Influencer marketing in the U.S. - statistics & facts

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Published by Statista Research Department, Aug 27, 2021

Influencer marketing is rapidly becoming one of the most indispensable forms of online marketing. With billions of internet users scrolling through social media platforms each day, it comes as no surprise that marketers increasingly harness the power of the web’s most influential creators for promotional purposes. Partnering with influencers can improve brand awareness, unlock new audiences, and ultimately drive conversions, as recommendations from content creators impact purchasing decisions in our digitalized world more distinctly than ever. Since 2019, the global influencer marketing value has more than doubled, standing at 13.8 billion U.S. dollars as of 2021. In the United States, home to many of the world’s most-followed social media stars, the benefits of influencer marketing have not been overlooked either. U.S. influencer marketing spending jumped from 2.76 billion to 3.69 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, and influencer marketing usage continues to grow every year.

Marketer usage and performance

Marketers are allocating ever-increasing shares of their social media budgets towards influencer cooperation as the effectiveness of this new marketing format becomes more scaleable each day. When asked about the performance of influencer content compared to brand-created content in a recent survey, almost 40 percent of responding marketers voted for influencer content as the more effective method. Additionally, roughly 60 percent of marketers believed that influencer marketing had a greater return on investment (ROI) than traditional advertising, explaining why more industry professionals focus on influencer partnerships than ever. In 2020, retail was one of the industries with the highest increase in influencer marketing spend, and the following year, over 70 percent of U.S. marketers planned to overall enhance their influencer marketing budgets. These industry developments leave no doubt that influencers will become even more sought-after intermediaries between brands and consumers in the future.

What are the top platforms for influencer marketing?

With many of the most recognizable faces from social media and the world of entertainment posting on Instagram, it comes as no surprise that the photo-sharing app remains the most popular platform for influencer marketing in the United States and worldwide. Instagram offers various formats that influencers can use to promote a brand’s product or service, ranging from posts and tags to Stories and Reels. In addition, brand websites can directly be linked via swipe-up or shopping tab, making Instagram a uniquely dynamic and multi-faceted marketing channel. According to a recent survey, 93 percent of U.S. marketers planned to use Instagram for influencer marketing campaigns in 2021. Industry professionals also listed the app among the platforms with the highest influencer marketing return on investment (ROI) alongside YouTube. However, as the social media landscape keeps changing rapidly, marketers are no longer exclusively focusing on these two channels but are also branching out into the world of TikTok marketing.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

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