21+ Influencer Marketing Statistics and Trends for 2025

The idea of influencer marketing isn’t new. In fact, it existed long before social media came to reign. Brands began leveraging this concept by crafting campaigns with relatable characters to evoke consumer sympathy a long time before influencer marketing as we know it existed. However, the concept took a new swing once the digital era introduced a bunch of new opportunities. Here, we’ll reveal some astonishing influencer marketing statistics, as well as the most recent trends. 

Influencer Marketing Stats (Editor’s Choice)

• 93% of marketers are using influencer marketing.
• 89.2% of marketers who tried influencer marketing found it to be effective.
• Fashion (81.4%) is the most-developed influencer marketing industry.
• 51% of marketers work with up to 10 influencers a year.
• Sponsored Instagram posts are seeing 76% more likes after the COVID-19 outbreak.
• 84% of Instagram influencers are female.
• Micro-influencer campaigns drive 60% higher engagement.
• 58.5% of marketers aim to boost brand awareness with influencer marketing.

Influencer Marketing Growth 

1. Influencer marketing is the fastest-growing online customer-acquisition channel.

Stats on influencer marketing from Influencer Marketing Hub show that 28% of companies consider influencer marketing to be the fastest-growing online customer-acquisition channel, leaving organic and paid search, as well as email marketing behind. Only 3% of the surveyed companies rated affiliate marketing as their fastest-growing channel.

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

2. 93% of marketers are using influencer marketing. 

Almost all marketers have made influencer marketing part of their strategy which only proves the popularity of this method. Over 50% of them are using influencer marketing regularly, 25% are using it frequently, and one third have an ongoing influencer marketing strategy. 

(Social Publi)

3. Organizations collaborate with 660 million creators on average each year.

The number of creators organizations has doubled between 2017 and 2018 reaching 600 million and continued to grow at a slower rate to 660 million in 2019. 

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

4. Over the past three years, Google searches for “influencer marketing” grew by 1,500%.

We can all agree that influencer marketing has changed the industry and forced digital marketers to consider new approaches. Every webmaster and marketer wants to learn why it’s so important to build up relationships with their niche influencers, how the whole thing works, and what the benefits are. As a result, Google searches for the term “influencer marketing” spiked. According to the influencer marketing facts from an Influencer Marketing Hub research, there was a 325% increase in searches for “influencer marketing” in 2017, and only a year later the number rose by 1,500%.

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

Influencer Marketing Budget Statistics 

5. 55.3% of brands plan to increase their budget for influencer marketing over the next 12 months.

Interest in influencer marketing is growing at a rapid pace. Advertising experts worldwide have adopted this trend and are ready to invest more in the future, despite the COVID-19 crisis. 25.6% of the respondents are planning to maintain their marketing budgets, whereas 11.4% said they won’t be using influencer marketing. Only 7.7% of marketers will be reducing their influencer marketing budget.

(Social Publi)

6. 80% of organizations allocate at least 10% of their marketing budget to influencer marketing.

39% of organizations spend between 10% and 20% on influencer marketing. Influencer marketing statistics further show that 23% of companies are devoting 20-30% of their total marketing spending to influencer marketing and 16% are spending more than 30%. Only 22% are spending less than 10%. 

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

7. Most brands are spending less than $10,000 on influencer marketing. 

49% of brands are spending less than $10,000 per year on influencer marketing. 23% are spending between $10,000 and $50,000. 12% of marketers are devoting $50,000-$100,000, 7.5% $100,000-$500,000, and 8.6% are spending over $500,000. Multiple influencer marketing studies confirm that the amount spent on influencer marketing depends on the company size and the overall marketing budget. Additionally, companies that work with celebrities or mega-influencers are spending more than those that collaborate with micro- or nano-influencers. 

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

Influencer Marketing Industry Stats

8. Fashion (81.4%) is the most-developed influencer marketing industry.

A recent study conducted by Social Publi shows that Fashion (81.4%), Beauty (76.6%), and Lifestyle (59.2%) are the most amplified influencer marketing sectors. Travel (55.1%) and Food (41.9%) rank 4th and 5th, respectively. 

(Social Publi)

9. Economy and Finance (52.7%) is the least developed influencer marketing sector. 

When it comes to working with influencers, Economy and Finance (52.7%), Culture (38%), and Education (34.9%) are the three least developed sectors. 

(Social Publi)

10. 51% of marketers are aware of the FTC guidelines.

Since influencer marketing was propelled into the mainstream, we’ve witnessed many brands get fined for not complying with FTC guidelines on social media endorsements. While it seems that brands are becoming more and more aware of these regulations, only 14% of influencers were meeting all the requirements set by the FTC, according to influencer marketing data. 

(Influencer Marketing Hub, Linqia)

11. 39% of B2C companies have used influencers/other media relations for content distribution.

Nearly 40% of B2C marketers have leveraged influencers or other social media relations for content distribution in 2020. This is among the most preferred content distribution channels coming behind social media (93%), the organization’s blog (85%), and email (79%). 

(Content Marketing Institute)

12. 34% of B2B businesses have used influencers or third-party media to distribute content. 

When it comes to content distribution, the latest B2B influencer marketing statistics show that 34% of B2B marketers have leveraged the potential of influencers or third-party media. Social media (91%), blog/website (89%), and email (87%) are the preferred channels for B2B marketers, along with speaking/events (63%) and guest posts (48%).

(Content Marketing Institute)

13. 41% of marketers partner with influencer networks or “turn-key” providers to run their marketing programs.

Managing an influencer marketing program is time-consuming. As many marketers already have busy schedules, they prefer to partner up with a managed service to run their influencer marketing. According to the study, 18% trust their agencies to deal with this type of campaign. Additionally, 19% manage influencer programs in-house, 14% use a mixed approach, and 7% use a self-service platform.

(Linqia)

14. 67.6% of marketers consider finding relevant influencers their largest influencer marketing challenge.

A study on the state of influencer marketing conducted by Tapinfluence and Altimeter revealed that 67.6% of marketers struggle with finding influencers relevant to their brand and cause. 

(Businesswire)

15. 51% of marketers work with up to 10 influencers a year. 

Over a half of marketers engage with up to 10 influencers per year. 28% work with 10 to 50 influencers and 13% collaborate with 50 to 100 influencers. There are also brands (5%) that work with 100-1,000 influencers. A further 3% collaborates with over 1,000 influencers. 

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

16. 45% of influencers receive approximately four proposals for campaigns every month. 

An Influence.co study found that 44% of influencers get less than a quarter of the proposals and only 24% accept more than half of the offers they receive. Influencer marketing stats like these show that not only do you need to find influencers who are relevant to your brand, but you also need to pitch an offer they can’t refuse. 

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

17. 68% of bloggers prefer to work directly with brands instead of influencer marketing companies or networks. 

Nearly 80% of the pitches bloggers receive come from an influencer marketing agency or network representative. However, the majority of bloggers prefer being able to establish direct communication with the brand. 

(ExportData.io)

Influencer Marketing Effectiveness Statistics

18. 89.2% of marketers who tried influencer marketing found it to be an effective channel.

With the increased popularity of social media networks, the internet became the most significant source of mass media consumers have access to. Almost every marketer uses Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook to present their target audience with diverse content in different forms of media. 

(Social Publi)

19. 8 out of 10 consumers have purchased something after seeing it on an influencer.

Almost all consumers have bought a product after seeing it on a content creator. The power of influencers is unmatchable and this trend is set to continue. 

(Rakuten Marketing)

20. 65% of people are discovering new brands or products via influencers.

In the world we live in, influencers’ opinion is highly valued and there are many influencer marketing stats for brands to support this. For example, for 65% of people influencers are the main source for product/service discovery weekly. 24% of consumers are finding brands and products through influencers every day. What is more, nearly 30% of people would recommend influencers to their family and friends. 

(MediaKix)

21. For 22% of 18–34-year-olds, large purchase decisions have been shaped by an online influencer’s endorsement. 

Influencers are great for brands that try to tap the younger adult demographics. Adults aged between 18 and 34 are more likely to be influenced by online influencers. 22% of them have made a large purchase after seeing a sponsored post by an influencer.

(ClickZ)

22. For every $1 spent on influencer marketing, businesses are making $5.20 in earned media value.

Influencer marketing brings impressive returns and 42% of marketers think it provides the best ROI. Savvy business owners who understand how influencer marketing works can team up with the right influencer for their brand and earn up to $18 in media value for every $1 invested. The top 13% of businesses make north of $20, and only the bottom 25% are failing to monetize their influencer marketing efforts. 

(Influencer Marketing Hub, Social Publi)

23. 41% of marketers consider the ROI from influencer marketing to be comparable with other marketing channels.

As per influencer marketing ROI statistics, the larger portion of marketers believes that influencer marketing brings a comparable return on investment. 14% believe that it brings much better ROI and 34% rate influencer marketing ROI as better. On the other side, 10% of marketers think it’s worse and 1% rate it as much worse compared to other channels. 

(Smart Insights) 

24. 48% of brands consider the audience relationship to be the most valuable factor when collaborating with an influencer. 

What brands value most in terms of collaborating with an influencer is the impact they have on their audience. For 31% of the respondents, user-generated content is the most valued outcome of an influencer campaign, while 23% of the respondents love influencer marketing because influencers distribute brand-related content to their audience. 

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

25. For 37% of consumers, authenticity is the most important thing about sponsored posts. 

Influencer content dethroned brand-created content. 49% of consumers have reported they find brand-created ads “annoying or irrelevant.” On the other hand, influencer marketing statistics indicate that 82% of consumers are likely to follow an influencer recommendation, and 67% of them didn’t have a negative comment about sponsored influencer content. 

(Tribe)

26. 60% of marketers think influencer content performs as good as or better than their branded content. 

Only 12% of marketers think influencer content underperforms. A large portion (60%) agree that influencer content performs as good as or better than the branded content. Nearly a third of the marketers didn’t test the influencer content against branded content so they couldn’t say if it performs better or worse. 

(Linqia)

27. 44.1% of marketers think that influencers have delivered better results during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The coronavirus pandemic changed the influencer marketing global spend for 32.8% of marketers. However, over 44% of marketers that collaborated with influencers since the onset of the pandemic have noted better results compared to normal situations. 45.8% said the results they get are the same, and only 10.1% said they get worse results as in normal situations.

(Social Publi)

Influencer Marketing Campaign Statistics

28. 58.5% of marketers aim to boost brand awareness with influencer marketing.

The majority of marketers are looking to increase awareness about their brand. Another 49.3% are looking to generate engagement, whereas 47.5% are trying to reach new audiences and expand their market. Increasing sales is the main goal for 41.4% of marketers who are collaborating with influencers. 

(Social Publi)

29. 48.7% of marketers are measuring the success of influencer marketing campaigns by reach. 

The number of likes, shares, and comments is how the majority of marketers determine the success of influencer marketing campaigns. As influencer marketing statistics indicate, the engagement rate comes in second at 47.5%, followed by sales and lead generation at 44.5%, and new followers at 39%. 

(Social Publi)

30. Nearly 90% of influencer collaborations come from content promotions, product launches, brand awareness, and events. 

Promoting content, a new product, or an event is what typical influencer collaborations are about. In rare cases (10.9%), brands hire influencers to help them manage a crisis of some sort. 

(Social Publi)

31. The Instagram post is the preferred influencer marketing format for 97% of marketers. 

Instagram is undoubtedly the most important social media network in the influencer marketing industry. The social media giant is the channel influencers use to shape cultural trends, reach a broader audience, and sell products. Next on the list of the most important social media channels come Instagram Stories and Facebook, which are the most critical channels for 83% and 79% of social media marketers, respectively. 

(Linqia)

32. Photos generate the most engagement for Facebook and Instagram influencers. 

Media influence statistics have shown that with a 1.7% engagement rate, carousel posts bring the highest engagement to Instagram influencers. On Facebook, photos have a 0.22% interaction rate, highest among other formats.

(RivalIQ)

33. 49.7% of marketers name video as their preferred medium to use. 

Video consumption increased by 50% upon the coronavirus onset, prompting marketers to roll out more advanced features and support this need. Video is the most popular content type among marketers with 49.7% saying it’s the preferred format for influencer marketing. 

(Social Publi)

34. Marketers prefer explanatory posts over plain product photos.

Even though photos generate the most engagement, marketers (20.3%) would go for an explanatory post rather than a product photo. Interactive posts such as polls are gaining popularity as influencer marketing success stats showed they are a great way for engagement boosting. 

(Social Publi)

35. 72.1% of marketers want influencers to create original content based on a brief. 

More and more marketers are handing creative control over to content creators. They are giving influencers the freedom to create original content based on a brief rather than having them publish the materials provided by the brand. This trend gives influencers a more central role in the brand’s digital marketing efforts. Still, 77.9% of digital marketing experts say they want to review the content before it gets published. 

(Social Publi)

36. 30% of marketers prefer TikTok for their influencer marketing campaigns.

With 850 million monthly active users, TikTok is a great platform to reach a wide audience. The app gained traction due to its creative nature. 

(Social Publi)

37. 60.2% of marketers want content that showcases the influencer using the product. 

Product visibility is the most important for marketers. Over 60% of them prefer influencer-generated content where the person uses the product and another 41.5% want the influencer to show the product. Product discovery (25.3%), unboxing (19.9%), and talking about the product (9.6%) are less appreciated methods.

(Social Publi)

Instagram Influencer Marketing Stats

38. 93% of influencer marketing campaigns use Instagram. 

This is twice the share of YouTube and Facebook. Influencer marketing on the most popular social media platform noted a massive jump of 198% in 2017 and continued to grow ever since. 

(Marketing Dive)

39. The number of brand-sponsored influencer posts on Instagram is estimated at 6.12 million.

Instagram marketing statistics prove that the influencer trend isn’t going away anytime soon. The power of influencers will continue to rise and change the way consumers shop. The projected number of brand-sponsored posts on Instagram has reached 6.12 billion and is expected to continue to grow steadily.

(Statista)

40. Instagram influencers are creating 50% more content since the COVID-19 outbreak. 

According to social media stats for March 2020, the overall social media usage has increased by 32%. Influencers responded to this trend by creating 50% more content during the pandemic. While some have opted to create goodwill content, others have taken up BTS, sharing their everyday lives.  

(Statista, MediaKix)

41. Sponsored Instagram posts are seeing 76% more likes after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Influencer marketing statistics from the COVID-19 outbreak highlight that Instagram influencers have continued with their business as usual but made sure to adapt their campaigns to the current situation. This has proved to be a great tactic: sponsored posts are seeing a 76% boost in likes, highlighting the audiences’ receptiveness to influencer marketing even during such tough times.

(MediaKix)

42. Instagram influencer rates range from $50 to $1 million per sponsored post.

The price per post is usually determined by the number of followers and engagement rate. So nano- and micro-influencers make approximately $50 per sponsored post or receive freebies. On the other hand, one sponsored post brings in as much as $1 million to mega-influencers and celebrities.

(MediaKix)

43. Making $1.2 million per post, Kylie Jenner is the highest-paid influencer.

Being an Instagram influencer is a lucrative job. The most established celebrities make a vast amount of money on the platform. Recent celebrity endorsement statistics put Kylie Jenner on the top: the beauty mogul makes up to $1.2 million per paid post. On average, Ariana Grande and Cristiano Ronaldo earn $966,000 and $975,000 per paid post, respectively. 

(BBC)

44. 55.4% of influencers use Instagram stories for sponsored campaigns.

That Instagram stories are the most-used tactic for sponsored campaigns is among the well-known digital marketing facts. North of 500 million people are viewing stories daily, meaning this feature is more engaging and provides influencers with the opportunity to connect with their followers more authentically. Story highlights with 26%, polls with 15.9%, and Instagram Swipe-up with 15.3% are also among the most-used methods for sponsored campaigns. 

(Emarketer)

45. 84% of Instagram influencers are female.

Women have been ruling the influencer game for quite some time. More than four-fifths of sponsored content is posted by females. However, in terms of influencer marketing stats like these, men are catching up: there are approximately 100,000 male influencers up for grabs. 

(Statista)

YouTube Marketing Stats

46. 7 in 10 subscribers relate better to their favorite YouTubers than to TV or movie stars. 

Millennials are known for their distrust of TV and traditional media. Not caring about mainstream celebrities, they instead turn to their favorite YouTube stars to inform their choices. In fact, 63% of respondents aged 13–24 would try a brand or a product recommended by a YouTuber. On the other hand, only 48% felt the same about a TV or movie star. 

(Variety)

47. According to millennial consumer statistics, 40% of this demographic thinks that YouTubers understand them better than their peers.

Building relationships is at the core of influencer marketing. Authentic and relatable, social media stars are millennial icons, enjoying unprecedented trust and attention. 

(MediaKix)

48. The top 25 YouTube stars get 3x more video views than traditional celebrities. 

The previously mentioned authenticity brings a more engaged audience to YouTube. These kinds of influencer marketing statistics show that brands looking to increase their organic reach should prioritize utilizing the engagement rates behind YouTube influencers. Not only do YouTubers receive three times the video views of traditional celebrities, but they also get 12 times as many comments and twice as many actions in general. 

(MediaKix)

49. A YouTuber with one to three million subscribers averages $125,000 per post.

Youtubers with 1–3 million subscribers make on average $125,000 per video, while those with 3–7 million subscribers earn $190,000 on average. 

(Zine)

50. 60% of YouTube video views in the beauty industry are generated from influencers.

Influencer content accounts for 60% of YouTube views, while brands account for 39%. Only 1% of the views go toward publisher content.

(Statista)

Macro- vs Micro-Influencer Stats

51. The ratio of mega influencers to micro-influencers is 1:10. 

There are 10 micro-influencers for every mega influencer. Such influencer marketing statistics point out that brands focus on micro-influencers more than ever. Often considered experts on a subject with a laser-focused following base, micro-influencers gather great interest in the topic of the posts.

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

52. Micro-influencer campaigns drive 60% higher engagement rates than average campaigns.

Micro-influencers have dedicated niche audiences that are highly interested in the content they post. This audience is more engaged compared to the audience of celebrity influencers and thus more likely to act on their recommendations.

(Medium)

53. 82% of consumers would follow a recommendation by a micro-influencer. 

The value of a digital influencer recommendation is undeniable. The majority of consumers would follow a suggestion made by a micro-influencer. For comparison, 73% of consumers are likely to act on a recommendation from an average person. 

(Go2Experticity)

54. 77% of micro-influencers create content every day, and 48% post at least twice a day on social media.

Social media is a huge part of an influencer’s workday. According to recent social media influencer statistics, 47.4% of influencers spend over 5 hours a day on social networks, while 32.5% spend 3–5 hours. The majority of them create content daily, while nearly half of them post on social media at least twice a day.

(Kalypso App)

55. Micro-influencer campaigns are 6.7x more efficient per engagement than influencers with larger followings.

Micro-influencers provide an authentic voice, which the audience trusts more. They keep a close relationship with their follower base and make their recommendations feel like they’re coming from a friend, which is seldom the case with macro-influencers. 

(Medium)

56. 77% of fashion micro-influencers prefer Instagram.

Influencers who work in visual niches like fashion are even keener on Instagram. Only 31% of entertainment and pop culture micro-influencers prefer this platform.

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

57. 47% of micro-influencers spend more than five hours a day on social media. 

Micro-influencers spend a considerable amount of time on social media. They use this time to develop content, post, engage with their fans, and build their following. Almost half of the surveyed micro-influencers said they spend over five hours on social media every day. Furthermore, 33% said they spend 3–5 hours on their social accounts. 

(Chief Marketer)

FAQs

Sources

• Influencer Marketing Hub
• Social Publi
• Influencer Marketing Hub
• Influencer Marketing Hub
• Social Publi
• Influencer Marketing Hub
• Linqia
• Content Marketing Institute
• Linqia
• Businesswire
• Influencer Marketing Hub
• ExportData.io
• Rakuten Marketing
• MediaKix
• ClickZ
• Influencer Marketing Hub
• Smart Insights
• Tribe
• Rival IQ
• Marketing Dive
• Statista
• MediaKix
• BBC
• Emarketer
• Statista
• Variety
• MediaKix
• Zine
• Statista
• Medium
• Go2Experticity
• Kalypso App
• Chief Marketer
• Business of Apps
• Find Your Influencer
• P2P
• Marketing Dive

By Ana Gajic