Instagram is now the most popular influencer network

In years gone by, if you wanted to get your brand plugged by an influencer or have your goods in the hands of someone famous enough to drive lots of traffic to your e-commerce website, you’d likely have turned to YouTube. The video channel was the previously the world’s most popular platform for influencer content – meaning it was also the most important platform for brands that were using influences and gifting products or services as a means of generating awareness and driving valuable traffic to site.

Not so today says a new report.Rakuten Marketing has carried out a substantial piece of research which examines the influencer and content landscape. Its headline finding is that 65% of consumers now choose Instagram as their content platform of choice – meaning brands seeking partnerships with bloggers, social media stars and other public figures will need to switch their focus to those who have larger and more engaged Insta followings rather than plentiful YouTube subscribers.The researchers surveyed over 3500 consumers around the world and their conclusions suggest that your influencer budget for 2019 should very much be focused on Instagram in order to generate the best possible ROI (and most web traffic and sales).While influencer marketing is still very much an emerging field and one that many smaller brands struggle to get to grips with, all the signs suggest that this is a very valuable avenue for e-commerce brands to explore. Over 80% of UK shoppers for example said that they had not only clicked a link shared by an influencer – they had actually purchased that product. That means targeted, engaged traffic landing on your site and ready to buy, already primed by your influencer of choice and ready to boost your online sales volumes.The amount of revenue generated online from influencer-originated traffic is also notable, with over a quarter (26%) of shoppers spending more than £500 on items discovered via influencer content.If you’re worried about bad press surrounding influencer marketing or a lack of trust, you could also be barking up the wrong tree. The report found that 43% of people trust the influencers they follow and interact with to make honest recommendations and share honest opinions about the brands they work with. The fact that posts must now be marked as AD or gifted also creates a sense of transparency which aids with trust building.