 

16. In January 2021, more than 60% of marketers stated they planned to increase creator spending.

(Source: eMarketer)

An additional 20% of marketers said that they would keep their 2020 influencer marketing budget intact for the new year. Only 19% of brands either planned to decrease their budget or were undecided.

21 Statistics on why consumers trust social media influencers

1. 80% of consumers complete a purchase after seeing an influencer recommend that product on social media.

(Source: Oberlo)

Though followers may not know their favorite creators personally, they see those creators as honest and trustworthy. Influencer marketing is an effective way to spread digital word-of-mouth.

2. More than half of consumers state that word-of-mouth and social media are their preferred ways to discover new brands.

(Source: GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers)

3. Regardless of the creator’s follower count, almost 70% of consumers are bothered when that creator lacks transparency about a sponsored post.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 6

Image via GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers

  • Nearly 70% are bothered by a lack of transparency
  • 20% would stop following an influencer if they didn’t disclose paid promotions

The results demonstrate that certain aspects of an influencer’s size & content can impact how highly a consumer trusts that influencer overall.

Regardless of an influencer’s follower count, nearly 70% of participants note that they are bothered when an influencer doesn’t specify that a brand is sponsoring a post.

It’s not that consumers hate being marketed to, it’s that they want brands and influencers to be up front about what they post and why. Adding the appropriate hashtags (#sponsored) and disclaimers helps you and your creator partners be transparent with your audience.

4. As many as half of social media users don’t equate followers size with influencer trustworthiness.

(Source: GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers)

When it comes to follower counts, bigger isn’t always better. By taking a closer look at how that influencer connects with their followers, you can get a better sense of how they can help you reach your goals.

5. 46% of consumers prefer to follow creators that look and act like “everyday people.”

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 7

Image via GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers

  • 46% of respondents are drawn to follow everyday people.
  • 36% of respondents are drawn to a mix of everyday folks & celebrities.
  • Only 10.3% of respondents favor celebs.

6. More than half of social media users report that an influencer’s follower count does not impact their decision to take action on product endorsements.

(Source: GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers)

7. 60% of consumers say that they are more likely to trust influencer endorsements when that influencer regularly engages follower comments.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 8

Image via GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers

  • 30% of respondents say they sometimes interact with an influencer post or privately message them before their purchase.
  • 41% of respondents say that they rarely or never engage the influencer before buying.
  • 60% of respondents confirm that an influencer’s engagement with follower comments (endorsements) impacts whether or not they trust in that creator.

60% of respondents indicate that while followers don’t usually interact with an influencer when making a purchase inspired by a paid promotion, influencers can nurture trust with that audience by responding to follower comments with likes, comments, and DMs prior to using their content to promote brand and products.

When creators interact regularly with their followers, it nurtures a genuine connection that results in greater engagement and conversions.

8. Gen Z-ers and Millennials are the top U.S. consumers most interested in influencer-recommended products and services.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 9

Image via eMarketer

Attitude of US Adults Toward Influencers, by Generation, July 2021

% of respondents in each group

Expose me to new products or services

  • Gen Z (18-24): 58%
  • Millennials (25-39): 53%
  • Gen X (40-54): 42%
  • Baby boomers (55+): 23%

Make me more likely to purchase new products or services

  • Gen Z (18-24): 38%
  • Millennials (25-39): 40%
  • Gen X (40-54): 29%
  • Baby boomers (55+): 9%

Influence my perception of a product or service

  • Gen Z (18-24): 33%
  • Millennials (25-39): 31%
  • Gen X (40-54): 30%
  • Baby boomers (55+): 17%

Do not engage with influencers

  • Gen Z (18-24): 9%
  • Millennials (25-39): 14%
  • Gen X (40-54): 24%
  • Baby boomers (55+): 46%

Other

  • Gen Z (18-24): 1%
  • Millennials (25-39): 0%
  • Gen X (40-54): 0%
  • Baby boomers (55+): 2%

None

  • Gen Z (18-24): 9%
  • Millennials (25-39): 6%
  • Gen X (40-54): 13%
  • Baby boomers (55+): 17%

Source: R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, “The (Un)Expected Report,” Oct 5, 2021

The next generation of buyers overwhelmingly favor products and brands endorsed by creators that they trust.

9. Men trust influencer endorsements slightly more than women. 

(Source: GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers)

When it comes to influencer trust, 26% of men seem to be more trusting of influencers for purchasing decisions, compared to 13% of women.

10. Men who trust creator endorsements tend to spend more per purchase than women.

(Source: GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers)

Studies show that men are likely to spend $500 more than women when an influencer promotes a product.

11. 70% of consumers say they follow more than 10 influencers.

(Source: GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers)

12. Almost 25% of consumers will unfollow a creator if they feel that they can’t trust them to be honest and authentic.

(Source: GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers)

Authenticity remains the single greatest factor when it comes to influencer marketing success.

13. The number one reason why followers don’t trust an influencer occurs when that influencer promotes products that they don’t genuinely care about.

(Source: GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers)

14. More than 40% of social media users say they prefer influencer reviews when considering whether to make a purchase.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 10

Image via GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers

42% of respondents say they prefer an influencer review when looking to an influencer for information prior to purchase.

15. Over 80% of consumers are more inclined to buy products that creators promote.

(Source: GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers)

Online buying can be tricky for those who prefer to see or handle products in real life before making a purchase. But when a creator that they trust uses and praises a product, consumers are more likely to take a chance on that brand.

16. More than 90% of consumers engage influencers on a weekly basis on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.\

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 11

Image via Statista

Share of consumers engaging with influencers weekly on selected social media platforms in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States as of August 2020

Influencer engagement rates worldwide 2020, by platform
  • 94% of the share of responding consumers engaged with influencers on Instagram.
  • 95% of the share of responding consumers engaged with influencers on YouTube.
  • 95% of the share of responding consumers engaged with influencers on TikTok.
  • 92% of the share of responding consumers engaged with influencers on Snapchat.
  • 87% of the share of responding consumers engaged with influencers on Pinterest.
  • 83% of the share of responding consumers engaged with influencers on Twitch.
  • 75% of the share of responding consumers engaged with influencers on Triller.

17. More than 60% of American travelers consulted their favorite influencers for their next destination.

(Source: Statista)

These consumers reported that they “often” or “sometimes” sought recommendations from travel influencers, while an additional 22% stated that they also do so on rare occasions. Of all those surveyed, only 15% said that they didn’t consult influencers at all before planning trips.

18. 70% of social media live stream viewers in the U.S. said they were “likely to buy products from influencers.”

(Source: eMarketer)

Brands are increasingly interested in live streaming features on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch.

19. 40% of Twitch users in the U.S. credit their purchase to a creator’s recommendation.

(Source: Statista)

20. 34% of TikTok users in the U.S. credit their purchase to a creator’s recommendation.

(Source: Statista)

21. 25% of Instagram users in the U.S. credit their purchase to a creator’s recommendation.

(Source: Statista)

8 Statistics on creator management

1. In-house influencer marketing programs consistently outperform those that use agencies and marketplaces.

(Source: Forbes)

Strong brand-influencer relationships keep campaigns authentic and creator excitement high. The “middle man” approach to influencer marketing often results in transactional relationships that alienate buyers.

2. More than 15% of brands spend over half their marketing budget on creator partnerships.

(Source: BigCommerce)

3. Influencer marketers consider their leading challenges to be measuring campaign performance and influencer ROI.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 12

Image via eMarketer

Leading Challenges with Influencer Marketing According to US Marketers, June 2020

% of respondents
  • 79% of respondents consider measurement the leading challenge with influencer marketing.
  • 76% of respondents consider ROI the leading challenge with influencer marketing.
  • 63% of respondents consider tapping into newer channels, such as Twitch and TikTok, the leading challenge with influencer marketing.
  • 59% of respondents consider finding the right influencers the leading challenge with influencer marketing.
  • 50% of respondents consider keeping up with new trends to stay relevant the leading challenge with influencer marketing.
  • 48% of respondents consider building an always-on strategy the leading challenge with influencer marketing.
  • 42% of respondents consider legal compliance and discourse the leading challenge with influencer marketing.

Many marketers are still trying to track their creator campaigns across several different tools and spreadsheets. Creator management is shifting toward leveraging intuitive automation tools that can accurately attribute influencer performance.

4. More than ¾ of influencer marketers use social post engagement as their main approach to tracking campaign performance.

(Source: eMarketer)

Brands that are investing more resources into creator management are learning how to measure campaign performance across all stages of the marketing funnel. This approach allows them to gather more metrics to better calculate influencer ROI.

5. Nearly 60% of influencer marketers say they have difficulty identifying the right creator for their brand.

(Source: eMarketer)

Recruiting the right creators makes all the difference in your campaign performance. Scaling your program often means incorporating better outreach and relationship management tools for your brand.

6. 30% of influencer marketers work with celebrities.

(Source: Mediakix)

7. Over 80% of influencer marketers consider a creator’s content quality to be the biggest consideration when negotiating rates.

(Source: BigCommerce)

8. More than 90% of influencer marketers prefer Instagram over all other platforms.

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Image via Statista

Share of marketers planning to use selected platforms for influencer marketing in the United States as of March 2021

Most popular social media for influencer marketing in the U.S. 2021
  • 93% of the share of respondents plan to use Instagram for influencer marketing in the United States as of March 2021.
  • 83% of the share of respondents plan to use Instagram stories for influencer marketing in the United States as of March 2021.
  • 68% of the share of respondents plan to use TikTok for influencer marketing in the United States as of March 2021.
  • 68% of the share of respondents plan to use Facebook for influencer marketing in the United States as of March 2021.
  • 48% of the share of respondents plan to use YouTube for influencer marketing in the United States as of March 2021.
  • 36% of the share of respondents plan to use Instagram Reels for influencer marketing in the United States as of March 2021.
  • 35% of the share of respondents plan to use Pinterest for influencer marketing in the United States as of March 2021.
  • 32% of the share of respondents plan to use Twitter for influencer marketing in the United States as of March 2021.
  • 26% of the share of respondents plan to use Snapchat for influencer marketing in the United States as of March 2021.
  • 25% of the share of respondents plan to use Blogs for influencer marketing in the United States as of March 2021.
  • 13% of the share of respondents plan to use Twitch for influencer marketing in the United States as of March 2021.

12 Statistics on preferred social platforms and content types in influencer marketing

1. Instagram is still the leading platform for influencer marketing and creator partnerships.

(Source: BigCommerce)

2. TikTok is the fastest-growing channel in the history of social media.

(Source: CNBC)

Owned by China’s ByteDance, TikTok officially launched in 2016 and is now a global sensation.

3. Facebook is still the most widely used social media platform in the U.S.

(Source: Statista)

4. Highly-visual platforms (images, memes, videos, infographics, etc.) consistently outperform those that are less visual.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 14

Image via GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers

Most Popular Social Commerce Platforms

  • 54% of respondents use Instagram
  • 71% of respondents use Facebook
  • 63% of respondents use YouTube
  • 54% of respondents use Snapchat
  • 49% of respondents use TikTok
  • 45% of respondents use Twitter
  • 37% of respondents use Reddit
  • 33% of respondents use LinkedIn

5. Sponsored video posts are the most expensive type of influencer-generated content.

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Image via eMarketer

Instagram Influencer Rates Worldwide, by Influencer Tier and Content Type, Aug 2020

Nano influencer (500-5,000 followers)

  • $111 per video
  • $65 per post
  • $53 per story

Micro influencer (5,000-30,000 followers)

  • $261 per video
  • $170 per post
  • $100 per story

Power influencer (30,000-500,000 followers)

  • $960 per video
  • $535 per post
  • $222 per story

Celebrity influencer (500,000+ followers)

  • $4,678 per video
  • $2,738 per post
  • $1,205 per story

Note: represents rate that influencers charge brands

Source: Klear, “2020 Influencer Pricing Report,” Nov 11, 2020

The average micro influencer video costs $261, compared to $170 per sponsored post. This cost gap increases among macro and celebrity influencers. That said, most influencer marketers consider creator videos their most profitable campaigns on social media.

6. The percentage of marketers who use TikTok for creator partnerships jumped by more than 50% between 2020 and 2021.

(Source: eMarketer)

7. With the exception of Twitter and Facebook, brand-influencer partnerships have increased in every leading social media channel between 2020 and 2021.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 16

Image via eMarketer

Which Social Media Platforms Are US Marketers Planning to Use for Influencer Marketing?

% of respondents, Dec 2019 vs. March 2021

Instagram

  • 97% of respondents planned to use in Dec 2019
  • 93% of respondents planned to use in March 2021

Instagram Stories

  • 83% of respondents planned to use in Dec 2019
  • 73% of respondents planned to use in March 2021

TikTok

  • 16% of respondents planned to use in Dec 2019
  • 68% of respondents planned to use in March 2021

Facebook

  • 79% of respondents planned to use in Dec 2019
  • 68% of respondents planned to use in March 2021

YouTube

  • 44% of respondents planned to use in Dec 2019
  • 48% of respondents planned to use in March 2021

Instagram Reels

  • -% of respondents planned to use in Dec 2019
  • 36% of respondents planned to use in March 2021

Pinterest 

  • 29% of respondents planned to use in Dec 2019
  • 35% of respondents planned to use in March 2021

Twitter

  • 35% of respondents planned to use in Dec 2019
  • 32% of respondents planned to use in March 2021

Snapchat

  • 16% of respondents planned to use in Dec 2019
  • 26% of respondents planned to use in March 2021

Blogs

  • 24% of respondents planned to use in Dec 2019
  • 25% of respondents planned to use in March 2021

Twitch

  • 5% of respondents planned to use in Dec 2019
  • 13% of respondents planned to use in March 2021

Source: Linqia, “The State of Influencer Marketing 2021,” April 20, 2021

8. Informative creator posts, such as product reviews and how-to videos, are the most popular types of content on social media.

(Source: Mediakix)

9. Between February 2020 and January 2021, Twitch streaming increased by more than 160%.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 17

Image via Statista

Number of active streamers on Twitch worldwide from January 2018 to December 2022 (in millions)

01/2018: 2.97 million

02/2018: 2.89 million

03/2018: 3.7 million

04/2018: 3.32 million

05/2018: 3.06 million

06/2018: 3.15 million

07/2018: 2.96 million

08/2018: 3.71 million

09/2018: 3.67 million

10/2018: 3.65 million

11/2018: 3.74 million

12/2018: 4.12 million

01/2019: 4.54 million

02/2019: 4.21 million

03/2019: 4.39 million

04/2019: 4.18 million

05/2019: 3.93 million

06/2019: 3.4 million

07/2019: 3.36 million

08/2019: 3.19 million

09/2019: 2.94 million

10/2019: 2.97 million

11/2019: 3.2 million

12/2019: 3.35 million

01/2020: 3.94 million

02/2020: 3.75 million

03/2020: 5.08 million

04/2020: 7.21 million

05/2020: 7.4 million

06/2020: 7.16 million

07/2020: 7.46 million

08/2020: 7.71 million

09/2020: 7.76 million

10/2020: 7.84 million

11/2020: 8.55 million

12/2020: 9.24 million

01/2021: 9.89 million

02/2021: 9.52 million

03/2021: 9.6 million

04/2021: 9.36 million

05/2021: 9.02 million

06/2021: 8.28 million

07/2021: 8.34 million

08/2021: 8.07 million

09/2021: 7.45 million

10/2021: 7.28 million

11/2021: 7.13 million

12/2021: 7.57 million

01/2022: 8.56 million

02/2022: 8.43 million

03/2022: 8.07 million

04/2022: 7.68 million

05/2022: 7.25 million

06/2022: 7.47 million

07/2022: 8.04 million

08/2022: 7.8 million

09/2022: 7.12 million

10/2022: 7.13 million

11/2022: 6.94 million

12/2022: 7.03 million

Source: TwitchTracker

Additional Information: Worldwide; January 2018 to December 2022

In the last few years, Twitch has become home to thousands of talented live streamers across several industries, including gaming, music, food, and more.

10. TikTok traffic doubled between 2019 and 2021.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 18

Image via Statista

Number of monthly active users (MAU) of TikTok worldwide from January 2018 to September 2021 (in millions)

January 2018: 55

December 2018: 271

December 2019: 508

July 2020: 689

September 2021: 1,000

Sources: Reuters; TikTok

Additional Information: Worldwide; TikTok; January 2018 to September 2021

TikTok officially reached 1 billion monthly active users (MAUs) in September 2021, a milestone only a few social platforms have achieved.

11. Experts predict that the number of Instagram users will reach 1.2 billion by 2023.

(Source: Statista)

12. There are currently almost 3 billion monthly active users on Facebook.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 19

Image via Statista

Number of monthly active Facebook users worldwide as of 4th quarter 2022

(in millions)

Q3 2008: 100

Q1 2009: 197

Q2 2009: 242

Q3 2009: 305

Q4 2009: 360

Q1 2010: 431

Q2 2010: 482

Q3 2010: 550

Q4 2010: 608

Q1 2011: 680

Q2 2011: 739

Q3 2011: 800

Q4 2011: 845

Q1 2012: 901

Q2 2012: 955

Q3 2012: 1,007

Q4 2012: 1,056

Q1 2013: 1,110

Q2 2013: 1,155

Q3 2013: 1,189

Q4 2013: 1,228

Q1 2014: 1,276

Q2 2014: 1,317

Q3 2014: 1,350

Q4 2014: 1,393

Q1 2015: 1,441

Q2 2015: 1,490

Q3 2015: 1,545

Q4 2015: 1,591

Q1 2016: 1,654

Q2 2016: 1,712

Q3 2016: 1,788

Q4 2016: 1,860

Q1 2017: 1,936

Q2 2017: 2,006

Q3 2017: 2,072

Q4 2017: 2,129

Q1 2018: 2,196

Q2 2018: 2,234

Q3 2018: 2,271

Q4 2018: 2,320

Q1 2019: 2,375

Q2 2019: 2,414

Q3 2019: 2,449

Q4 2019: 2,498

Q1 2020: 2,603

Q2 2020: 2,701

Q3 2020: 2,740

Q4 2020: 2,797

Q1 2021: 2,853

Q2 2021: 2,895

Q3 2021: 2,910

Q4 2021: 2,912

Q1 2022: 2,936

Q2 2022: 2,934

Q3 2022: 2,958

Q4 2022: 2,963

Source: Meta Platforms

Additional Information: Worldwide; Meta Platforms; Q3 2008 to Q4 2022

19 Statistics about social media creators

1. Experts believe that there are about 50 million social media creators around the globe.

(Source: eMarketer)

These users are self-professed creators who leverage one or more social channels to produce original content for audiences on a regular basis.

2. There are between 2 and 40 million influencers on Instagram.

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Image via Mediakix

Instagram Influencer Size | How Many Instagram Influencers Are There?

  • There are between 20,000 and 40,000 Instagram influencers with over 1 million followers.
  • There are between 300,000 and 2 million Instagram influencers with over 100,000 followers.
  • There are between 2 million and 37 million Instagram influencers with over 1,000 followers.

3. 87% of Instagram creators have between 1,000 and 50,000 followers.

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Image via Mediakix

Instagram Influencer Tier Distribution

  • 54% of Instagram influencers are nano influencers that have between 1,000 and 10,000 followers.
  • 33% of Instagram influencers are micro influencers that have between 10,000 and 50,000 followers.
  • 11% of Instagram influencers are mid-tier influencers that have between 50,000 and 500,000 followers.
  • Less than 1% of Instagram influencers are macro influencers that have between 500,000 and 1 million followers.
  • Less than 1% of Instagram influencers are mega influencers that have more than 1 million followers.

Conversely, less than 13% of Instagram creators achieve more than 50,000 followers.

4. There are between 1.5 and 5 million influencers on YouTube.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 22

Image via Mediakix

YouTube Influencer Size | How Many YouTube Influencers Are There?

  • There are between 3,000 and 23,000 YouTube influencers with over 1 million subscribers.
  • There are between 31,000 and 220,000 YouTube influencers with more than 100,000 subscribers.
  • There are between 1.5 and 5 million YouTube influencers with more than 1,000 subscribers.

5. 97% of YouTube creators have between 1,000 and 100,000 followers.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 23

Image via Mediakix

YouTube Influencer Tier Distribution

  • 38% of YouTube influencers are nano influencers that have between 1,000 and 10,000 subscribers.
  • 39% of YouTube influencers are micro influencers that have between 10,000 and 50,000 subscribers.
  • 20% of YouTube influencers are mid-tier influencers that have between 50,000 and 500,000 subscribers.
  • Less than 2% of YouTube influencers are macro influencers that have between 500,000 and 1 million subscribers.
  • Less than 1% of YouTube influencers are mega influencers that have more than 1 million subscribers.

It is extremely difficult to become a macro influencer on YouTube. Currently less than 3% of all YouTube creators have more than 100,000 subscribers.

6. There are between 10,000 and 95,000 influencers on TikTok.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 24

Image via Mediakix

TikTok Influencer Size | How Many TikTok Influencers Are There?

  • There are between 2,000 and 15,000 TikTok influencers with over 1 million followers.
  • There are between 3,000 and 30,000 TikTok influencers with more than 100,000 followers.
  • There are between 5,000 and 50,000 TikTok influencers with more than 1,000 followers.

7. 40% of TikTok creators have more than 500,000 followers.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 25

Image via Mediakix

TikTok Influencer Tier Distribution

  • 15% of TikTok influencers are nano influencers that have between 1,000 and 10,000 followers.
  • 16% of TikTok influencers are micro influencers that have between 10,000 and 50,000 followers.
  • 29% of TikTok influencers are mid-tier influencers that have between 50,000 and 500,000 followers.
  • 4% of TikTok influencers are macro influencers that have between 500,000 and 1 million followers.
  • 36% of TikTok influencers are mega influencers that have more than 1 million followers.

TikTok is the social channel with the highest percentage of mega influencers.

8. In 2020, black creators were among the highest paid influencers in the U.S. on average.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 26

Image via Statista

Average cost paid per influencer marketing post in the United States in 2020, by ethnicity (in U.S. dollars)

Average amount paid per influencer marketing post in the U.S. 2020, by ethnicity

African American: 1,773 U.S. dollars per influencer marketing post

Non-White other: 1,679 U.S. dollars per influencer marketing post

Asian: 1,582 U.S. dollars per influencer marketing post

Hispanic: 1,330 U.S. dollars per influencer marketing post

Caucasian: 1,202 U.S. dollars per influencer marketing post

Thanks to more calls for inclusivity among creators, influencer marketing is one the first marketing tactics to specifically target minority groups and marginalized communities.

9. 75% of creators are only interested in working with brands that align with their values.

(Source: Statista)

Creators understand their audiences better than most brands. That’s why partnering with the right influencer is the most critical part of any campaign.

10. Nearly 80% of creators generate additional income on top of brand partnerships.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 27

Image via eMarketer

Have US Influencers Felt the Need to Seek Alternative Income Outside of Campaign Work with Brands?

% of respondents, April 2021

  • 79.8% of respondents indicated that they felt the need to seek alternative income outside of campaign work with brands.
  • 20.2% of respondents indicated that they didn’t feel the need to seek alternative income outside of campaign work with brands.

Source: Mavrck, “Creator Pulse Survey,” April 29, 2021

Some influencers maintain day jobs or leverage other creator income opportunities like Patreon or tipping.

11. Brand collaborations remain the leading source of influencer income.

(Source: eMarketer)

Nearly 70% of all reported influencer income comes from brand-creator partnerships in 2021. Affiliate partnerships account for another 10% of creator income. 

12. Half of the top 10 wealthiest YouTube creators are gamer influencers.

(Source: Mediakix)

13. Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid influencer on Instagram.

(Source: The Guardian)

14. Cristiano Ronaldo is the Instagram influencer with the largest engaged audience with over 366 million followers.

(Source: GRIN’s Creator Discovery Suite)

15. Cristiano Ronaldo is the Instagram influencer with the highest number of authentic engagements.

(Source: GRIN’s Creator Discovery Suite)

Cristiano rakes in an astounding 9 million engagements with an average engagement rate of 2.4%.

16. Charli D’amelio is the TikTok influencer with the largest engaged audience with over 129 million followers.

(Source: GRIN’s Creator Discovery Suite)

17. Khaby Lame is currently the fastest-growing creator on both Instagram and TikTok.

(Source: GRIN’s Creator Discovery Suite)

Between the two platforms, Khaby has over 175 million engaged followers. 

18. Felix Kjellberg, also known as PewDiePie, has the most subscribers on YouTube with over 110 million active fans.

(Source: GRIN’s Creator Discovery Suite)

19. The top three industries for YouTube creators are tech, gaming, and food/beverage.

(Source: Statista)

These three industries account for an influencer media value (IMV) of $360 million (tech), $190 million (gaming), and $130 million (food/beverage).

11 Consumer behavior statistics in influencer marketing

1. Gen Z-ers and Millennials spend an average of 2.5 hours on social media every day.

(Source: Mediakix)

2. 75% of surveyed adolescents said they wanted to be YouTubers when they grow up.

(Source: Mediakix)

For the first time in history, being a full-time social media creator is a viable career option for the current and next generation of teens and adults.

3. 70% of TikTok users in the U.S. are under the age of 40.

(Source: Statista)

TikTok currently serves the youngest consumer audience online today and is the most popular social channel for those under 25.

4. 67% of Twitch users in the U.S. are men.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 28

Image via Statista

5. The most popular Twitch demographic in the U.S. are consumers between the ages of 25-34 years old.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 29

Image via Statista

  • 33% of Twitch users in the US are between 18 and 24 years old.
  • 34% of Twitch users in the US are between 25 and 34 years old.
  • 21% of Twitch users in the US are between 35 and 44 years old.
  • 9% of Twitch users in the US are between 45 and 54 years old.
  • 3% of Twitch users in the US are between 55 and 64 years old.

6. 40% of Twitch users in the U.S. are considered high-income consumers.

(Source: Statista)

7. The top three hobbies for Twitch consumers are video games, music, and tech.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 30

Image via Statista

Top 10 hobbies and interests of Twitch users in the U.S.

Video games

  • 74% of brand users
  • 41% of category users
  • 37% total

Music

  • 64% of brand users
  • 56% of category users
  • 53% total

Technology/computers

  • 58% of brand users
  • 30% of category users
  • 28% total

Food

  • 48% of brand users
  • 51% of category users
  • 48% total

Reading/writing

  • 44% of brand users
  • 42% of category users
  • 40% total

Pets

  • 41% of brand users
  • 39% of category users
  • 37% total

Arts and crafts

  • 39% of brand users
  • 31% of category users
  • 29% total

Travel

  • 37% of brand users
  • 39% of category users
  • 38% total

Watching sports

  • 35% of brand users
  • 30% of category users
  • 29% total

Health and fitness

  • 31% of brand users
  • 33% of category users
  • 32% total

8. 54% of U.S. TikTok users are women.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 31

Image via Statista

9. The top three hobbies for TikTok consumers are music, food, and video games.

(Source: Statista)

Influencer marketing statistics bar graph of top 10 hobbies and interests of TikTok users in the US
Image via Statista

Top 10 hobbies and interests of TikTok users in the U.S.

Music

  • 66% of brand users
  • 56% of category users
  • 53% total

Food

  • 54% of brand users
  • 51% of category users
  • 48% total

Video games

  • 51% of brand users
  • 41% of category users
  • 37% total

Pets

  • 42% of brand users
  • 39% of category users
  • 37% total

Travel

  • 41% of brand users
  • 39% of category users
  • 38% total

Reading/writing

  • 40% of brand users
  • 42% of category users
  • 40% total

Health and fitness

  • 37% of brand users
  • 33% of category users
  • 32% total

Arts and crafts

  • 36% of brand users
  • 31% of category users
  • 29% total

Technology/computers

  • 36% of brand users
  • 30% of category users
  • 28% total

Socializing

  • 36% of brand users
  • 28% of category users
  • 24% total

10. 52% of U.S. Instagram users are female.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 32

Image via Statista

11. 54% of U.S. Facebook users are female.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 33

Image via Statista

14 Social commerce statistics for influencer marketers

1. 95% of consumers surveyed said that they purchased products through Facebook and Instagram.

(Source: GRIN Report: Power of Influencer Marketing in Numbers)

Facebook Marketplace (servicing both Facebook and Instagram) is the most sophisticated social commerce platform today.

2. The average order value of purchases made through social media is $81.

(Source: Statista)

3. Between 2019 and 2021, the number of social commerce buyers in the U.S. increased by 40%.

(Source: eMarketer)

In 2021, there are approximately 90 million social buyers compared to 64 million in 2019.

4. Experts predict that there will be more than 100 million U.S. social commerce buyers by 2023.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 34

Image via eMarketer

US Social Commerce Buyers, 2019-2025

millions, % change, and % of US social network users

2019

  • Social commerce buyers: 60.8
  • % change: 19.1%
  • % of US social network users: 31.2%

2020

  • Social commerce buyers: 79.9
  • % change: 31.3%
  • % of US social network users: 39.4%

2021

  • Social commerce buyers: 96.9
  • % change: 21.3%
  • % of US social network users: 46.7%

2022

  • Social commerce buyers: 102.6
  • % change: 5.9%
  • % of US social network users: 48.7%

2023

  • Social commerce buyers: 107.6
  • % change: 4.9%
  • % of US social network users: 50.3%

2024

  • Social commerce buyers: 111.2
  • % change: 3.4%
  • % of US social network users: 51.3%

2025

  • Social commerce buyers: 114.3
  • % change: 2.8%
  • % of US social network users: 114.3%

Note: ages 14+; social network users who have made at least one purchase via any social channel, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Line, WeChat, VK, and others, including links and transactions on the platform itself, during the calendar year; including online, mobile, and tablet purchases

Source: eMarketer, July 2022

5. Between 2019 and 2021, the amount of social commerce sales in the U.S. increased by 86%.

(Source: eMarketer)

Experts anticipate more than $36 billion in social sales by the end of 2021, compared to just under $20 billion in 2019.

6. Experts predict that there will be more than $52.5 billion in U.S. social commerce sales by 2023.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 35

Image via eMarketer

US Retail Social Commerce Sales, 2019-2025

billions, % change, and % of total US ecommerce sales

2019

  • Social commerce sales: $19.42
  • % change: 25.2%
  • % of total US ecommerce sales: 3.2%

2020

  • Social commerce sales: $26.97
  • % change: 38.9%
  • % of total US ecommerce sales: 3.3%

2021

  • Social commerce sales: $39.51
  • % change: 46.5%
  • % of total US ecommerce sales: 4.1%

2022

  • Social commerce sales: $53.10
  • % change: 34.4%
  • % of total US ecommerce sales: 5.1%

2023

  • Social commerce sales: $68.92
  • % change: 29.8%
  • % of total US ecommerce sales: 5.9%

2024

  • Social commerce sales: $86.70
  • % change: 25.8%
  • % of total US ecommerce sales: 6.6%

2025

  • Social commerce sales: $107.17
  • % change: 23.6%
  • % of total US ecommerce sales: 7.2%

Note: includes products or services ordered via social networks and messaging apps, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest WeChat, Line, VK, and others, regardless of the method of payment or fulfillment; excludes travel and event tickets, tips, subscriptions, payments, such as bill pay, taxes, or money transfers, food services and drinking place sales, gambling and other vice goods sales

Source: eMarketer, July 2022

7. Social commerce sales in the U.S. are expected to reach $80 billion by 2025.

(Source: Statista)

8. Fashion is the top industry for social commerce.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 36

Image via eMarketer

Top 10 US Retail Categories, by Share of Social Actions*, Oct 1-31, 2020

% of total
  • Apparel & accessories: 55.7%
  • Consumer electronics: 15.4%
  • Sporting goods & equipment: 8.3%
  • Restaurants: 4.1%
  • Toys & games: 2.7% 
  • Art & collectibles: 2.1%
  • Music, movies & videos: 1.9%
  • Home & garden: 1.7%
  • Online retail: 1.6%
  • Furniture, appliances & equipment: 1.5%

Note: includes Facebook, Instagram and Twitter; *actions include all content and post-level reactions, comments, shares, retweets, likes, and dislikes

Source: Shareablee, Nov 16, 2020

9. 86% of influencer marketers are actively using shoppability features within social media platforms.

Influencer marketing statistics pie chart of share of marketers enabling shoppability functions in influencer marketing campaigns in the US as of March 2021
Image via Statista

Share of marketers enabling shoppability functions in influencer marketing campaigns in the Untied States as of March 2021

Usage of shoppability in influencer marketing in the U.S. 2021

  • 86% enabling shoppability functions
  • 14% not enabling shoppability functions

These features include in-app shopping, shoppable image ads, digital price tags, AR filters, and more.

10. Between 2020 and 2021, social commerce sales increased by $10 billion.

(Source: Statista)

11. Over 90% of brands now use social media to market their products and services.

(Source: Statista)

12. In January 2021, more than half of marketers planned to increase spending on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 37

Image via Statista

Planned changes in use of selected social media for marketing purposes worldwide as of January 2021

Instagram

  • Increase: 64%
  • Stay the same: 23% 
  • Decrease: 4% 
  • No plans to utilize: 9% 

YouTube

  • Increase: 62%
  • Stay the same: 21% 
  • Decrease: 2% 
  • No plans to utilize: 15% 

LinkedIn

  • Increase: 54%
  • Stay the same: 25% 
  • Decrease: 3% 
  • No plans to utilize: 18% 

Facebook

  • Increase: 47%
  • Stay the same: 37% 
  • Decrease: 12% 
  • No plans to utilize: 3% 

Twitter

  • Increase: 29%
  • Stay the same: 34% 
  • Decrease: 8% 
  • No plans to utilize: 29% 

TikTok

  • Increase: 21%
  • Stay the same: 9% 
  • Decrease: 2% 
  • No plans to utilize: 38%

Snapchat

  • Increase: 6%
  • Stay the same: 10% 
  • Decrease: 4% 
  • No plans to utilize: 80% 

Source

Social Media Examiner 

Statista 2021

Additional Information:

Worldwide; Social Media Examiner; January 2021; 4,394 marketers; Email survey

13. Despite TikTok being the fastest-growing social channel in history, 80% of marketers had no plans to utilize the channel in 2021.

(Source: Statista)

This data reveals that many brands are unsure about how to utilize this new channel. Brands that leverage this platform early have a clear advantage over their competitors, particularly when reaching younger audiences.

14. Facebook has the highest conversion rate for brands leveraging social commerce tools.

101 Vitally Important Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know Today 38

Image via eMarketer

US Social Commerce Add-to-Cart Conversion Rates, by Platform, 2020

% of total

Facebook

  • Overall conversion rate: 34.1%
  • Upper-funnel conversion rate: 30.1%
  • Lower-funnel conversion rate: 38.5%

Instagram

  • Overall conversion rate: 16.9%
  • Upper-funnel conversion rate: 7.0%
  • Lower-funnel conversion rate: 36.4%

Pinterest

  • Overall conversion rate: 6.0%
  • Upper-funnel conversion rate: 5.7%
  • Lower-funnel conversion rate: 7.7%

Twitter

  • Overall conversion rate: 5.5%
  • Upper-funnel conversion rate: 3.8%
  • Lower-funnel conversion rate: 8.7%

YouTube

  • Overall conversion rate: 5.4%
  • Upper-funnel conversion rate: 4.9%
  • Lower-funnel conversion rate: 7.8%

TikTok

  • Overall conversion rate: 3.0%
  • Upper-funnel conversion rate: 2.6%
  • Lower-funnel conversion rate: -%

Snapchat

  • Overall conversion rate: 1.7%
  • Upper-funnel conversion rate: 1.8%
  • Lower-funnel conversion rate: 1.5%

Note: conversion based on “add-to-cart” behavior from ad-exposed individuals who clicked through to the ecommerce experience; 70% of media visits were to upper-funnel campaigns and 30% were to lower-funnel campaigns

Source: MikMak; Jan 12, 2021

High conversion rates for Facebook and Instagram result primarily from Facebook Marketplace’s advanced social commerce features. 

Conclusion

The evidence for influencer marketing as a leading digital marketing strategy is overwhelming. As traditional marketing tactics lose effectiveness, it is more important than ever that brands find better ways to connect with their customers. These influencer marketing statistics demonstrate that creator partnerships pave the way for better brand-consumer relationships.

Learn more about influencer marketing: Influencer Marketing 101

Updated: June 2023

Updated: June 2022

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Written by GRIN Contributor

GRIN is the pioneer behind the world’s first Creator Management platform built to support every brand’s journey to connecting with consumers through authentic creator relationships. Thousands of the world’s fastest-growing brands—including SKIMS, Warby Parker, Allbirds, Mejuri, and MVMT—use GRIN to make creators feel like trusted, empowered partners and work with them to build their brands into household names.

© Grin Technologies Inc. 2022. All rights reserved.

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