According to statistics, 69% of consumers trust influencer recommendations more than information directly from brands. According to a survey by Matter Communications, 81% of consumers admitted that social media posts from influencers, as well as friends and family members, have sparked their interest in a product or service. This is despite the fact that we already live in an age where most followers understand that the essence of influencer marketing is a business between the brand and the influencer. But at WOO, we’re seeing a very growing trend in the number of influencers who test an unknown product for a while before recommending it to their followers. We can only trust that most of them do. But why does influencer marketing actually work? Let’s get to it.
1. FOMO (fear of missing out) effect – fear of missing out
60% of people will make a purchase because of the FOMO effect, usually within 24 hours. This powerful psychological phenomenon can also be used in influencer marketing. Influencers use it when they show products that are currently popular. It works great when inviting people to an event, offering a discount, in the field of investment or to sell a limited edition. Influencers can increase urgency and motivate followers to respond quickly.
2. Everyone wanted to be an astronaut, a princess or Freddie Mercury, now we want to be influencers
Denisa Hejlová from Charles University mentioned in her Influcon talk data from a survey: ‘57% of young people want to be influencers when they grow up’, she said. She also claims that 3 out of 10 kids are willing to pay for it.
Feeling like we belong somewhere is strongly linked to our identity and self-esteem.Influencers who represent certain lifestyles and values influence how their audience feels.When people identify with an influencer, they want to use the same products, use the same services, or behave similarly. For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, younger people who are still looking for role models, this effect can be even stronger – the influencer becomes not only an inspiration, but also a symbol of the community they want to belong to.Why do so many influencers have their own merch or product? For this very reason. By purchasing it, followers become part of that influencer’s community and proudly claim it.
3. Authority and expertise
When an influencer acts as an expert in a particular field – whether in beauty, fitness or technology – their recommendations carry more weight. Trust in authority is a strong motivator for why people trust the advice of experts. An influencer who profiles as an expert can not only convince people of the quality of a product, but also better explain how and why the product is valuable. And this greatly increases the likelihood that consumers will make a purchase decision. These influencers often have lower engagement, are more “expensive”, but brands reach almost 100% of the relevant audience through them.You probably won’t follow a fitness influencer unless it’s related to your lifestyle. Examples of more professional profiles are Diana Vitikačová, a makeup artist, or Jakub Enžl’s fitness profile.
4. Social proof
People tend to trust the recommendations of others, especially when it comes to people they trust. An influencer who shows their experience with a product acts as “social proof” that the product is of high quality or popular. 69% of consumers trust influencer recommendations. But also, 82% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase after viewing content created by the users themselves. This suggests the success of UGC (user generated content). Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” UGC campaign has generated more than 15 million posts on Instagram alone under the hashtag #ShotOniPhone. The combination of an influencer calling for UGC mechanics is ideal. Because if you’re not Apple, you might not have as large a follower base.
In conclusion
Authenticity is key to the success of influencer marketing. If an influencer comes across as natural and genuine, their recommendations will be perceived as trustworthy and will positively influence consumer decision-making. We trust the influencer the most who uses the product directly.It’s important to choose influencers who share similar values to your brand. This consistency helps ensure that the recommendation is authentic, which increases the success of your campaign. If you’re unsure about choosing the right influencers, let us know. WOO has been in business since 2017, and we’ve also been primarily focused on influencer marketing as an agency since that year. Our influencer specialists are therefore thoroughly trained to understand these psychological principles and not just stick to the numbers (although they don’t neglect their importance), but just be able to assess the fit of brand values with the influencer.
