A whopping 86% of internet users say they don't trust influencers. The online audience is getting tired of all the sponsored products in their feed. In addition, they are becoming more aware of the fact that influencers are paid to promote brand products. And that affects the credibility and authenticity of the influencer. This is apparent from a survey by the Reputatiefabriek among 1018 respondents.
About 88% of internet users use social media. In terms of content, men are most interested in sports, outdoor, technology and food. Women are more into content related to beauty, fashion and food. 60% say they follow influencers on (one of) these online platforms. Yet only 14% of the online audience actually trust certain influencers. This distrust is mainly caused by:unfair captions (72%), promoting an unrealistic lifestyle or displaying edited photos (69%) and discovering fake followers (68%).
Yet more than half of people indicate that they do trust micro-influencers. These are the so-called unknown influencers with 50,000 or fewer followers, such as food bloggers, fitness gurus or travelers. 61% of respondents say micro-influencers' information is more credible because they can identify better with them and their lifestyle. In addition, followers indicate that the micro-influencers are very involved. This results in interaction and appreciation for each other.
