A New Study Reports That Instagram Users Are Engaging Less With Influencer Content
Based on the results of a recent study, influencers might not be making much of an impact on followers anymore.
InfluencerDB, a company that tracks the impact of influencers, released the results of their new study, Dazed reports, and the number of followers clicking that elusive double-tap on influencer posts is at a record low. Mobile Marketer published the full results of the study, and in summary, it was found that a surge in sponsored posts is making it harder than ever for influencers to reach their followers.
Per the results of the study, Instagram users engaging with posts from influencers has dropped from 4 percent to 2.4 percent; the results were based on one quarter of studying, and provided by InfluencerDB. As Unilad notes, Mobile Marketer believes that feeds are oversaturated with content, which makes it hard for influencers to stand out from the posts that are sponsored or paid for.As Dazed pointed out, the impact of less engagement is especially noticeable among those with a high follower count. Instagram influencers with 10,000 followers had a 3.6% engagement rate. The number is particularly low when compared to those with 5,000 to 10,000 followers that had a 6.3% engagement rate, and those with 1,000 to 5,000 followers that had an 8.8% engagement rate.
It remains to be seen how a decrease in engagement between followers and the influencers they keep tabs on could potentially impact this money-making business of Instagram influence, particularly for the fashion and beauty industries. With some influencers making as much as $100,000 per post and brands giving a reported 72% of profits to further their work with influencers, and in turn influence shoppers to purchase products, this could be a major problem.
In recent years, Instagram influencers have played an increasingly important role in the fashion and beauty industries, as brands and retailers now use the 'grams of favorite influencers as a way to possibly influence your shopping habits. Examples include Boohoo's collaboration with Jordyn Woods, and Insta influencer Alyssa Coscarelli's unveiling of a collaborative collection with Petite Studio, a New York City-based brand that specializes in clothing for smaller shoppers.