Influencers and creators have quite quickly ended up becoming a pretty crucial component of the digital marketing ecosystem, and many marketing agencies have started to hire them because of the fact that this is the sort of strategy that could potentially end up extending their reach and the overall value of their brand. This has resulted in an increase in the number of sponsored posts that people are seeing on social media, and with the year now coming to a close we can take a look at how effective they have been.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that sponsored posts have been found to have a rather negative impact on the influencers that end up posting them. While many Gen Z and Millennial consumers might end up buying something after having seen it on a sponsored post, around a third of all Americans would unfollow a page after having seen just a single post that was sponsored to any extent.
That might have something or the other to do with how authentic an influencer might seem. According to a survey conducted by BestSEOCompanies, approximately 41% of all Americans felt that the existence of sponsored posts would end up making a particular influencer seem less authentic with all things having been considered and taken into account. It appears the social media users don’t like it when creators try to earn money through such posts since this gives them the impression that said influencer has sold out and is no longer making content simply because it is their passion.
Another thing to note is that this phenomenon seems mostly driven by Baby Boomers and Gen X consumers. These consumers are a lot older, and they often fail to understand the work that goes into being an influencer and how it isn’t just a hobby for most. For example, about 35% of Gen Z consumers and 29% of Millennial consumers felt that sponsored posts would make an influencer seem more authentic since it would indicate that they are serious about their career and are trying to earn a living from it.
This could potentially be caused by younger consumers simply being used to influencer culture and the like and being more aware of what that job description actually entails. Most of the things that influencers do will market something or the other, and younger consumers seem to be cognizant of that and they would be less willing to unsubscribe to a page after having seen them post a sponsored message of any kind.
However, 38% of Gen Z consumers and Millennials also felt that sponsored posts made brands and influencers seem less authentic, so it is essential to consider the diversity of opinions within pretty much all of these demographics since they can differ from person to person.
There are also a wide range of opinions regarding disclosures and the like as far as consumers are concerned. 54% of Gen Z consumers feel that sponsored posts should be disclosed, and 59% said that an influencer should disclose a sponsorship even if they have received a free product from a brand that they are now reviewing since failing to do so would be inauthentic. Take a peek at the infographics and charts below for more insights on how paid content on social media platforms (particularly, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok) affects the consumer
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With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that sponsored posts have been found to have a rather negative impact on the influencers that end up posting them. While many Gen Z and Millennial consumers might end up buying something after having seen it on a sponsored post, around a third of all Americans would unfollow a page after having seen just a single post that was sponsored to any extent.
That might have something or the other to do with how authentic an influencer might seem. According to a survey conducted by BestSEOCompanies, approximately 41% of all Americans felt that the existence of sponsored posts would end up making a particular influencer seem less authentic with all things having been considered and taken into account. It appears the social media users don’t like it when creators try to earn money through such posts since this gives them the impression that said influencer has sold out and is no longer making content simply because it is their passion.
Another thing to note is that this phenomenon seems mostly driven by Baby Boomers and Gen X consumers. These consumers are a lot older, and they often fail to understand the work that goes into being an influencer and how it isn’t just a hobby for most. For example, about 35% of Gen Z consumers and 29% of Millennial consumers felt that sponsored posts would make an influencer seem more authentic since it would indicate that they are serious about their career and are trying to earn a living from it.
This could potentially be caused by younger consumers simply being used to influencer culture and the like and being more aware of what that job description actually entails. Most of the things that influencers do will market something or the other, and younger consumers seem to be cognizant of that and they would be less willing to unsubscribe to a page after having seen them post a sponsored message of any kind.
However, 38% of Gen Z consumers and Millennials also felt that sponsored posts made brands and influencers seem less authentic, so it is essential to consider the diversity of opinions within pretty much all of these demographics since they can differ from person to person.
There are also a wide range of opinions regarding disclosures and the like as far as consumers are concerned. 54% of Gen Z consumers feel that sponsored posts should be disclosed, and 59% said that an influencer should disclose a sponsorship even if they have received a free product from a brand that they are now reviewing since failing to do so would be inauthentic. Take a peek at the infographics and charts below for more insights on how paid content on social media platforms (particularly, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok) affects the consumer