More Than One-Third of Marketers Report Influencer Content Outperforms Brand Content

Linqia, the calm in the chaotic sea of influencer marketing, released its 2023 State of Influencer Marketing report last week, which revealed how brand and agency marketers are investing their influencer marketing budget and their biggest challenges. Linqia launched the State of Influencer Marketing survey in June 2023 to provide an updated report to continue educating brands and marketers and guide the strategies and plans for influencer marketing campaigns as the industry evolves and matures.

After the report’s release, industry experts dug in and shared some of the most compelling findings and implications.

Insider, AdAge, ICYMI, and Winfluence Report the Data

Creator Economy reporters Marta Biino and Sydney Bradley dissected the report for Insider and shared the five key takeaways they felt were most impactful in this article. Biino and Bradley featured stats supporting these findings: influencer marketing budgets remained strong in 2023, brands reported seeking macro-influencer collaborations, creator content is used across channels, and engagement is still the true North of measurement. 

AdAge also reviewed the report and shared this blurb in last week’s newsletter: 

Number of the week: 18%. That’s the percentage of brand and agency marketers surveyed by influencer marketing platform Linqia that reported having a seven-figure—or larger—influencer marketing budget in 2023. According to Linqia’s “State of Influencer Marketing 2023” report, which surveyed over 250 marketers at brands and agencies, half of respondents upped their influencer budgets for 2023, and another 25% maintained their influencer marketing budgets from 2022. For more than a third of these marketers, influencer content outperforms their brand-created content, per the survey. Fifty-eight percent of these marketers are planning to run more than five influencer campaigns by the end of 2023.

CMO, Educator, and author of the ICYMI newsletter Lia Haberman, featured key stats and comments from Linqia’s VP of Strategy, Keith Bendes, in her September 15th edition, highlighting the following:

Around 97% of survey respondents reported using influencer content outside of organic influencer posts, with paid social and owned social being the top channels, followed by website, email, display, CTV, and OOH. 

“The last five years was the evolution of influencer marketing to move beyond organic social to paid social,” said Keith Bendes, VP of strategy and marketing at Linqia. “The next five is going to be going beyond social…You truly do need to create content at unbelievable speeds these days… and it’s expensive as a marketer. So the idea is, ‘Hey, I’m already doing this thing over here. And I’ve already gotten the rights to the content…’ It’s just very cost efficient to then pivot it and move it to these other places,” elaborated Bendes.

In addition, The Information’s Kaya Yurieff reported the following in the Creator Economy newsletter: 

Influencer marketing budgets increased for more than half of respondents this year, according to a new survey from marketing firm Linqia. More than 75% said their budgets either increased or remained unchanged compared to the prior year, with 18% of respondents spending at least $1 million on influencer marketing in 2023.

In addition, industry heavy-hitter Jason Falls interviewed Keith Bendes for his podcast, Winfluence. On the 30-minute podcast, Keith and Jason dove into the report data. They talked shop, sharing some insightful – and entertaining – revelations and predictions on how the industry will survive and thrive in the coming months.

About Linqia’s 2023 State of Influencer Marketing report

The 2023 State of Influencer Marketing report offers important quantitative data and peer input to help marketers understand the evolving landscape. 

Over 250 enterprise marketers and agency professionals participated in the 2023 State of Influencer Marketing Survey from June through July 2023. Participants represented a variety of industries, including CPG, retail, finance, QSR, and major media agencies. Companies who participated in the survey include Pepsi, Clorox, Canva, Best Buy, Home Depot, H&R Block, and more.