Time Out study presented at Advertising Week New York reveals a neglected type of influencer that not only drives fame and reach, but also action and conversion
New research into the rapidly expanding influence economy released today by Time Out, the trusted global brand for inspiring and enabling people to make the most of their city, reveals two new types of influencers. One of them is still largely ignored by advertisers despite being hugely effective at driving consumer action.
“Shakers”—the professional bloggers, social media stars and celebrities, defined and motivated by their large social followings—remain a force to be reckoned with and are well known to brands, who are falling over themselves to leverage their audiences to raise brand awareness on a grand scale. But Shakers’ recommendations are 40% more likely to be ignored, despite their large social reach.
By contrast, “Makers”—the foodie colleague, or that cousin who’s a travel junkie—are largely neglected by marketers even though they could be their most impactful influencers. Makers are revealed to be 10% more effective than Shakers at driving action, despite averaging around half as many followers.
Time Out’s study, “From Influence to Action: The Best Brand Advocates Advertisers Still Ignore", further reveals that:
Makers are about depth and making things happen:
· Large social networks compared to most people (average of almost 1,400 followers, 15% more than a non-influencer, but about half as many as Shakers)
· Motivated by making meaningful connections
· Very knowledgeable (52%) about their areas of expertise – 13% more knowledgeable than Shakers
· Often the go-to people for advice or recommendations in their social circle (93%)
· More passionate (+19%) and more curious (+13%) than their Shaker counterparts
Shakers are about breadth, broadcasting, shaking things up:
· Very large social networks (on average 2,600 followers, which is more than twice as many as a non-influencer)
· Define their success by the size of their following (91%) – it’s their main motivation
· Very confident (68%) – but their confidence is linked to the size of their following and being liked as it makes them feel their opinion is appreciated
· Actively advise their friends and followers (94%)
Revealing the study findings at Advertising Week New York, Justin Etheridge, President of Time Out North America, commented:
“Influencers continue to grow in importance, both as a crucial aid to consumer decision making in the face of information overload, and as marketers search for new ways to reach ever-dispersing audiences.”
“The first chapter of influencer marketing has been dominated by fame and reach, with brands looking to align themselves with Shakers—those social media sensations with large numbers of followers.”
“Time Out’s new research, however, suggests that a new opportunity for influencer marketing is emerging, one focused on the largely ignored but hugely important Maker community, who have real power to impact on other people’s decision journeys and to convert influence to action.”
“As one of the world’s leading platforms for influencers—the research found that a large proportion of the Time Out audience consists of Makers—brands and agencies come to us for insights into the influence economy. With this research, we wanted to codify what we have learned about influencer marketing and advance thinking around this exciting discipline. Ultimately it means that marketers need to re-evaluate their influencer strategies to develop a more refined approach with the right influencer mix.”
From Influence to Action is a qualitative and quantitative study commissioned by Time Out and conducted by media research specialist Tapestry, including interviews with leading academics, agency planners and Time Out’s Tastemakers plus a survey among 1,632 influencers in NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Miami and 2,717 Time Out consumers across these same five cities.