• Influencers are no longer a niche phenomenon: over 80 percent of those surveyed knew the term
  • For around a third of those surveyed, an authentic appearance was the most important criterion for good influencers
  • More than two thirds of those surveyed rate it negatively when influencers use their reach for political purposes

Influencers are often seen as a new phenomenon that only young target groups engage with. A new survey¹ by nextMedia.Hamburg suggests that older people are also familiar with the phenomenon - and already have an opinion about what makes good influencers.

Influencers as a media phenomenon are polarizing: some stand out through well-researched offers, such as the YouTubers Rezo and Mailab , others more through scandals, such as the recent Fynn Kliemann . The nextMedia.Hamburg location initiative took the discussion about the responsibility of influencers as an opportunity to conduct a representative survey to find out what the audience expects from influencers and how large the audience of young media makers really is.

The survey makes it clear: The majority of those surveyed (83.7 percent) are familiar with the work of influencers and are sufficiently informed to explain the phenomenon to people they know. This gives an indication that influencers have already arrived at the core of the content industry.

The respondents were not only familiar with the term influencer - they already had very strong opinions about what they consider to be good influencers. Around a third of those surveyed (34.1 percent) stated that an authentic appearance is the most important criterion for good influencers. Meanwhile, a quarter of those surveyed (25.8 percent) wanted to “handle their own reach responsibly”.

The many creators and creative agencies based in media metropolises like Hamburg, such as the Hamburg influencer agency flow:fwd, are also concerned with the question of what the most important characteristics of good influencers are. “The result underlines what is largely the recipe for success of established content creators: authenticity and responsible behavior,” comments Tim Krause-Murroni from flow:fwd. “Personally, I would add 'good content'. Influencers with a wide reach always give their audience something worth watching. Be it gaming, comedy or consulting – only those who consistently produce relevant content will be successful in the long term.”

Political stance rather undesirable

What a majority of those surveyed do not want from influencers, however, are political statements: almost two thirds of those surveyed (65.6 percent) rate it as negative when influencers use their reach for political matters.

Influencer business models as role models for journalism?

Influencers are also interesting for the classic media industry because of their monetization strategies. Community building and crowdfunding are often discussed as a way in which quality journalism can be financed even in the age of increasing digitalization of news offerings. However, an overwhelming majority of those surveyed (91.4 percent) generally rule out supporting influencers financially for their content. Only a small proportion of those surveyed (1.5 percent) could imagine voluntarily supporting content from influencers - and only with up to 2 euros.

“This result surprises me, because Twitch, for example, is based very much on the financial support of viewers,” says Krause-Murroni. “This is less pronounced on other platforms, but many podcasters, for example, also receive regular support from listeners in the form of donations. The exciting question is: Why are so many people unwilling to support influencers financially? The answer to this could contain important information about, for example, working on content or making donations easier.”

Influencer marketing: those surveyed see little difference to traditional advertising

The advertising industry also often has high hopes for influencers: their authentic appearance and connection to their audience are often cited as factors that make advertising by influencers more effective than through other channels. But only 5 percent of those surveyed said that they consider advertising from influencers to be more credible than traditional advertising. 11.5 percent are unsure - and 83.5 percent see no difference.

“The survey confirms a trend that we have suspected for a long time: classic recommendation marketing through influencers is losing functionality,” comments Magnus Folten from the Hamburg creator marketing agency weCreate. “The original advantage of high credibility is marginalized. However, the share of creator marketing is increasing via content platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. This is rarely about a product recommendation, but more often about brands positioning themselves as sponsors: They make it possible for creators and communities to have a shared digital experience. This is appreciated by the community because, as we also see, they are rarely willing to spend money on their influencers or creators.”

When influencers enter into advertising partnerships, older target groups in particular attach great importance to adequate labeling of the advertising. Only 38.7 percent of younger respondents said that transparency in advertising partnerships was important to them. Of those surveyed between the ages of 30 and 39, 63.4 percent said they attached importance to the labeling of advertising.

The trend of the survey shows: Influencers need to be further researched as players in the media industry

“We at nextMedia.Hamburg see creators as a fundamental part of the content industry,” says Dr. Nina Klaß, head of nextMedia.Hamburg about the results of the survey. “The respondents’ answers clearly show that they already play an important role in the media world. The content industry can learn a lot from the creator economy, especially when it comes to alternative monetization options. But their role in the discourse on social issues and in keeping Gen Z informed should not be underestimated. As a hub for the Hamburg content and tech industry, we are working to ensure that creators are even more closely embedded in the content industry network and that synergies are better utilized.”

¹ The digital market and opinion research company Civey surveyed over 2,500 German citizens on behalf of nextMedia.Hamburg between August 4th and 15th, 2022. The statistical error in the overall results is 3.5 percent (statements about influencers) and 2.5 percent (familiarity with influencers).

About nextMedia.Hamburg: nextMedia.Hamburg is the first point of contact and innovation support for the Hamburg media and digital industry. Their goal is to expand Hamburg's leading position as a media and digital location. To this end, the initiative promotes sustainable business models at the interface between content and technology with various (innovation) programs, events and content. nextMedia.Hamburg is supported by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and is part of the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft. Further information about the initiative can be found at www.nextmedia-hamburg.de .

Source: nextMedia.Hamburg

Also read: Secret Googling: Study highlights search behavior on the Internet


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