New research released today by Carusele, the Influencer Content Targeting System™, and TapInfluence, the complete influencer marketing SaaS solution, uncovered some surprising results about how influencers feel about various platforms heading into 2018.
Of the 790 influencers surveyed, none answered Snapchat to the question, “What is your favorite channel to use for branded content?” Personal blogs were the favorite of 36% of respondents, followed closely by Instagram at 35% and Facebook at 12%. Twitter (9%), Pinterest (6%) and YouTube (1%) also received votes.
Even when asked to name their second favorite choice, Snapchat collected fewer than 1% of the responses, while Facebook ranked first at 26% and Instagram second at 25%.
“Two things are clear from this part of our survey,” said Jim Tobin, president of Carusele. “The first is that blogs aren’t going anywhere, which I think is a good thing for both brands and influencers. And second, Instagram’s moves over the last year or two have really outmaneuvered Snapchat, which had been a hot platform for creators two years ago.”
Influencers also plan to be in the space for the long haul, with 97% of influencers surveyed planning to continue their work “as long as I’m able.” This despite fewer than half surveyed reporting working full time in the vocation (46%) while 24% work full time elsewhere and 13% part time elsewhere. The balance report being full time parents or caregivers.
“Our earlier research legitimized influencer marketing as a sales driver. This new research supports the fact that it remains a viable career option for content creators,” said Promise Phelon, CEO of TapInfluence. “We also found that 91% of influencers say brands work with them to ensure FTC compliance most or all of the time, so the guidelines around the industry have taken hold as well.”
The research included additional findings around compensation, audience size, why influencers choose certain brands and the challenges they face. A webinar outlining the results, featuring three of the influencers surveyed, will take place on February 7. Registration is free.
About Carusele
Carusele, which won the 2017 Small Agency of the Year Award at the Shorty Awards, utilizes a hand-crafted network of content producers to produce premium influencer campaigns for leading brands and retailers. The company was spun out of Ignite Social Media (the 2016 Social Media Agency of the Year Worldwide) in 2015. More at: www.carusele.com.
About TapInfluence
TapInfluence is the leading influencer marketplace connecting brands with social media influencers, enabling brands to tap into the power of influencers and content creators leveraging their authentic, trusted voices. TapInfluence helps customers increase market share through massive reach and optimized engagement to achieve real sales lift. TapInfluence is privately held, with offices in Mountain View, Calif. The company is backed by leading venture capital firms Noro-Moseley Partners, Grotech Ventures, Access Venture Partners and Knollwood Investment Advisory. For more information, visit www.tapinfluence.com.
