30 Essential Customer Retention and Brand Loyalty Statistics
ByAndrea
March 17,2022
Customer retention and brand loyalty are the healthy diet and exercise of retailing. We all know the benefits. We know we’ll be sorry someday if we don’t make an effort. But in the rush to promote products and break into new markets it’s easy to put existing customers on the back burner. We’ve already got their business. What we need is growth, and that means new customers.
Sound familiar?
The statistics we’ve gathered here illustrate the promise and peril of dealing with existing customers. We explore the cost of acquiring customers versus keeping them. The disproportionate contributions of your top customers. The dollars and cents of brand loyalty.
No doubt you will find some of this terra cognita. You’ll probably find some eye-opening new information too. We hope this data inspires and empowers you to set up loyalty programs and define customer retention strategies.
Brand loyalty statistics from the United States, Germany, Brazil, Japan, the U.K., and other countries contribute to a complete, global view of customer dynamics. We’ve collected 30 fascinating customer retention facts plus short comments, tips, and tricks you can use to encourage the people who shop in your store to keep coming back. Customer lifetime value will keep your business a success for years to come.
Top Brand Loyalty Statistics, Editor’s Choice
- The top 10% of your patrons probably spend three times more than your average customer.
- Acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing customer.
- 33% of American consumers would contemplate changing companies straight away after just one case of bad service.
- 55% of consumers believe companies have a more important role than governments in creating a better future.
- 77% of businesses that exceeded their revenue goals in 2018 have documented personalization strategies.
- 95% of loyalty program members want to engage with the programs via virtual reality, wearable devices, and other cutting-edge technology.
- Customers who are emotionally connected have a four times greater lifetime value.
Acquiring a new customer costs as much as five times more than retaining an existing customer.
(Invesp)
The first rule of any business should be to retain customers and build a loyal customer base. Efforts to increase customer retention should take priority over customer acquisition for almost all businesses at almost at all times, experts say. Without a dependable base of repeat customers, organic growth and longevity are impossible - regardless of how many new customers you bring in the door.
44% of companies admit they have “a greater focus” on customer acquisition, while 18% concentrate on retention. The rest say they focus on both equally.
(Invesp)
Invesp reports that only 42% of companies say they can measure the lifetime value of a customer accurately. But the value is surely there: Experts say the likelihood of selling a product or service to an existing customer is 60% to 70%, while only 5% to 20% of new prospects are likely to buy. The marketing plan for any type of product or service starts with a budget, and experts say money spent on customer-acquisition - without customer retention strategies in place - is often money wasted.
13% of unsatisfied customers will tell 15 or more people about their lousy customer experience.
(Think Jar)
The best way to boost customer retention? Don’t give shoppers a reason to walk away and look back in anger. Dissatisfied customers will abandon your brand without giving you a chance to improve. And that’s not even the worst part - they are highly likely to badmouth you behind your back. Here’s another reason a retained customer is worth your while: With every unsatisfied customer, you’re likely to lose 15 or more future prospects. Those are some serious long-term consequences.
77% of brands could disappear and no one would care.
(Havas Group)
Here’s disheartening news for startups and small businesses worldwide: Customers most likely wouldn’t care if you disappeared off the face of the earth. This is a three-point rise compared to 2017 results, the highest annual rise since Havas began researching this topic in 2008.
More and more startups are popping up every year, all competing for the same pool of prospects, and that’s bad news for brand loyalty. It’s increasingly difficult to step into the spotlight, let alone stay there.
Google, PayPal, Mercedes-Benz, and WhatsApp were among the top 10 Havas Group “meaningful brands” for 2019.
(Havas Group)
To come up with this list, researchers behind Havas Group’s annual Meaningful Brands study surveyed more than 350,000 consumers, compiling data on 1,800 brands, 31 markets, and 22 industries. Conducted annually since 2008, the study explores the ways in which brands “tangibly improve people’s lives and the role they play in society.”
Brand loyalty statistics depend largely on brands’ being recognized for their seemingly irreplaceable role in people’s lives. In addition to identifying top performers, the report also lists brands people view with relative indifference.
Customer Retention Marketing in Today’s Economy
55% of consumers believe companies have a more important role than governments in creating a better future.
(Havas Group)
The modern corporation has an increasingly stronger grip on customers’ thoughts and feelings, but this is a double-edged sword. As many as 77% of customers say they would rather buy from companies who “share their values.” In other words, to earn their business it is no longer sufficient to offer good products and services at a fair price. Brand activism, image-building, and even the charities they contribute to can affect the customer’s decision to stay loyal. Customer retention techniques must be updated to reflect these new realities.
The 2019 Meaningful Brands survey found that the younger the consumer, the more value alignment customers expect: 76% of Gen Xers, 84% of millennials and 87% of Gen Z.
Meaningful brands outperform the stock market by 134%.
(Havas Group)
More benefits of customer retention: Brands that align with customer values lock in greater returns on KPIs, including 24 points more for purchase intent and 39 points for advocacy.
67% of consumers said good customer experience encourages them to stay longer or spend more money.
(Forbes)
To increase client retention, you need to make sure the customer’s experience with your brand is impeccable. Honest, helpful interactions with employees make your consumers feel validated, heard, and important. And the opposite is true: If a one-on-one conversations with customers go purely, the consequences can be devastating. Quitting your brand forever is only the beginning - see statistic #3 for how bad experiences multiply in your prospect base.
84% won’t come back to a retailer if they’ve had a poor experience returning a product.
(Klarna)
In early 2019, Klarna commissioned more than 2,000 interviews with UK shoppers to take a fresh look at how they feel about returns. The results demonstrate that full-spectrum customer retention must include services such as money-back guarantees and free returns. Klarna statistics suggest that a free-return policy must be at the very heart of your customer service program as well as your customer-retention program.
Of companies that surpassed their revenue goals in 2018, 77% had a documented personalization strategy, while 74% had a budget for executing the strategy.
(Monetate)
To reduce customer turnover, you’d better make shoppers feel special. Modern companies use customized landing pages, history-based product recommendations, other techniques to deliver a unique shopping experience to each customer. Personalized marketing means delivering individualized content through data analysis and automated tools - fundamental parts of customer retention technology.
If you want to get a return on your personalization investment, you should make customer lifetime value your primary business goal. A Monetate study shows that the companies making a threefold ROI on such projects were twice as likely to name customer lifetime value as their top business objective than companies with a lower ROI.
What Are Customer Retention Strategies?
78% of shoppers will buy more in the long run if a retailer has free returns.
(Klarna)
Trust is a key issue in eCommerce. Sure, the dress is pretty, but will it look good on me? How do I know the headphones will be delivered on time, even delivered at all? A free-returns policy is like a safety net that lets new customers know that they can count on you. Researchers say a free-returns policy is essential in establishing a long-term relationship with customers. Retailers who don’t offer an easy returns process lose sales and forfeit customer loyalty.
Surprise offers or gifts are the best ways to engage 61% of customers.
(Merkle)
What is customer retention supposed to look like? According to a 2019 report, consumers increasingly prioritize instant gratification when it comes to redeeming rewards. Unexpected incentives help them feel valued by their favorite brands, fostering stronger emotional connections. Younger consumers from the millennial (55%) and Gen-X (38%) generations especially appreciate brands that offer creative and unexpected rewards, whether on social media or in stores.
Addressing a problem or question is the top engagement strategy for 45% of customers.
(Merkle)
Researchers say customers are more likely to recommend a brand and make future purchasers after the brand has correctly and promptly answered questions or addressed problems.
Only 9% of consumers said social media was their preferred way to engage with brands.
(Merkle)
Modern marketers love to reach out via online communities, but Merkle research demonstrates that customer engagement via social media doesn’t contribute much to converting prospects to repeat customers.
That doesn’t mean you should ignore social media completely. You can still engage the 10% of youngsters among your prospects there, surprising them with special offers. And you should definitely use your profile page to spread the message regarding your brand’s values.
61% of shoppers would stop purchasing from a retailer if it had flawed website functionality.
(Klarna)
A tiny detail on your website doesn’t work all that well? Better jump on it. Your competitors’ websites work like a charm, and that’s where your customers will be a few milliseconds after they experience disappointment at your site. Researchers say they’re never coming back. Functional website design is how you do business online, and if you fail to provide top-quality service, your client retention rates are sure to decrease.
31% of shoppers would be more likely to buy something if they could pay for it after they have decided to keep it.
(Klarna)
Yes, there is a risk of loss, but a try-before-you-buy policy delivers incredible value in customer trust and respect. Statistically, returns are not likely. People find it tiring to pack up goods and ship them back. So you lose fewer sales than you think you will.
33% of American customers say they'll consider switching companies immediately following a single instance of poor service.
(American Express)
Retaining customer trust and satisfaction levels can be difficult, but there is no alternative. One essential factor: customer service. American consumers reward companies with loyalty in return for considerate, personalized, targeted service. And even a single instance of poor service is rarely forgiven. More than half of Americans have scrapped a planned purchase or transaction because of bad service.
Characteristics of Recurring Customers
The top 10% of your customer base is probably spending three times more than your average customer.
(Adobe)
This is the most important reason repeat customers are your best friends when it comes to your company’s survival and growth. That’s the word from an Adobe reported based on analysis of anonymous data from 33 billion visits to 180 online retail websites representing $51 billion in annual U.S. online sales and €18 billion in European sales.
Shoppers with an emotional connection to a brand have a lifetime value four times higher than the average customer’s.
(Motista)
The most effective customer retention services often involve addressing consumers’ emotions. That’s the word from marketing-technology company Motista, which has published the results of a two-year study on the impact of emotional connection on the buying behavior of more than 100,000 U.S.-based consumers across more than 100 brands.
47% of consumers won't engage with a business after a moment of brand disappointment.
(Accenture)
In an important addition to customer retention statistics, Accenture found that nearly half of the customers you have failed will never engage with your brand again. Accenture’s 2018 survey of 29,530 consumers in 35 countries highlights the importance of getting it right every time.
70% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand with a quality loyalty program.
(Brand Loyalty)
Adopting a loyalty program is a great way for your business to identify and retain your very best, most loyal customers. Investing in the program over time can lead to increased referrals, positive reviews, and improved customer satisfaction. Customer loyalty programs will do more than just help you hang on to your happy customers. Recommendations and praise from your core audience will help you acquire new customers, too.
37% of customers are willing to pay a fee for an enhanced tier of membership in loyalty programs.
(Brand Loyalty)
Among younger customers, the numbers are even higher. Some 46% of millennials and 47% of Gen Z consumers say they would pay.
Consumers say they can justify a small cost in return for status, access, ease, and a better customer experience. Customer loyalty programs can thus represent a substantial revenue stream for brands and the opportunity to provide richer, more tailored, and highly relevant content and experiences to their very best customers.
95% of loyalty program members want to engage with the programs via cutting-edge technology.
(Brand Loyalty)
Technology like chatbots, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, wearables, and connected in-home devices support the creation of new ecosystems for retailers and consumers. Integrating loyalty programs with customer experience promises to be a game-changer for marketers.
Customers who have an emotional relationship with a brand have a 306% higher lifetime value.
(Motista, InMoment)
Customer retention metrics demonstrate that emotionally committed customers are also more likely to recommend the company - 71% compared to the average rate of 45%. Customers who connect a coffee brand with the warm feeling they get when spending time with their families will spend an annual sum of about $699 with the company. A regular, satisfied customer will spend an annual sum of only about $275.
37% of American customers start to feel loyal to a company after five or more purchases.
(Yotpo)
Customer retention definitions are sometimes hard to put into words, but Yotpo asked customers to take their best shot. The survey results indicate that returning customers don’t feel brand loyalty before their fifth purchase. And getting modern shoppers to make so many purchases is no small feat since their demands are ever-growing. The study shows that 67.3% of consumers expect around-the-clock customer service, 71% count on regular discounts, and 58.4% would like to get free shipping as a reward for their loyalty.
The Importance of Customer Retention
A whopping 77% of shoppers claim they’ve held relationships with specific brands for 10 or more years.
(InMoment)
This is even true of 60% of millennials, despite their reputation for impulsivity and their relative youth. The more people trust a brand and enjoy using it, customer retention statistics show, the more likely they are to share these experiences with friends and family.
60% of loyal customers purchase more frequently from their preferred companies.
(InMoment)
InMoment’s 2018 survey demonstrates that shoppers appreciate retention marketing efforts. Researchers found that 61% of loyal customers would rather stick with a brand they trust than keep looking for alternatives. Additionally, 60% of consumers say they will make more frequent purchases. That number rises to 70% among millennials.
55% of online shoppers abandon their carts and never return to the retailer’s site.
(Cision)
There are many explanations for this dynamic. The most useful information for business owners is that you must pay close attention to what happens in the shopping cart if you want to retain customers. No customer retention rate formula is complete without a set of shopping-cart abandonment solutions.
As many as 87% of online shoppers will abandon their carts if they perceive the checkout process as too long or too complex. (Cision)
58% of consumers say their number-one reason for shopping-cart abandonment is high shipping costs.
(Cision)
Customers expect that no costs will be added to their purchases during checkout. This standard is often impossible to meet due to shipping costs. Nevertheless, research shows that shipping costs are a big part of customers’ decision to choose a specific brand. Shipping costs are a big part of brand loyalty statistics.
For best customer retention, find a way to reduce shipping costs as much as possible. Unless shipping costs are negligible or nil, shoppers feel cheated. They’ll leave your site and look for a better alternative.
42% of consumers report that a negative experience with sales staff is the single factor most likely to cause them to abandon a retailer forever.
(Cision)
Your customer retention rate depends a great deal on your staff, so keeping them well-rested and satisfied is a good idea. Researchers say pushy sales staffers can nudge customers into shopping online or with a competitor. Another surprise: 49% of consumers say they have lied to sales staff to get out of a conversation in the store.
Top 5 Industries With the Most Loyal Customers
Researchers at Bain & Company studied the loyalty levels of 18 industries, ranging from cell phone service and cable TV to various types of insurance. Business Insider published a sneak peek at the results. Here’s the list of the top five industries customers can’t get enough of, along with the average customer retention rate by industry.
#1 Groceries and Supermarkets
Loyalty index score: 49%
Top company: Trader Joe's (82%)
#2 Online shopping
Loyalty index score: 47%
Top company: Amazon.com: (70%)
#3 Department, wholesale and specialty stores
Loyalty index score: 46%
Top company: Costco (77%)
#4 Online search and information
Loyalty index score: 43%
Top company: Google/Facebook tie (53%)
#5 Auto insurance
Loyalty index score: 35%
Top company: USAA (73%)
Conclusion
Achieving high customer loyalty requires an investment in cash and manpower. It’s hard work, but there’s no other way to boost return-customer revenues and boost your brand’s reputation.
What should you do? The truth is that EVERYTHING MATTERS. Every aspect of your business, from shipping fees to shopping-cart design, from return policies to customer service, can make somebody stay with your brand for 10 years or leave it in a split second.
If you want to stay in the game for the long run, brand loyalty statistics suggest that you need to pay urgent attention, now, to how you retain and reward your best customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is meant by customer retention?
A customer retention program consists of all the marketing and customer loyalty actions and activities businesses organize to make people commit to their brand and make repeat purchases. It also includes efforts to reduce customer defections. The goal of customer retention programs is to make sure the customers you acquire keep using your brand as opposed to competitors’ brands - and ideally recommend them to friends and family.
What are the benefits of customer retention?
The top 10% of your customer base is spending three times more than your average customer, so the first major benefit is revenue. Also, it’s less expensive to keep customers than to acquire new ones, so an effective customer retention program can save you money. Finally, repeat customers are more likely to recommend you to others, making your brand visible and desirable in the long run.
How to calculate customer retention rate?
You need three pieces of information to calculate your customer retention rate:
Shoppers at the end of a period
New shoppers acquired during that period
Shoppers at the start of that period
You start the week with 200 shoppers. You lose 20 of them, but you acquire another 40. In the end, you’ve got a total of 220 shoppers.
Now do the math:
In this case, your retention rate is 90%.
Conclusion
Achieving high customer loyalty requires an investment in cash and manpower. It’s hard work, but there’s no other way to boost return-customer revenues and boost your brand’s reputation.
What should you do? The truth is that EVERYTHING MATTERS. Every aspect of your business, from shipping fees to shopping-cart design, from return policies to customer service, can make somebody stay with your brand for 10 years or leave it in a split second.
If you want to stay in the game for the long run, brand loyalty statistics suggest that you need to pay urgent attention, now, to how you retain and reward your best customers.
Sources
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By Julija A. ·
March 07,2023
While influencer marketing isn’t exactly a modern invention, it has certainly reached new heights over the past decade. Back in the day, movie stars, athletes, and musicians could earn a pretty penny by promoting products and services. At the time, this was the most effective way to reach and influence a broad audience. But not anymore. Nowadays, the focus has shifted to “normal people” who the audience can relate to. Influencer marketing statistics show us exactly how much this trend affects our society and what we can expect in the future.
It might not surprise you to hear that influencer recommendations today mean a lot more to young people than celebrity blogs and endorsements. While celebrities often appear fake, influencers come across as more relatable, honest, and authentic. Because of that, many younger internet users rely on these individuals to help them decide what’s cool, what’s reliable, and what’s worth buying.
Influencer Marketing Stats (Editor’s Choice)
In 2018, companies who used influencer marketing got a 520% return on investment.
49% of users rely on influencer recommendations for their purchases.
In June 2018, Instagram reached one billion active users.
Micro-influencers with fewer than 100k followers are responsible for the majority of posts on the platform.
66% of influencers on the web focus on fashion, beauty, or lifestyle.
The primary concern for 42% of marketers is dealing with fake followers (bots).
Marketer and Influencer Stats
Analysts predict the influencer marketing industry will be worth $9.7 billion in 2020.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
Marketers know that in order for their brand to reach its full potential on social media, they need to employ influencers. Year on year, the growth of this industry has been around 50%. In 2019, the industry was estimated to be worth $6.5 billion. And it will only continue to grow.
In 2019, nearly 90% of marketers ran multiple campaigns.
(Linqia)
The success of influencer marketing has driven up the number of campaigns marketers use today. One campaign is simply not enough to both drive brand awareness and generate sales, so the majority of companies will run multiple, sometimes simultaneous, campaigns. Among surveyed marketers, 24% of them ran more than five campaigns in 2019, with 16% of them maintaining an always-on campaign.
91% of marketers believe in the effectiveness of influencer marketing.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
Influencer marketing stats from late 2019 show that, unsurprisingly, marketers put a lot of trust in their influencer campaigns. This is comparable to the number of respondents that planned to invest in influencer marketing during 2020, especially with how good ROI has been in the past several years.
When they pick influencers, 29.2% of marketers look at engagement rate as the main factor.
(SocialPubli)
Other figures show that 23% of marketers look at content quality, 21.2% focus on reach, while only 14.2% consider audience size. If we’re to trust these influencer marketing statistics, only 12.4% worry about how much the influencer costs. This suggests that the ROI is so good that most marketers don’t even think about the price.
77% of marketers believe micro-influencers will play a large part in the future of digital marketing.
(Linqia)
Considering that the majority of posts on Instagram are created by micro-influencers, it makes sense that they will continue to play a role in the future of marketing. Based on some influencer marketing facts, marketers predict that AI and live video will also be significant trends in the future.
Nano influencers are being requested more often than celebrities.
(Linqia)
A nano influencer doesn’t have a huge following - usually under 5,000 followers. But in the eyes of many marketing companies, they offer a better ROI than using a big-name celebrity.
Among the surveyed marketers, 25% want to work with nano influencers, compared to 22% who still prefer working with celebrities to promote their products. Celebrity influence is slowly dwindling because it’s too commercial. What people really want is a genuine connection, and nano influencers offer exactly the kind of authenticity that makes it possible.
Companies using influencer marketing saw a 578% return on investment in 2019.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
This study used data from 2,000 companies. Compared to data from 2018, when the ROI was at 520%, this is quite a significant growth. This shows that marketers are getting a better understanding of employing these types of campaigns.
During the past year, 5% of brands spent more than $500,000 each on influencer campaigns.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
The majority of marketers will not spend more than $50,000 a year hiring influencers. In fact, 43% spend less than $10,000 annually. Of course, the bigger the influencer, the higher the price goes, so a small portion of big brands will gladly spend much more than others for hiring the mega stars of social media.
In 2019, 57% of marketers said that they would increase their influencer marketing budget in the following year.
(Linqia)
Most experienced marketers know these ad campaigns work, so they’re willing to invest more and more in them each year. Even though influencer marketing ROI is lower now than it was a few years ago, we can expect things to pick up again.
Only 5% of marketers plan on spending half or more of their budget on influencer marketing.
(Linqia)
Traditional marketing is still the dominant form of advertising, even in 2022. While the trend of employing influencers is on the rise, with 43% of marketers planning to spend between 11% and 25% of their budget for influencer campaigns. Still, one-third of surveyed marketers don’t want to dedicate more than 10% of their budgets on paying influencers.
Repurposing influencer ads is the strategy of 89% of marketers.
(Linqia)
Once the content is produced and posted online, it’s out there forever. So, a logical step for marketers is to repurpose what they’ve already paid for. Companies will re-post paid content as either promoted posts across other social media channels or use it for organic growth, depending on what kind of content was produced in the first place.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, 39% of influencer marketers use conversions as a primary measure of success.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
Trends are also changing in the way the success of influencer marketing campaigns is measured. Previously, marketers used site engagement metrics, but in 2019 that trend was overtaken by calculating conversions. It makes sense, too. It’s one thing for a potential customer to just click the link, learning something about the brand, but it’s a whole other situation if they actually end up making a purchase.
71% of marketers keep up with the latest FTC regulations and know how to implement them.
(Linqia)
FTC guidelines are there to protect consumers and sanction influencers who don’t follow the rules. That’s why it’s important that marketers familiarize themselves with all the latest changes and modifications. All these regulations are clearly defined for each social platform, so there is zero room for error or misunderstanding.
On the other hand, only 14% of influencers are fully FTC compliant.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
Even with many efforts by social media platforms to ensure ads are marked as ads, the majority of influencers still don’t mark their posts by the FTC standards. Analysts fear that this may lead to more drastic measures by the authorities, potentially leading to another “adpocalypse.” On the other hand, the situation is improving ever so slightly, since in 2018 this number was sitting at just 11%.
The primary concern for 42% of marketers is dealing with bots that might follow the brand influencer.
(Marketing Charts)
There are two main problems with an influencer having too many fake followers or bots. First off, having too many of these automatic fans might result in problems with the FTC, which could lead to account suspension. In addition, from a marketer’s point of view, there’s no point in paying for a campaign that mainly reaches fake users.
Social Influencer Marketing
64% of influencers say they would never accept a huge amount of money if it would cost them their followers.
(Hashoff)
This data shows most digital influencers nowadays value their fanbase more than money. The respect they get from their followers seems to be invaluable. That, in turn, makes them more desirable on their chosen platforms.
45% of influencers are contacted at least four times a month with campaign proposals.
(Influence.co)
It’s interesting to note that while almost half of influencers get at least four offers a month, there’s a good chance those offers won’t be accepted. In fact, 44% of influencers say they only accept one in four offers they receive. This suggests that demand for marketing influencers actually outweighs supply right now.
49% of influencers are paid a flat fee per picture, while 11% are paid based on performance.
(Influence.co)
Almost half of all influencers are paid per picture, which means that they don’t have to worry about audience engagement or any other metrics. Their only job is to post the picture and carry on with their normal work. It’s understandable why that business model is a lot more attractive to influencers than other alternatives, which could prove to be far less reliable.
66% of influencer networks focus on fashion, beauty, or lifestyle.
(Influence.co)
This information suggests that beauty and image trump all other concerns. Naturally, influencers are ready to help us ease our insecurities. The 66% share shows what kinds of products and services people are most likely to shop for online.
12% of influencers say that most of the time they have no control over the copy used in their promotions.
(Influence.co)
Among these influencer marketing statistics, one worrying snippet shows that 12% of influencers don’t even write their own posts. This flies in the face of the authenticity and honesty influencers are supposed to represent.
For 63% of campaigns, influencers don’t even use contracts.
(Influence.co)
Despite the fact that marketers spend billions of dollars on influencer campaigns, 63% of influencers still don’t use contracts to protect themselves or their work. This is a poor practice that is set to change as regulations get more and more rigid.
Instagram Influencers Marketing
Instagram has 1 billion active users.
(Hootsuite)
There’s no doubt that Instagram is one of today’s biggest social media platforms. In 2018, there were 1 billion registered users, a 1,000% increase since 2013. By the end of 2019, the monthly active user number has also reached 1 billion, solidifying Instagram as the platform your brand needs to utilize.
500 million Instagram users watch Stories every day.
(Hootsuite)
Even though they’re not originally Instagram’s invention, Stories have become hugely popular on the platform. These are photo or video posts available in a separate feed that automatically disappear 24 hours after being posted. Ability to link Stories to a website has increased their popularity among both marketers and influencers.
90% of Instagram users follow at least one brand on the platform.
(Instagram)
Another unsurprising fact is that fans will stay fans wherever they go. Instagram is no different. In fact, a vast majority of users end up following brand accounts, so that already creates a loyal fan base to which a company can promote its products.
Female influencers produced 84% of sponsored Instagram posts in 2019.
(Statista)
For years, beauty and fashion have been on the forefront of advertising on Instagram. Since these industries mostly have female consumers, it comes as no surprise that influencers are predominantly female.
The number of sponsored Instagram posts is projected to reach 6.1 million in 2020.
(Statista)
Looking at the Instagram influencer marketing statistics throughout the past several years, a trend can be seen regarding the number of sponsored posts. It is constantly on the rise, although not at the 100% rate we’ve seen from 2016 to 2017. In 2019, there were 4.95 million sponsored posts on Instagram, and in 2020 this number is expected to rise by more than a million.
A study from April 2018 found out that more than half of influencers use Instagram Stories as their preferred outreach method.
(eMarketer)
Instagram Stories were introduced in August 2016 and gave users a chance to create posts that only last for 24 hours. It is a great customer acquisition method because it allows influencers to reach people who don’t already follow them.
25% of all sponsored posts on Instagram are fashion-related, while food takes second place.
(Business Insider)
We’ve already mentioned how the influencer marketing industry revolves around beauty tips and lifestyle instructions, so it makes sense that fashion represents a quarter of all Instagram sponsored posts.
Micro-influencers with fewer than 100,000 followers are responsible for the majority of posts on Instagram.
(Socialbakers)
Nearly a third of all profiles on Instagram belong to so-called micro-influencers, who can have anywhere from 2,000 to 100,000 followers. The interesting thing about influencer culture is the fact that there’s room for everyone. In fact, top Instagram influencers with over a million followers only make up 1% of all accounts on the platform.
97% of marketers plan on using Instagram for their influencer campaigns in 2020.
(Linqia)
Instagram has finally overtaken Facebook as the most popular influencer platform. Not only are Instagram posts sitting at the top spot, but Stories are also making their way up - 83% of marketers are planning to pour their budgets into promoting their products with Stories produced by influencers. The reason? Vertical video. For 55% of marketers, vertical video will play a key role in 2020 campaigns.
YouTube Influencer Stats
10 brands spent $1 million each on sponsoring YouTube videos.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
“This video is sponsored by…” You know the drill. Sponsored video segments, basically ads that are embedded into the video, are turning to be quite an investment for certain brands. These famous words were most commonly spoken for SkillShare, Squarespace, Nord VPN, Blue Chew, and DLive.
Brands spent more than $90 million on YouTube influencers during Q1 2020.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
During the first quarter of 2020, more than 1,300 brands were spending money on sponsored content on YouTube. In total, there were 5,680 videos produced, amassing 704 million views.
On average, advertisers spent $16,011 on each sponsored YouTube video.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
While sponsorships with top YouTube influencers don’t come cheap, the growth of micro and macro influencers lead to a wide variety of pricing tiers. Looking at the numbers during Q1 2020, we can see what amount of money on average is needed for each influencer campaign on the platform. In the future, analysts predict that YouTubers at or below 100,000 subscribers could be the biggest driving force for marketing campaigns.
Epic Games was the biggest spender in the first half of 2020 with a campaign worth $10.6 million.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
The gaming powerhouse Epic Games, the owners of Fortnite and Epic Games Store, had a way bigger marketing budget for YouTube than anyone else. Sitting in second place is Bang Energy with $7.7 million, while SkillShare comes in third with $3 million in sponsored content expenses. Gaming is huge on YouTube and, with the world’s most popular game under its belt, Epic knew the value of promoting on this platform.
Four in 10 millennial consumers feel that their favorite YouTube influencer understands them better than friends or family.
(ThinkWithGoogle)
While these statistics might appear worrying, they certainly fit with the whole concept of influencers. Marketing to teens nowadays boils down to promoting normal, down-to-earth, relatable figures who understand what young people are interested in. That’s why millennial influencers are so effective. Because of that, teens, millennials, and other younger demographics feel a strong connection to them.
Half of YouTube’s top 10 earning stars are gamers.
(Forbes)
Industry statistics reveal that some of the most influential YouTubers on the platform are gamers. This reflects the continuous growth of the gaming industry, which is expanding rapidly. In an effort to compete with websites like Twitch, YouTube has also introduced streaming, which has further helped gaming channels gain prominence.
18% of users are influenced by YouTube when it comes to their purchases.
(Shane Barker)
YouTube is one of the biggest and most popular online platforms for product reviews. There are thousands of channels specializing in unboxing videos and hands-on reviews, all of which give potential customers a better feel for the product than written reviews. Influencers who create reviews often make deals with YouTube influencer marketing, in which they get free products, or even cash, in exchange for their reviews.
YouTube has the best engagement rate, ranging from 4% to 6.7%.
(CreatorIQ)
YouTube is a platform designed to drive engagement. Either by involving viewers in the discussion or by them sharing and liking videos, the drive to engage with content is inherently higher than on any other platform. Data from 2016 to 2019 demonstrates that Twitter has the lowest engagement rate, with 0.17% or lower depending on the audience size.
User Statistics You Should Know
49% of users rely on influencer recommendations for purchases.
(ION)
Online bloggers are so influential that almost half of users on the web rely on their recommendations when deciding to make a purchase. This shows that influencers are at least as important as all those hard-working marketers out there.
Influencer marketing statistics show that young people (ages 18-34) are more likely to buy a product endorsed by an influencer than one endorsed by a celebrity.
(Marketing Charts)
About 10 years ago, the go-to stars for product promotion were actors, musicians, sportspeople, and other celebrities. Nowadays, it’s all about influencers who seem a lot more trustworthy and relatable. Indeed, 22% of young people trust influencers’ choices, compared to just 9% who trust celebrities.
94% of users think authenticity and transparency are essential.
(Marketing Charts)
Authenticity and transparency are two of the most important traits in celebrity influencers. If they want to keep their followers, these social gurus need to be original, cultivate their own voice, and make sure that their behavior is completely transparent. This is the best way to earn their audience’s trust and respect.
19% of consumers rely on Facebook influencers when they purchase products.
(Shane Barker)
Statistics show that 19% of users turn to Facebook influencers for advice regarding product purchases. Although the platform is now less popular than its sister network, Instagram, it is still the preferred platform for thousands of influencer marketing companies.
What About Twitter?
You’ve probably noticed that we’ve mentioned pretty much every major social media platform except for Twitter. So, who are Twitter’s biggest influencers? What are some of the most interesting Twitter followers statistics?
Unfortunately, a lot of Twitter statistics revolve around the company’s own reports and estimates. Twitter seems to be desperately looking for a way into the world of real influencer marketing, even though the platform is inherently restricted by its 280-character limit for tweets.
By Dragomir Simovic ·
March 07,2023
To paint a better picture of the current landscape and identify growing trends within the industry, we pored through an array of reputable advertising studies.
By Goran Dautovic ·
December 15,2022
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