Understanding Authenticity in Influencer Marketing

Every Monday, we take a look at a significant marketing statistic and how it relates to the music industry. Today, we examine the shift toward authenticity in influencer marketing. Originally sent out in our Weekly Stat email.

61%

The percentage of consumers (aged 18-34) who say authenticity is the most important attribute of an influencer. 

Source: Influencer Intelligence "What Consumers Think About Influencer Marketing" 
 

---

Measuring authenticity on social 

Consumers evaluate the authenticity of influencer content on a number of factors. Does it feel forced? Overly commercial? Is the influencer's following legitimate? To manage these concerns, more brands are working with influencers who are genuine advocates and being clear on whether their content is #sponsored.

Influencer content also needs to feel personalized for consumers to trust it. After more than 1000 social campaigns, we found that top-performing ad creatives consistently feature an artist's face. This human connection can be further improved when an artist speaks directly to the camera or makes a DIY video inside their studio, particularly on Snapchat and Instagram Stories where this content feels organic.