Study finds friends’ advice more trusted than influencers

A recent study published in the Journal of Marketing provides compelling insights into the trust dynamics in consumer purchase decisions.

According to the study, people put more trust in advice from friends than influencers when shopping. This highlights the impact of peer recommendations as they come from trusted sources who have had firsthand experience with the products or services.

Interestingly, brands focusing entirely on influencers for promotion might not capture consumers’ attention entirely. The reason? Potential paid partnerships might dilute the credibility attached to an endorsement.

So, along with influencers, strategies encouraging customers to share their buying experiences with their social circles could bolster the credibility of promoted products or services.

Executed by academics from LUISS Guido Carli University in Italy, the study probed 20,923 Instagram posts from 1,376 influencers from the US. The influencers belonged to health, fitness, fashion, and travel sectors. Their aim? Analyzing the engagement rates of sponsored versus organic content.

The results were intriguing. Sponsored content generated lower engagement rates than organic posts.

Trust in friends over influencers for purchases

The number of followers and the activity level of the influencer emerged as significant factors influencing engagement rates.

A noticeable discovery was that “micro influencers” with less than 100,000 followers saw a 5.4 percent increase in engagement when they used emotional and exciting language. High energy content spurred more audience interaction. Personal stories encouraged active follower participation, underlining the power of authenticity in boosting influencer engagement metrics.

In contrast, “macro influencers,” boasting more than 100,000 followers, experienced an 8.4 percent dip in engagement rates when using similar emotional language tactics.

One possible explanation? The diverse emotional responses of a larger follower base may make universal engagement tricky. But understanding the emotional language and engagement rate correlation across various influencer categories would require more research.

All this could be useful for digital marketers wanting to make the most of their influencer partnerships. Tailoring strategies to the specific follower range could help notch up the effectiveness of influencer campaigns.

The authenticity perceived by potential buyers transactions translated into higher engagement and conversion rates. Realizing the potential of influencers in shaping consumer opinions, businesses started focusing more on micro influencers.

The study also found that platforms like YouTube showed different responses to emotionally charged language than Instagram and TikTok. Macro influencers maintained consistent engagement rates irrespective of their content tone on YouTube.

To neutralize the negative effects of emotional language, influencers should use more factual terms or engage their audience with product reviews, enhancing audience trust and content interaction.

This study signifies the importance of influencers being genuine and transparent with their followers. In a rapidly evolving market, staying aligned with emerging trends, recognizing the impact of digital platforms, and upholding ethical standards are key to successful modern marketing strategies.