Report finds that just 4% of people are interacting with creators less than pre COVID-19
A report published by Influencer and GlobalWebIndex has discovered that 96% of consumers who follow influencers say that they’re engaging with creators more or to the same extent as before the outbreak.
The latest insights from their recent report was based on custom research on influencer marketing alongside existing research on the coronavirus to dig into the impact the outbreak has had on consumers’ behaviors. The survey taken in May 2020, defined their audience as internet users who say they follow content creators/influencers on social media. This definition rendered a sample of 1,056 (UK) and 1,038 (U.S.) internet users aged 16-64.
One of the key insights from the report was that 96% of consumers who are following influencers say that they are engaging with creator content more than normal, or to the same extent as before the outbreak.
This news comes as no surprise - many industry experts had predicted that people were engaging with creators more fully and in a more emotional capacity due to coronavirus, but this research proves those predictions to be true.
Many consumers have been actively engaging with influencers during coronavirus, likely due to the fact that they have been isolated and at home. The report found that 37% of consumers actively watch influencer’s live videos, 34% leave comments on their posts and actively watch their stories, and 41% of followers also engage with creators when they’re simply scrolling through their feed.
Active engagement
The report also found differences between the age groups, with baby boomers being one of the most actively engaged audiences. Baby boomers were more likely to interact with creators by actively watching their lives videos or leaving comments on their posts at 41% for both.
Gen Z are also engaging with creator content more fully, however they are more likely to engage with creators as they scroll through their feed. Still, a massive amount - 38% - say that they engage with creators by actively watching their stories on the likes of Instagram and 33% actively watch their live videos. This really highlights the importance of video-based content in engaging audiences of different ages.
When it comes to Millennials, this group was found to also be actively getting involved and taking part, with around 1 in 4 saying they get involved in quizzes and take part in creators’ giveaways/contests.
The results prove that engagement with creator content is at an all time high due to coronavirus. In fact, perhaps the most telling of all of the insights was that 47% of consumers who follow influencers say they’re interacting with creators more, while 49% say they’re interacting the same amount – just 4% say they’re interacting less. This shift is likely due to the lockdown period, with people relying on creators for entertainment whilst they have been restricted.
Both active and passive social media users have engaged with creators more since the outbreak. 66% of active engagers (those interacting with giveaways and quizzes) say they’re engaging with creators more since the outbreak, compared to 49% of passive engagers (those who interact when scrolling through their feeds). These results from the report prove that all users are engaging with creator content more regularly due to the coronavirus outbreak, and this shows huge potential for influencer marketing as a tool for brands going forward.
Read the full report here: The Age of Influence: How COVID-19 has propelled brands into the era of influencer marketing