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Do influencers influence influencers? New fashion study seeks answers

by | Jun 11, 2019 | Public Relations

The fashion industry is a hotbed of influencer activity (and persuasion), and may be the poster-child sector for displaying the real power of influencer marketing—even among fellow influencers. In new research revealing the full capability of fashion influencers, micro-influencer marketing platform SocialPubli.com finds that a whopping 86 percent of fashion influencers who participated say that they have purchased apparel or fashion accessories after seeing content from a fellow influencer.

The firm’s 2019 Global Fashion Influencer Studyuncovers a variety of valuable insights and provides a closer look at one of the most popular and thriving verticals on social media and within the influencer community. The report specifically sought to analyze content consumption habits, attitudes, and opinions and its implications in shaping the behavior and preferences of fashion’s new trendsetters and stylemakers as it relates to the discovery-to-purchase journey.

“Social media’s impact in informing what and how we shop is undeniable and as more consumers migrate into native mobile channels it is only natural that this influence will continue to become increasingly pronounced,” said Ismael El-Qudsi, CEO of SocialPubli.com, in a news release.

Do influencers influence influencers? New fashion study seeks answers

“There is no other industry where this is more evident and palpable than the fashion industry and influencers are at the forefront of this movement,” El-Qudsi added. “As our study shows, social media content creators now outweigh traditional influences such as friends and family, magazines, and TV for fashion ideas and inspiration. The challenge for marketers now lies in choosing the best representation for their brands to authentically speak and connect to their target audience in ways that engage and convert.”

A total of 1,000 vetted fashion influencers registered on SocialPubli.com were surveyed and asked to share their unique perspectives as consumers, content creators and insiders with their fingers on the pulse of the fashion world’s ever-changing and fast-paced digital landscape. The findings reveal that:

Social media is fashion’s #1 resource and influence:

  • 69 percent of influencers cite social media as their main influence when it comes to their fashion style, followed by brands (12%), websites (5%), and friends and family (4 percent). Traditional media such as magazines and TV programs are relegated to the last spots.
  • 72 percent of influencers rely on social media for product recommendations and to discover the latest fashion trends.

Instagram is the epicenter of fashion influencer marketing:

  • 87percentof influencers say Instagram is their favorite platform for fashion ideas and inspiration. Pinterest is second (7percent) and 21 Buttons third (4percent).

Influencer marketing is effective at driving fashion sales:

  • 86 percent of respondents state that they have purchased apparel or fashion accessories after seeing them on a fellow influencer.
  • 47 percent of influencers have spent $1-$50 on clothes or accessories after seeing them on an influencer. 33% have spent $50-$100 and 19.5% have spent more than $100.

Influencer marketing is helping to propel fashion’s next big evolution into social commerce:

  • Influencers tend to be early adopters of technology and social shopping is no different, especially on Instagram, where 42 percent of fashion influencers have already made a purchase.

Fashion influencers are powerful brand advocates who see their jobs as a way to express themselves and serve their community:

  • About half of influencers (52 percent) cite sharing their knowledge and love for fashion with their followers as the top reason why they like to work as influencers.

Fashion influencers see potential in influencer marketing:

  • 22 percent want to be fulltime content creators and 2 percent aspire to launch their fashion brands in the future.

Do influencers influence influencers? New fashion study seeks answers

Data from the study also indicates that contrary to the perception that openly identifying posts as sponsored content is likely to undermine the audience’s trust, consumer attitudes are largely unaffected by disclosing regulation. A whopping 81 percent of respondents stated they would buy a garment advertised with the hashtag #ad with 47 percent saying they are very likely to still make a purchase and 34 percent stating they are indifferent.

The study also dives into how influencers interact with fashion brands on social media.  Results show that they’re highly engaged with 60 percent of influencers following at least ten fashion brands on social media. Of these, 36 percent follow more than 20. The reasons as to why they follow brands are quite varied, including, to see special offers or discounts (33 percent), get ideas and inspiration for their outfits (29 percent), learn about new products when they launch (23 percent) and keep up to date with trends (15 percent).

When asked to share their top three favorite brands on social media, Zara, Adidas, and Nike lead the ranking as the most mentioned brands by influencers.

Download the full study here.

Do influencers influence influencers? New fashion study seeks answers

Research was conducted by SocialPubli.com using an online questionnaire between March and April 2019. In total, 1,000 influencers from 38 countries responded.

Richard Carufel
Richard Carufel is editor of Bulldog Reporter and the Daily ’Dog, one of the web’s leading sources of PR and marketing communications news and opinions. He has been reporting on the PR and communications industry for over 17 years, and has interviewed hundreds of journalists and PR industry leaders. Reach him at richard.carufel@bulldogreporter.com; @BulldogReporter

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