Which target group is particularly receptive to influencer marketing campaigns?
A post by a popular influencer can generate earnings of up to $125,000! Those who shake their head at this quick and unbelievable source of income should take a closer look at how effective this innovative marketing strategy truly is in promoting sales. In the following, we will explain which target groups are most easily reached with influencer strategies, which influencer channels rank among the most successful, and which product categories can be promoted especially well through these channels.
The influencer marketing study led by the Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft e.V. [BVDW, Federal Association for Digital Economy] and Influry (Germany), clearly shows that this type of product advertising is well-received by individuals under the age of 30. According to the study, one in six German online users under 30 has purchased a product they learned about through an influencer. In total, 68% of German online users have become aware of a product through social media and are thereby included in the group of potential buyers. In combination, all of these facts mean that popular influencers can earn extraordinary sums with just a single post.
Well-known influencers not only include celebrities and A-listers, but also personalities from the private sphere. On a percentage basis, influencers with a large number of followers do earn more. However, the number of followers does not necessarily equate to the number of users reached. Especially so-called micro-influencers – everyday people who aren’t that well-known yet – receive much acclaim and engender more trust, as many users perceive them as more authentic and credible. Influencers have drawn a great deal of attention from many areas, but which target group can actually be reached with this type of product advertising?
Which target group is particularly receptive to influencer marketing campaigns?
The age-group 14- to 29-years old can be reached particularly well with influencer marketing campaigns on social media channels, because more than a third of this target group has already purchased a product promoted by influencers. Within this young target group, 18- to 23-year-olds are most receptive to product plugs by influencers, resulting in purchases by 39% of this age group. 30- to 49-year-olds are less inclined to buy based on an influencer marketing campaign, with only 7% of this group making a purchase.
Even though 52% of influencer-receptive online users have not yet made a purchase, Marco Zingler (Denkwerk agency), Vice President of the BVDW, still concludes that these numbers clearly show the sales-promoting effect of influencer marketing.
The most important influencer channels for product awareness
Everyday influencers introduce and thereby promote countless products on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, or GooglePlus.
But which of these platforms yields the highest number of sales after a product has been promoted? Facebook is the frontrunner among these channels, with as much as 52% of German online users stating that they have become aware of a product introduced on Facebook. 37% have learned about products through YouTube, 22% through WhatsApp, 15% through Instagram, and another 15% through GooglePlus. Consequently, the social web offers a large platform of product information, where one in six users were able to find information while searching for a product, according to Levin Vostell (CEO of Influry, a provider of automated influencer marketing software).
The most popular product categories for influencer marketing
The food industry clearly ranks among the frontrunners. Internet-savvy users search for food very frequently. Especially in times of the superfood boom, this sector is drawing interest from nearly all age groups. However, beauty topics are even more popular than food among 14- to 17-year-olds. Following food, sports rank high among 18- to 29-year-olds, and the news industry appeals to 30- to 49-year-olds. Even though influencer marketing is subject to certain trends and users have primary fields of interests, this should not discourage smaller industries or companies offering niche products. The fact remains that influencer marketing can fill a deficit of many other marketing channels: the ability to explain a product and authentically present it to the wider public.
