The state of

influencer marketing
2023
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 Introduction

As the influencer marketing landscape evolves, brands

today need to invest in building strong relationships with
online creators and collaborate on innovative campaigns
that produce measurable results. By understanding the
key elements and trends of the creator economy, your
brand is poised to level up its influencer marketing strategy,
resulting in greater brand awareness and campaign success.

Backed by Emplifi’s first-party data, this report is packed

with the statistics and trends that matter most to
brands looking to upgrade their influencer collaborations.
From brand campaign insights to influencer behavior
and preferences, our analytics can help you craft lasting,
valuable relationships with online creators in your industry.

In this report, you’ll discover:

• The highest-performing social channels and media

types for influencer content
• Sponsored content trends and posting habits by
influencer size
• The potential impact influencer partnerships can
bring brands across various industries

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 What you will find
in this report

Influencer marketing landscape overview 04

Trends: Sponsored social posts 08

Influencer interests and brand fit 16

Trendspotting: The emergence of the virtual influencer 21

Key takeaways 24

Methodology 25

About Emplifi 27

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 Types of influencers

Mega-Influencers
OVERVIEW Celebrities with access to a very large online audience
(over 1 million users) who typically post their own lifestyle

Influencer content and may partner with select brands for a high price.

marketing landscape Macro-Influencers

Well-known social media figures in the 100,000+ follower
range often sharing content around a variety of brands,
products, and services that impact their lifestyles.
Influencer marketing is often associated with the
“Creator Economy,” a quickly growing ecosystem
consisting of content and campaign management Micro-Influencers
platforms, brands that need to scale content, and Content creators with a comparatively smaller follower base
(1,000 - 100,000 followers) who have built a highly engaged
creators who produce online content. audience around a specific niche.

To an influencer, audience is everything. Influencers focus on

creating meaningful and valuable content that will resonate with Brand Ambassadors
their followers and partner with brands their fans will be interested Long-term advocates consistently promoting a specific brand
in. Influencers have great strategic insight into what works with and endorsing the positive impacts of its products on their
their audiences, so allowing them to inform creative decisions day-to-day lifestyles.
can go a long way.

Collaborating with the right influencer is essential to campaign UGC Creators

success. Ensure you’re selecting the right partner based on their Experts at creating engaging, authentic, and original content
for brands to use on their own marketing channels.
values and brand fit, as well as their audience size and engagement
rate, to amplify your messaging and expand your reach.

Virtual Influencers
AI-generated virtual “persons” or animated characters
leveraged by marketers for influencer marketing campaigns.

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 Top influencer social channels

As influencers determine what social media content resonates best A whopping 90% of influencers surveyed are active on Instagram,
with their online audiences, they also pay attention to where and which comes as no surprise – the visual platform has made its mark
when they should share that content. Major social media platforms as the go-to place for authentic content. Though fewer creators are
like TikTok and Instagram are consistently improving their algorithms active on TikTok than on Instagram, the relatively new short-form
to surface content curated to individual users based on posts they video app now boasts 150 million users in the US alone.
like and typically engage with.
With more users and influencers flocking to the platform in droves, it’s
Influencers are generally multi-platform celebrities and community safe to say that TikTok is, and will be, a strong contender for influencer
specialists. According to an Emplifi survey of 165 creators, 93% of marketing campaigns. Influencers and brands alike who adopt a TikTok
influencers tend to post content on multiple platforms. However, marketing strategy will have the upper hand, as they can reach and
they are not cross-posting the same content across channels. grow their audiences before the platform becomes oversaturated.
Instead, they’re using each platform for its intended purpose.

Social media platforms used by influencers

90% 66% 34% 4% 4%

Source: Emplifi (Pixlee TurnTo) survey data. Date range: 18 August 2022 - 15 September 2022. Sample: 165 influencers

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 Influencers’ preferred payment types

How influencers want 1. Cash

to be paid 2. Gift cards

3. Free products
Each influencer marketing campaign is different and can be
impacted by a variety of factors. Before designing scroll-stopping
social content with your influencers to share online, make sure 4. Discounts
you and your creators are clear on the goals and compensation
range for your campaign.
5. Credit/content exposure
Marketers launching or promoting a product service often ask, Source: Emplifi (Pixlee TurnTo) survey data.
“How should I reward an influencer for participation in our Date range: 18 August 2022 - 15 September 2022.
Sample: 165 influencers
campaign?” To properly calculate the price or compensation type
you can offer an influencer you’ve decided to work with, consider
follower count, engagement rate, exclusivity, content quality,
and longevity of the partnership.

With influencer campaigns ranging from $10-$10,000 per post

on Instagram and $25-$2,500 on TikTok, brands need to outline
clear KPIs to ensure the measurement of success is clear to both
the influencer and your brand from the start of the campaign.

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 Influencer values

According to Emplifi’s survey of 165 creators, influencers from

various industries rank ”Cash” as their ideal payment type. However,
it’s important to note that budget is not the only factor for influencers “They align with my content
organically and provide value to
selecting a brand to collaborate with; personal interest in the brand
my audience.”
and shared values typically carry more weight with creators.
@lauragruener_

When asked what the brands they love

and promote have in common, influencers “Different brands that I love and
underscored the importance of shared values promote have a healthy lifestyle
in common. I love to share brands
that align with their audience and lifestyles. and products that help impact
others in a positive way.”
As consumers continue to crave authentic content from both @darsitybirling
influencers and brands, a broad alignment of style and vision
within influencer campaigns paves the way for a mutually beneficial
relationship. Successful influencer collaborations typically give
the influencer creative freedom to share content that will resonate “The brands I love and promote are
ones that believe in doing good,
with their audience while still reflecting brand values. giving back, and being sustainable..”

@ritualwerk

TOP FACTORS WHEN SELECTING

BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
“They give me freedom to create
content that fits the brand and let
1. Personal interest in the brand
me add my touch to anything
2. Shared values I promote.”

@amun.glams
3. Budget / payment
4. Community fit
5. Creative freedom

Source: Emplifi (Pixlee TurnTo) survey data. Date range: 18 Aug’ 22 - 15 Sept ’22. Sample: 165 influencers.

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 Trends:
Sponsored
social posts

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 Sponsored posts

A sponsored post refers to any type of social media content

promoting a brand or product with the aim of reaching a target
7%
OF INFLUENCER CONTENT
audience — usually an influencer’s follower base. Successful
sponsored posts are designed to blend in authentically with
on Instagram is
the organic content on a creator’s social profile.
SPONSORED
Under FTC law, influencers are required to disclose paid
partnerships with brands in their social media posts, and they
typically do so by including hashtags like #ad and #sponsored.
Using this methodology to identify sponsored posts, Emplifi
Percentage of companies (out of 43) who said that the economic
found that around 7% of influencer content on Instagram is
downturn is influencing their 2023 budget decisions.
sponsored, with only slight differences between global regions.

Sponsored post frequency tends to follow the same pattern yearly,

peaking in the months leading up to Christmas. Brands can use
this intel to explore influencer marketing partnerships during other

74%
months of the year to stand out from the competition.

Though the pattern doesn’t change year-over-year, there has

been a slight drop in sponsored posts from influencers, likely due
to tightened budgets and economic uncertainty. According to a
World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) survey of 43 multinational
companies, 74% said the economic downturn is influencing their
2023 budget decisions, and the impact of these cuts is starting
to become realized.

Source: World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) survey

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 USEFUL INFO

Influencer size classification

Sponsored content
XS - Up to 10K followers
by influencer size
S - Up to 50K followers

M - Up to 100K followers
Comparing influencers of different audience sizes, Emplifi data
shows that the larger the influencer, the less frequently they L - Up to 1M followers
share sponsored content on Instagram. The slight increase in
sponsored posts around the holiday season is consistent across XL - More than 1M followers
influencer brackets.

On average, XS influencers tend to post 67% more sponsored

content than XL or L influencers on Instagram, which may
be explained by their closer-knit relationships with followers.
Smaller influencers are also generally less expensive to collaborate
with than XL and L influencers, which may allow these creators
to collaborate with more brands and share sponsored posts
more frequently.
ON AVERAGE

67% MORE
Because of this trend, brands should choose influencer size
wisely when considering the ideal number of posts and length
of relationship for a potential partnership.

SPONSORED
CONTENT
POSTED BY XS INFLUENCERS

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 Posting habits by
influencer size

There’s no universal answer to how often an influencer should post

on social media. While fresher content gets preferential treatment
from algorithms, it can continue appearing in users’ feeds over days,
weeks, or even months, depending on its relevance.

Successful influencers find a balance between posting consistently

without falling trap to spamming their audiences with irrelevant
content. As a result, it’s essential for an influencer to carefully balance
sponsored content with their own organic content to maintain
credibility with their audiences. Brands should be open to the posting
strategies suggested by influencers of various sizes to drive optimal
impressions and engagement of campaign-related posts.

According to Emplifi data, XL and L influencers post most frequently

on Instagram across the globe. Collectively, XL and L influencers post
20% more than S and M influencers, and 2x more frequently than
XS influencers.

Though larger influencers post a higher volume of content, brands

shouldn’t shy away from influencers with a small base of followers,
as they have the potential to help stretch a brand’s campaign budget
even further.

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 Short-form video

The popularity of short-form video has exploded,

with brands and users alike adopting this newly
popular content format like never before. TikTok and
Instagram Reels have become popular sources of
entertainment, education, and brand discovery for users
of all demographics, creating enormous opportunity
for fresh influencer content.

While 2023 has remained stagnant in branded Instagram

Reels usage, it’s important to note that brands and
celebrities have increased their Reels usage by 241%
in Q1 2023 compared to Q1 2022.

XL and L influencers lean heavily into video on

Instagram, sharing 27% more video content on average
than S and XS influencers. This trend may be due to
resource availability; videos typically require more time,
effort, and budget to make than static content.

The widespread demand for short-form video content

from users has led brands to increase the number of
Instagram Reels they produce. This has undoubtedly
led to a boost in sponsored posts from influencers via
Instagram Reels.

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 Influencer interests
and brand fit

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 Influencer interests and brand fit

As a brand, knowing what size and type of creator you’re looking for Emplifi found that XL influencers have 2x more interests compared to
makes the influencer discovery process infinitely easier. Collaborating XS influencers. This finding demonstrates that larger-scale influencers
with different types of social media influencers with a following that tend to post content around a variety of topics and interests to appeal
maps to your target audience will help redefine your brand and give to a wider audience. Because of this, they provide a scalable partnership
it a new perspective. option for brands with larger, diverse product catalogs who may be
looking to maximize their reach.
“Arts and music” tops the list as the most commonly
detected interest by influencers sharing sponsored posts In contrast, smaller influencers (XS, S, M) are experts in their unique
on Instagram. This means that brands operating in the arts field, centering most of their social media posts around one or two niche
and music industries have a high volume of influencers to interests which could limit the number of brand partnerships available
choose from when scouting collaborations. to them.

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 Influencer metrics
by industry

While influencer marketing is a powerful way for

brands to boost their brand awareness, community,
and revenue, its impact on campaign metrics can vary
greatly across industries.

Healthcare brands worldwide, including companies

specializing in medical products such as eyewear, medtech,
and medication, can potentially increase audience reach
by 18x compared to brands within their industry when
collaborating with an influencer. Data also shows influencer
cooperation could lead to a 4.9x increase in engagement
than is usual for brands in their industry.

Similarly, Accommodation brands could see an 18x

increase in reach and a 4.2x increase in engagement
when working with influencers. The Beauty industry
could see a 14x increase in reach and a 3.2x increase
in engagement via influencer collaborations.

Though a select few industries, like Airlines and

Software, may not see a major boost in engagement
when collaborating with influencers, they’re still likely
to observe a significant increase in audience reach
through influencer marketing.

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 Trendspotting:
The emergence of
the virtual influencer

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 Virtual influencers

30%
CMOs ARE EXPECTED TO DEDICATE

Influencer marketing and the creator economy have begun to see similar shifts toward
artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality. With this shift has come the emergence of the
virtual influencer – an influencer without a physical presence that exists online through
artwork, social media, or AI.
OF THEIR INFLUENCER &
Virtual influencers appeal to brands for a variety of reasons. Not only do they help brands
CELEBRITY BUDGETS TO
better connect with the modern consumer, but they can also be much more cost-effective
and flexible than investing in real-life influencers and creators – allowing brands to go
VIRTUAL
deeper into their influencer marketing strategies. INFLUENCERS
Though there aren’t many virtual influencers to date, the future of influencer marketing BY 2026
appears to be shifting toward more virtual models and applications. According to Gartner, Source: Gartner

CMOs are expected to dedicate 30% of their influencer and celebrity budgets to virtual
influencers by 2026, and studies show 58% of U.S. consumers follow at least one virtual
influencer, including 75% of Gen Z.

While it’s still early days for virtual influencers, there are several known personalities already

58%
attracting large followerships. A prime example is Miquela Sousa (@lilmiquela), created by the
LA startup Brud. With more than 3 million followers on Instagram and 3.6 million on TikTok,
Miquela Sousa has been featured in campaigns for brands like Pacsun and Calvin Klein.

Brands in various industries, like Home Decor, Fashion, Beauty, and Hospitality, have already
tapped into the innovation and reach of virtual influencers. Additional insights on the adoption
of virtual influencers can be found here:
U.S. CONSUMERS
• The pros and cons of virtual influencers
FOLLOW 1+ INFLUENCER
• 10 virtual influencers to watch in 2023 Source: The Influencer Marketing Factory

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 Top virtual influencers on Instagram

@lilmiquela @thalasya_ @imma.gram

1 2 3
2,872,125 followers 466,923 followers 401,606 followers

@leyalovenature @bermudaisbae
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352,519 followers 252,279 followers

@shudu.gram @rozy.gram
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239,349 followers 155,398 followers

@soymar.ia @plusticboy @ai_ailynn

8 9 10
90,092 followers 50,228 followers 31,108 followers

@callmewunni @e.m.oi
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11,588 followers 1,184 followers

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 Key takeaways

Choosing the right influencer Sponsored content increases in volume Smaller influencers post more
based on brand values, campaign goals, around the holiday season and months sponsored content, while larger
budget, and KPIs is essential prior, and brands running influencer influencers post more content
to a successful partnership campaigns at other times of the year in general
may stand out from competitors

Larger influencers typically share Companies in a variety of The “virtual influencer” is rising
more video content on Instagram industries, including healthcare and in popularity among brands exploring
than smaller influencers, but video is accommodation, have the potential innovative ways to connect with their
a popular media choice for all creators to greatly increase engagement and online audiences
reach by working with influencers

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 Methodology

Influencer marketing landscape overview Sponsored social posts, influencer interests and brand fit
Emplifi surveyed 16.5% of the 1,000 influencers in the Pixlee TurnTo The Emplifi Influencer Trends Report reflects the state of Emplifi’s
Creator Network who were invited to participate in multiple-choice database from Q4 2022 - Q1 2023.
surveys with a variety of questions regarding their social media habits,
brand partnership preferences, and overall influencer experience. In this analysis, Emplifi focused on Instagram influencer profiles
who have more than 1000 followers and at least one sponsored
Data in this report around social media platform usage, influencers’ post during the given time period.
preferred payment types, and top factors when selecting brand
partnerships reflects answers from the 165 influencers Influencer profiles were classified into five size buckets based on
who participated. their follower count: XS, S, M, L, and XL. The classification criteria
are as follows:
Influencers were asked a variety of questions regarding
their social media habits, brand partnership preferences, XS: < 10k followers M : < 100k followers XL: > 1M followers
and overall influencer experience
S: < 50k followers L: < 1M followers

Different analytical approaches require different sample selection so

each chart or table in this report includes the number of influencers
that went into that particular analysis.

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 Glossary

Sponsored content: Posting frequency:

Posts by influencers at least once in the specified time Aggregated the number of posts from influencers per week.
range containing a hashtag that indicates sponsored The median number of posts was calculated per bucket to
content such as “ad” and “sponsored” among the equivalent understand the posting habits of influencers in each
in all major languages. size bracket.

Profile interests: Efficiency of cooperation:

Interests of influencers based on the topics they posted about. How many times more engaging a piece of content may
be in an influencer-brand partnership on instagram.

Post types:
Media types (video, images, or carousels) posted by influencers Power to address a broader audience:
in each influencer bucket. Emplifi was not able to differentiate The number of times larger an influencer’s audience is
if the video were Reels vs other video formats. In addition, compared to brand followers.
Stories were not included in the sample as Instagram does
not provide this data publicly.

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About Emplifi

Emplifi is a leading unified customer engagement platform that

empowers businesses to reach and grow communities through
digital- and social-first strategies. More than 20,000 brands like
McDonald’s, Ford Motor Company, and Delta Air Lines rely on Emplifi
to enable connected, empathetic experiences for the modern consumer
across marketing, commerce, and care. Headquartered in New York,
Emplifi partners with major social media networks and digital platforms,
including Google, Meta, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Snapchat.

For more information, visit emplifi.io

© Emplifi Inc. All rights reserved. Emplifi™ and Empathy, amplified.™

are trademarks of Emplifi Inc. All product names and logos are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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