eMarketer: Instagram Influencer Marketing Doubled in 2017

The growth of Instagram as a platform for influencers has skyrocketed in the last year. According to a recent eMarketer article and new data from Klear, the number of influencer posts on the channel nearly doubled worldwide between 2016 and 2017 to more than 1.5 million posts.

Influencer posts are marked with #ad or #sponsored, which is now required by the Federal Trade Commission as a way for consumers to know when content is being endorsed by a brand. On average, these posts are receiving 628 likes and the data shows that influencers tend to fall in the female category and skew young from 18- to 34-year olds. Fashion and beauty were the top two industries represented that partnered with influencers.

Franchise brands targeting customers or prospects within this target audience should consider influencer marketing specifically on Instagram for their social media strategy and marketing budget in 2018. As with celebrity endorsements, social media influencers can bring credibility and awareness of your brand to new audiences by posting about your brand on their pages.