Influencers Archives | Sprout Social

UK fashion influencers redefining style

Jamia Kenan — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 13:04:13 +0000

Whether it’s a try-on haul on YouTube, a styling video on TikTok or a #HighStreet fit check on Instagram, fashion influencers have an impact on how the world showcases their self-expression through clothing. Fashion influencers are indispensable partners for businesses because they influence purchase decisions, extend brand reach and connect with niche communities. Through influencer marketing, these digital trendsetters captivate the target audiences brands look to connect with.

They also embody what consumers seek most from brands on social media: authenticity, which is ranked as the number one thing consumers want to see from brands in The Sprout Social Index™.

In our Q1 2024 Pulse Survey, Sprout reached out to over 2,000 consumers and 300 influencers to get their take on what makes influencer marketing successful, and predict how the landscape will evolve in the future. Participants in the United Kingdom report following brands at a higher rate (51%) than in the United States (42%).

With that said, let’s walk through the current influencer landscape in the UK and what to consider when looking for the best partnerships. And to get you inspired for your next social media marketing campaign, we’ll share our list of some of the top UK influencers.

Understanding the influencer landscape in the UK

The power of influencer marketing extends into fashion and other global industries. For example, the 2023 Global Industry Report: QSR Index shows the UK is a global leader in influencing marketing for quick service restaurant brands.

Sprout’s data aligns with Instagram influencer marketing being one of the most popular avenues globally, especially on Instagram. Our Q1 Pulse Survey 2024 shows participants say they are most likely to engage on Instagram at a higher rate than participants in the US (38% UK vs. 27% US).

There’s no doubt that influencer marketing in the UK is ripe with opportunity, but social practitioners, marketers and influencers must comply with regulatory obligations. Brands working with UK influencers are required to follow Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Guidelines. The Advertising Standards Authority is the UK’s media advertising regulator. The regulatory body offers a variety of resources including a 20-page guide.

The TLDR version? Influencers, brands and agencies must disclose when social media content is used as advertising through explicit labels such as #Ad. This includes any agreements that include payment or other incentives from a brand.

What to consider when choosing UK fashion influencers

Although we admire the massive awareness of the Rihanna’s and Kim K’s of the fashion space, brands shouldn’t limit themselves to only working with mega influencers. Nano and micro fashion influencer campaigns are just as impactful, especially for targeted campaigns trying to reach a niche audience. Sprout’s survey also confirms this trend as 40% of participants said they prefer to work with nano and micro influencers.

These subcategories of influencers tend to target niche audiences and have a more intimate relationship with their followers, leading to a higher engagement rate. A mega influencer may have millions of followers, but that doesn’t always translate to record sales or success.

That’s why it’s important to keep in mind three factors when choosing UK fashion influencers:

Audience demographics and relevance to your brand
Engagement metrics
Authenticity and alignment with brand values

Let’s briefly review why these considerations matter if you’re looking to maximize your marketing efforts.

Audience demographics and brand relevance

Your target audience is your north star. The fashion influencer you collaborate with should have a connection with your target audience demographic to maximize brand relevance and resonance. The influencers you consider partnering with should also be active on the same channels as your audience.

Strong engagement metrics

High, consistent engagement metrics such as comments, shares and likes indicate a dedicated, active following. Influencers with strong engagement metrics are more likely to have a genuine relationship with their followers.

Authentic brand alignment

Genuine alignment between influencers and brands is especially important in the fashion world. Choosing influencers who’s personal style and values align with your brand values, image and ethos in an authentic way supports credibility and trust with your target audience.

Leading fashion influencers in the UK

Let’s explore 10 of the leading UK fashion influencers:

1. Nyane Lebajoa – @nyane

Instagram: 2.5 million

TikTok: 2 million

YouTube: 427K

Nyane Lebajoa is a beauty and fashion influencer known for her doll-like makeup and #LetsDressMeUp video series. #GetReadyWithMe videos are a staple content type for fashion influencers, but Lebajoa adds a unique twist. In these videos, she tries on different makeup looks and outfits, non-playable character (NPC) style. With mouse clicks, animated expressions and NPC-like talk tracks, she feels like she’s a video game character. Lebajoa is the founder of TEMPER ®, a human hair wig collection, and often models the wigs in her content.

2. Koleen Diaz – @koleendz

Instagram: 721K

TikTok: 691K

YouTube: 1.58 million

Koleen Diaz merges masculine street-style attire with feminine aesthetics. She’s an avid traveler known for her #GRWM videos and vlogs where she documents her looks and stories. On her YouTube, she documents her life living alone in London, along with her journeys across the world.

3. Chioma Nnadi – @chiomannadi

Instagram: 100K

Chioma Nnadi is an established journalist and the future of fashion in the UK. She was appointed as Head of Editorial Content of British Vogue in October 2023. She has worked with British Vogue over the past 14 years and interviewed some of the most influential people in fashion including FKA Twigs, Rihanna and Cara Delevigne.

4. Agnes Pusztai – @whatgigiwears

Instagram: 395K

TikTok: 36.6K

Agnes Pusztai is known for her high street flair, which incorporates oversize attire, menswear, statement outerwear and 70-inspired pieces. Pusztai inspires the women on the go who don’t want to sacrifice looking stylish for comfort.

5. Madame Joyce – @madamejoyce1

Instagram: 113K

TikTok: 868.5K

YouTube: 161K

Madame Joyce is best known for her podcast, Cocktails and Takeaways, but she’s also a fashion girlie. She has worked with a variety of brands including Spotify, Sony Music, Gymshark, Adidas and Gucci. Joyce’s style is just as vibrant and signature as her voice. You’ll find her rocking furs, custom gowns, opulent fabrics and textile designs.

6. Stephen Omotayo – @somotayo10

Instagram: 153K

TikTok: 1.3 million

YouTube: 223

Stephen Omotayo #OOTD and #aesthetic videos showcase his diverse sense of style. He shows menswear fans how to style everything from business attire to #blockcore basics to Y2K inspired looks. He’s also known for his strategic color placements and unique styling.

7. Izzy Manuel – @izzy_manuel

Instagram: 17.1 K

TikTok: 1.5 K

Izzy Manuel is a sustainable fashion and lifestyle influencer. How does she describe her style? Ethical dopamine dressing, of course. Her distinctive style is funky, textural and drenched in color. Think: pattern mixing, vibrant stockings with chunky heels, and editorial posing. Essentially, Manuel makes sustainability fun and exciting.

8. Lydia Rose – @fashioninflux

Instagram: 2.6 M

TikTok: 470.4K

YouTube: 154K

Fashionista Lydia Rose is one of the UK’s most popular fashion influencers. She’s known for her smart casual sense of style, along with her lookbooks, shopping hauls and beauty tips. Recently, she’s stepped in the momfluencing space, sharing cozy outfits for pregnancy and postpartum.

9. Lydia Tomlinson – @lydiajanetomlinson

Instagram: 1.6 M

TikTok: 210.8K

YouTube: 856K

Lydia Tomlinson is an advocate for choosing style over fashion. She creates educational style content that teaches people how to maximize their wardrobe. She shares tips for making informed purchases based on comfort and longevity. She’s a modern classic aficionado that will show you how to style a trench coat and how to wear a top several ways.

10. Efe Efeturi – @efe.efeturi

Instagram: 388K

TikTok: 131.6K

YouTube: 1.28K

Efe Efeturi proves curating your sense of style is like fine wine–it simply gets better with time. Efeturi is an award-winning fashion influencer and model specializing in style for senior men. Along with his signature sense of style, he is known for his skincare and cologne recommendations.

UK micro-influencers: the hidden gems for targeted campaigns

Our favorite UK micro-influencers have a major impact. Let’s dive in:

1. Nicole Careri – @nicole_careri

Instagram: 39.5K

TikTok: 7,180

YouTube: 2.08K

Nicole Careri is a stylist and founder of DreamofJophiel, a jewelry brand. Her Instagram features sultry, flirty ensembles with edgy silhouettes and dramatic layering. Through editorial photography, she crafts stunning images that play around with architecture, scenery and posing. Her photos strike an impressive balance of feeling both effortless and intentional. Along with promoting her jewelry brand, Careri is a Savage x Fenty ambassador and has worked with several celebrities including rapper Gunna.

2. Zoe Llana Hill – @zoeilanahill

Instagram: 61.2K

TikTok: 64.7K

YouTube: 3.51 K

Zoe Lllana Hill is a self-proclaimed shopaholic. Like many fashion aficionados, she blends affordable to mid-range clothing with luxury accessories such as Prada sunglasses. Anyone can be inspired by her stylish panache, but Hill considers herself a petite fashion influencer since she’s 5’1. She works with a variety of high street brands including White Fox Boutique, Miss Lola, Micas and Zara. Plus she’s an avid traveler so of course she documents her outfits from her trips abroad.

3. Jordan Grant – @jo.rdan

Instagram: 108k

Jordan Grant is one of London’s rising it girls. She’s currently content director of Heat, a luxury mystery box brand. Grant is a regular at fashion shows and events for high end brands like Miu Miu, Jacquemus and Loewe. She also sports mid-tier brands like Aritzia (she is currently a partner with the brand). Grant’s style is eclectic yet chic as her wardrobe features striking silhouettes, rich textures and intricate patterns.

4. Olivia – @oliviasshoppingdiary

Instagram: 11.9 K

TikTok: 43.8 K

Olivia is known for her detailed moodboards and minimalist, yet posh style. As her @-name suggests, she uses social media to document her fashion adventures. If you want to pursue her “inner fashion monologue,” check out her Substack. She’s an advocate for purchasing pieces designed to last. Her followers look to her before splurging on a designer purchase or simply elevate their wardrobe with quality finds.

5. Liv Blankson – @livblankson

Instagram: 31.2K

TikTok: 590

If you’re ever looking for charming accessories, the perfect swimsuit for vacation or just styling tips for casual everyday looks, Liv Blankson is your girl. She’s great for brands looking to reach very niche audiences since her content often features various interests: cats, natural hair care and F1 racing. In the video below, she styles an outfit inspired by Scuderia Ferrari:

Best of the high-street fashion influencers in the UK

We’ve talked about several influencers who are known for their impact on luxury fashion, but let’s dive into some of the best high street fashion influencers.

1. Eleftherios Vogiatzis – elefv

Instagram: 145K

TikTok: 98.1K

Eleftherios Vogiatzis is the epitome of someone who has impeccable everyday style. His Instagram features casual, yet sophisticated outfits complemented by eye-catching scenery. Head to his TikTok page for vlogs where he shows his shopping runs or showroom visits. He has worked with a variety of high street brands including H&M, Cos and Zara.

2. Joel Mcloughlin – @gallucks

Instagram: 330K

YouTube: 159K

Joel Mcloughlin is a fashion blogger and stylist known for his edgy, vintage wardrobe. Almost all of his looks are all black, but you’ll find him stepping outside of his signature color, too. He’s best known for his vlogs where you’ll find him sharing about his hair transplant journey or fashion weeks.

3. Patricia Niamh O’Dwyer – @patriciaodwyer

Instagram: 15.2K

Three words to describe Patricia Niamh O’Dwyer’s style? Colorful, fun and classic. She showcases her authentic daily style through her #WaysToWear videos where she styles her favorite staple statement pieces. Along with being a fashion influencer, she’s a contributor to Sheer Luxe and the Wedding Edition, two of the UK’s leading digital publications.

4. Claudia Berresford – @claudia_berresford

Instagram: 29.9K

TikTok: 1.7K

Claudia Berresford is a content creator and fashion blogger that has worked with a variety of high street brands including & Other Stories and Free People. Along with talking about the landscape of fashion on her Substack, she flocks to social media where she takes styling advice to the next level with her seasonal mood board, outfit formulas and layer tutorials.

5. Omer Elsarrag – @omerelsarrag

TikTok: 76.3K

Omer Elsarrag is a men’s fashion influencer known for his styling videos that feature tips for elevating high street attire. His style is clean and classy, incorporating essential basics, premium pieces and affordable accessories. He creates style guides for essential basics like corduroy shirts, polos and Chelsea boots. If you’re looking for ways to style trousers or properly tuck a polo, Elsarrag has you covered.

Top plus size fashion influencers in the UK redefining standard

If you’re a brand that focuses on inclusivity, body positivity or fitness while refining beauty standards, consider these five plus size fashion influencers:

1. Alexia – @curvylexie28

Instagram: 39.5K

TikTok: 7,180

YouTube: 2.08K

As she mentions in her bio, Alexia is a “body confident plus size blogger breaking stereotypes and redefining beauty.” She is currently a Fabletics ambassador and has worked for a variety of high street brands including Boohoo, Savage x Fenty and Shein. Although a lot of her content features her outfits, she also works with her husband, @nubianprincefashionstyle, who is also an influencer.

As a growing micro-influencer, you’ll find her social media filled with outfit inspiration, try-on hauls and fitness journey content. For example, in the Reel below, she shares stretches for people who work from home or want to improve their mobility and posture while wearing several Fabletics sets:

2. Talisha Jade – @talishajade

Instagram: 1,239

TikTok: 51.6K

Talisha Jade is a model and rising micro-influencer with an ensemble for any occasion. Her TikTok page is filled with outfit ideas and lifestyle vlogs featuring brands like She Oath and Bravissimo. Whether it’s for a wedding, a day-to-night look or date night, Talisha has an outfit for it. In the TikTok video below, she shows off a night look for people in their “comfy girl era”:

3. Laura Ferry – @whatlauraloves

Instagram: 255K

TikTok: 13.9K

Laura Ferry is a former contestant on BBC’s I Can See Your Voice and travel blogger, but her content isn’t just about glitz and glam. She uses her social platforms to talk about issues like confidence and mental health. She shares her experience navigating ADHD after being diagnosed at 34.

4. Natasha Lee – @ceoofbbw

Instagram: 41.2K

TikTok: 4,292

YouTube: 29.3K

Natasha Lee is a stylist and confidence coach. Through her vlogs, fashion content and private consultations, she helps her “big baddies” look and feel fabulous. She’s a Fashion Nova Curve ambassador and provides styling tips curated for plus size women. In the Reel below, she shares a trick for adjusting swimsuits she uses while on holiday:

5. Diana Sirokai – @dianasirokai

Instagram: 1.3 million

TikTok: 341.7K

YouTube: 12.5K

Diana Sirokai is a plus size model and Fashion Nova Curve ambassador. Along with her confidence chats on TikTok and YouTube, you’ll find her encouraging others to embrace their beauty through bold, eye-catching ensembles from bright bikinis and body con jumpsuits to chic two-piece sets and flirty miniskirts.

Male fashion influencers in the UK

Let’s cover five of our favorite male fashion influencers in the UK:

1. D’nieccio Mitchell – @dnieccio

Instagram: 201k

TikTok: 280k

D’nieccio Mitchell is known for his nostalgic sense of style. He blends modern style with staples of the 90s and early 2000s streetwear staples. Think American sports jerseys oversized jeans, varsity jackets and a nice pair of sneakers to finish the look. He’s known for his outfit of the day series, “Documenting My Fits.”

2. Artur Kramer – @arturkramer

Instagram: 1.8 million

TikTok: 3.1 million

Arthur Kramer is a high street influencer known for his bold editing and swift transitions. He is a NovaMen and Boohoo ambassador. He also has fun creating looks based on themes and requests from the comment section.

3. Sam Gray – @samgraystyle

Instagram: 19.4k

TikTok: 268

Sam Gray has a timeless style. He’s known for showing off classic ensembles such as a white t-shirt and Wrangler jean jacket ensemble or a custom tailored suit with cufflinks. He partakes in luxury indulges like hand-crafted loafers, cashmere sweaters and watches.

4. Gurj Sohanpal – @gurjsohanpal

Instagram: 23.7K

Gurj Sohanpal is a London based blogger and photographer focused on menswear and travel. His suave attire is complemented by stunning, picturesque landscapes. Along with clothing lines, he collaborates with niche fragrances like Penhaligon and luxury watch brands such as Tag Heuer.

5. SM – @dapperclassic

Instagram: 120K

SM is known for his sophisticated, timeless menswear style. He refers to his Instagram as his “daily style diary.” He loves all of the staples of classic menswear attire: tailored suits, structured jeans, knitwear and penny loafers. He’s a Proper Cloth partner and has a collection on their website where customers can view his custom clothing guide.

Make a lasting impression with UK fashion influencers

Our list of UK fashion influencers can inspire your next collaborations and activations, but this is just the beginning. The beauty of fashion influencer marketing is that there are so many partnerships waiting to be created. Remember to focus on finding influencers who align with your brand, embody authenticity and maintain high engagement.

There are so many influencers to choose from, so we recommend using influencer marketing tools to narrow down your search. These tools can help you find the right partnerships, track progress of your influencer campaigns and more.

The post UK fashion influencers redefining style appeared first on Sprout Social.

The rise of virtual influencers: are they here to stay?

Jasmine Williams — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 14:00:00 +0000

The steady popularity of influencer marketing, coupled with rapid advancements in AI and metaverse technology, is fueling the growth of a new social media superstar: virtual influencers. These computer-generated personalities function a lot like real human influencers. They post selfies and content from their day-to-day lives alongside brand partnerships with major companies. The only difference is they don’t exist in the physical world.

Are virtual influencers a trend with staying power or more of a novelty for brands looking to cut through the noise of an increasingly crowded social media landscape? In this article, we’ll define virtual influencers and how they work, the major considerations brands should have before working with one and some of the most prominent virtual influencers on the scene today.

What are virtual influencers?

Virtual influencers are digital personalities that exist primarily on social media. They’re not real people but computer-generated characters created with advanced CGI, motion capture and AI technology.

There are different types of virtual influencers, ranging from non-human characters to highly realistic human-like personas. They’re often developed and managed by creative agencies specializing in AI, robotics or marketing. However, some brands have even created their own virtual influencers, like Brazilian retailer Magalu’s Lu. These brand-specific characters function more like spokesmodels or mascots, as they rarely have a platform or following outside of the brand.

How do virtual influencers work?

Virtual influencers operate much like regular social media influencers. These online avatars interact with social media users like human influencers, sharing content, endorsing products and engaging with followers. They offer a unique and innovative way for brands to connect with their audience. But there’s a core difference: The interactions they have with real-life products or services and the engagement with followers are completely fabricated.

A virtual influencer marketing example would be Barcelona-based virtual influencer Aitana’s recent partnership with hair salon Llongueras. Aitana shared pictures of her new hairstyle on her Instagram feed and even documented a fake trip to the salon in her Instagram Stories.

The benefits of virtual influencers

Influencer marketing and AI are two huge trends that are quickly taking over the marketing industry. In a Q3 2023 Sprout Pulse Survey of 307 US-based social marketers, 81% said influencer marketing is an essential part of their overall social media strategy. And, our Sprout Social Index found that 81% of marketers say AI has had a positive impact on their work. But what happens when you combine the two? Here are a few of the most significant benefits of partnering with virtual influencers.

Control over content

Brands who want to get across a certain message or have a specific point to make with an influencer partnership have a different level of control over content with virtual influencers. Having more control over what an influencer posts can be appealing to some brands with a very specific message to share.

Adaptability

Virtual influencers never age, can speak any language and can ‘travel’ to any place. This level of adaptability and flexibility means brands can potentially use one virtual influencer for campaigns in different regions instead of finding different influencers for various markets.

Consistency

Unlike human influencers whose brands might evolve as they age or enter different life phases, virtual influencers have a consistent appearance, personality and content. This stability means brands don’t have to worry about unexpected shifts and can rely on a virtual influencer to promote their offer in a predictable way.

How virtual influencers impact brands

Are virtual influencers the future of social media marketing? Well, it depends. A 2022 consumer research survey found that nearly half of people who follow social media personalities are interested in following a virtual influencer. However, many brands and agencies are cautiously pursuing virtual influencer partnerships, as the new technology poses some risks.

Here are some key points brands need to think about as virtual influencers become more popular.

Brand safety and reputation

Virtual influencers may seem like a safer bet than real-life influencers, but they’re not completely immune to controversy. For example, influencer Caryn Marjorie made headlines for creating an AI version of herself that some people criticized for being demeaning to women and enabling anti-social behavior.

Additionally, AI has a black box problem. Humans don’t fully understand how these systems work or make decisions, which poses a huge challenge for advertisers and agencies. Without that clarity, it’s hard for brands to trust these virtual influencers completely. So, while AI has a cool factor, marketers must be careful about diving in headfirst to avoid future PR disasters.

Transparency and authenticity

Most people already struggle to tell the difference between authentic and AI-generated images. A recent study found that participants could only do so 61% of the time. As technology advances and virtual influencers resemble humans even more, it’s imperative for brands to be transparent about how they use these tools.

The FTC said virtual influencers should disclose brand sponsorships just like human influencers, and the ad agency Ogilvy is pushing for clearer rules about AI-generated content. Still, virtual influencer regulations and guidelines are a work in progress.

Additionally, most brands work with influencers to tap into their authentic relationships with their audience. While there are still real people behind a virtual influencer, they can’t directly connect with their followers in the same way. They also can’t interact with products or give honest reviews like human influencers can, which can make their endorsements feel less genuine.

Audience sentiment

Virtual influencers can impact how people feel about brands—for better or worse. While AI tools have recently exploded in popularity and have dozens of benefits for marketers, the more human-like applications of the technology can sometimes produce an “uncanny valley” effect where people find them off-putting.

Some of the most popular virtual influencers also have racially ambiguous features, which marketing experts interpret as a way for brands to appeal to a broader audience. However, this approach could also work against a brand, as it can be seen as a shortcut to appearing more inclusive than they actually are—an issue many beauty and fashion brands have been criticized for.

The top virtual influencers making waves on social media

The trend may be gaining momentum now, but virtual influencers have actually been around for quite some time, quietly revolutionizing the world of influencer marketing and building massive social media followings. From fashion icons to animated characters, here are the top virtual influencers to follow.

Lil Miquela

According to her Instagram bio, Miquela (@lilmiquela on Instagram) is a “19-year-old robot living in LA.” A pioneer in the virtual influencer space with 2.6 million Instagram followers and 3.5 million TikTok followers, she was launched in 2016 and is now managed by creative agency Brud. She’s partnered with brands like Prada, Pacsun and Calvin Klein and even earned a spot on TIME magazine’s list of the ‘25 most influential people on the internet.’

Imma

Imma (@imma.gram on Instagram) is a virtual girl in Tokyo with over 390,000 Instagram followers. The brainchild of Aww Inc., she’s known for her iconic bubblegum pink bob and killer sense of style. She is also curious and often questions her identity, using the hashtag #ithinkimcgi. Recently, Coach launched a campaign featuring Imma alongside celebs like Lil Nas X and Camila Mendes, where she visits each ambassador in their virtual worlds.

Janky

Janky (@Janky on Instagram) is a mischievous cat-like character with 1 million Instagram followers and 11.9 million followers on a shared TikTok account with fellow virtual influencer Guggimon. They were created by Superplastic, a company known for its animated synthetic celebrities and designer toys. As a virtual influencer, Janky has collaborated with brands like 7-Eleven, Fortnite and Gucci.

What’s next for virtual influencer marketing

Virtual influencers bring a fresh and attention-grabbing twist to marketing campaigns. But there’s still a lot we don’t know about this technology.

Our advice? Vet a virtual influencer just like you would any other influencer, and weigh the risks and benefits for your brand. Pressure test the idea against your audience’s expectations and your brand’s core values. Would your audience find value or entertainment in a virtual influencer partnership, or do they prefer real creator collaborations? Make sure the influencer is ultimately the right fit for your brand.

If you do choose to move forward with a campaign, transparency is key. Use hashtags like #PoweredByAI to let people know it’s a virtual influencer campaign, and closely monitor any interactions between the influencer and your audience.

Ready to start planning your next virtual influencer marketing campaign? Check out our influencer marketing budget template to optimize your spending and ensure you allocate your marketing dollars to the right partnerships.

The post The rise of virtual influencers: are they here to stay? appeared first on Sprout Social.

Elevate Your Next Campaign With This Influencer Marketing Brief Template

Ronnie Gomez — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 14:00:56 +0000

An influencer marketing campaign brief can make or break a partnership. It’s more than just a few do’s and don’ts—it’s a valuable resource influencers can return to as they work to bring your brand to new audiences.

Explicitly defining your expectations up front boosts an influencer’s ability to get content right from the beginning of the partnership. It’s a win-win situation, but only if brands proactively set influencers up for success.

Use this influencer marketing brief template to set the right foundation for your relationship. It will help you outline the details that matter, including:

Establish clear partnership guidelines for mutual success
Provide well-defined deliverables by content format and platform
Share inspiration that helps creators nail their sponsored content the first time

Download the template today to set a solid foundation for your next influencer marketing campaign.

The post Elevate Your Next Campaign With This Influencer Marketing Brief Template appeared first on Sprout Social.

How women are building a more inclusive creator economy

Jayde Powell — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:00:40 +0000

Author’s note: Insights from this article were pulled from Season Two, Episode Six of #CreatorTeaTalk—The Tea On Women In The Creator Economy, sponsored by Sprout Social.

Whether founding our own brands and online communities or working behind-the-scenes to partner with creators and influencers, women are leading the way in shaping a more inclusive creator economy. By creating opportunities for ourselves and other creative entrepreneurs—or “creatorpreneurs”—we are building a space that is equitable and profitable.

Despite us dominating the content creation and influencer marketing conversation, men still outearn women when it comes to revenue from their businesses. According to ConvertKit, 35% of men earn over $100,000 from their businesses compared to 19% of women; additionally, men are twice as likely to earn over $150,000. The obvious pay gap and other challenges beg a discussion about how we can better support women making way for themselves in the creator economy.

To find out, I spoke to five women in the space who are carving their own paths and empowering other women to do the same.

The creator economy is the gateway to entrepreneurship

For many female creatives (particularly Gen Z), starting a business is an opportunity to reimagine what work looks and feels like. As cultural attitudes toward the traditional 9-to-5 have shifted toward a desire for autonomous and remote work, more creatives are looking for opportunities that make that lifestyle their reality. Over 50% of Gen Z individuals desire a job as an influencer (or creator) and see it as a respectable career choice, according to a Morning Consult study. Simply put, the creator economy allows women to secure our bags.

Qianna Smith Bruneteau, Founder of the American Influencer Council, has built a nonprofit that prepares female creators for entrepreneurial success through mentorship, small business development, educational resources and community.

“I started the American Influencer Council to support women creators. When I think about women starting their own businesses, influencer marketing feels like such a great segue into entrepreneurship. During the pandemic, we saw how brands couldn’t work with many production companies, so they turned to creators. Now, whether they are full-time or part-time, we’re seeing women transform and redefine the future of work.”

While more people see influencing, creating and entrepreneurship as viable career options, stigmas around the influencer role may still cause individuals to hesitate.

Tiffany Hardin, CEO of Gild Creative Group, an award-winning full-service influencer marketing firm, says that while that has been the case, a female influencer’s point of view and voice still matters because they bring financial value to businesses that other influencers may not be able to replicate.

“Influencer marketing, at its core, is about trust. Back in the day, people didn’t take mom bloggers seriously. Still, the companies that were [partnering with] mommy bloggers were getting paid big bucks to activate and mobilize those groups of women because they were trusted [by their communities]. We’re even seeing it now with the Stanley cup craze. There’s a direct correlation between women involved [in influencer marketing] and profit.”

Of course, as more women step into their creatorpreneur eras, monetization opportunities become a priority, whether through sponsorships, product and service offerings, e-commerce, or more. Knowing these income streams are essential to the success of their business, women are calling on marketers and brands to challenge gender biases, promote equal opportunities, and ensure fair compensation for all creators—regardless of gender.

The pay gap is a systemic issue

The pay gap—and its impact on women in and beyond the workplace—has become a topic of conversation across industries. When women are not valued or compensated fairly for their creative work compared to their male counterparts, it perpetuates systemic gender discrimination. While women make up the majority of the creator economy and influencer marketing space, economic disparities still make it difficult for women to have financial stability and advance their creative careers.

For Georgina Whalen, Influencer Marketing Expert and Consultant, early education is the key to closing the pay gap.

“It’s similar to other issues in the world and [the US] in particular. It’s a systemic issue that starts when we are very young in school or when we are given career guidance. Then it travels all the way to [the workplace] in hiring, promotions, or how we’re perceived when we’re negotiating. Until those systems are broken down and rebuilt, we’re only going to see incremental change.”

Georgina and many other women in the space feel that more conversations around the pay gap are needed to foster an environment of transparency in the creator economy. However, the responsibility of pay transparency falls on more than creators and influencers. It’s also the responsibility of individuals who partner with them. Christina Le, Social Media Manager at OpenPhone, has had first-hand experience.

“Women and girls have always been taught to portray themselves in a way that’s likable, whereas boys and men have audacity [because] they were built to ask for what they want, and they think in their heads, ‘This is what I deserve.’ I’ve seen how when you ask women for their rates, they will always ask for less than the man does. If you’re working on the brand side, do your due diligence and help a girl out. Tell her what she could be making.”

Pay transparency throughout the creator economy, whether you’re on the creative side or brand side, allows women to advocate for themselves so they can get the compensation and opportunities they deserve. This is how we create an industry that is equitable for everyone.

Advocacy and community leads to equity

While more conversations around the pay gap and pay transparency are bringing to light many of the challenges we face in the creator economy, we must advocate for ourselves and go after the things we want with confidence—or, as I like to call it, standing on business.

Brianne Fleming, Brand Marketer and Creator of the Making the Brand podcast, feels being direct and knowing what value you bring is the best approach for getting the opportunities you want.

“We don’t have to wait for someone to see us. We need to be more confident in asking for higher rates. That’s something that I have worked on when trying to negotiate—coming to the table, knowing what I offer, and knowing how to communicate it. I don’t use filler language or things that water it down for likability.”

As more women excel in the creator economy, there are a growing number of tools and communities available to help them build successful, sustainable businesses. When asked which creator or influencer platforms and tools they recommend for people who want resources on pay transparency, establishing rates, negotiation, marketing, and branding, the ladies mentioned the following brands:

Okay, okay. I put the last one there myself, but this article is about taking control of your narrative. The reality is that the creator economy is ripe with opportunities for women who want to be the entrepreneurs they want to be and build the brands they want to develop.

As someone who has done it herself, I have found that leveraging my community, advocating for change in the industry, and championing other women is part of a more significant social justice movement. One that fosters equality and fairness for all individuals, regardless of gender.

As Beyoncé’s husband once said, “Nobody wins when the family feuds.” For all of us to win, we need women to win.

Want to dig deeper? Read more about why diversity in marketing and social media is non-negotiable.

The post How women are building a more inclusive creator economy appeared first on Sprout Social.

For legacy industries, influencer marketing is key to evolving the customer journey

Greg Scavuzzo — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 14:30:44 +0000

When you think of influencer marketing, what comes to mind? A fitness expert touting a new athleisure brand? A get-ready-with-me video singing the praises of the latest plant-based moisturizer?

Even if influencer marketing has become synonymous with industries like fashion, lifestyle products, and food and beverage, its potential extends way beyond that. More than half of marketers say that influencer marketing has a high impact on both their brand’s awareness and customer loyalty, according to a Q3 2023 Sprout Pulse Survey.

For traditional industries—financial services, healthcare, insurance to name a few—this should be a wake-up call. Brands in these sectors have been slower to embrace influencer marketing for many reasons: industry regulations, assumptions about their target audience, a preference to retain full creative control over campaigns.

But as younger generations’ content consumption and buying preferences converge on social, these are the exact brands that stand to benefit from influencer marketing most. Now is not the time for legacy industries to fall back on traditional marketing tactics if they expect to grow.

Influencer marketing has the power to reroute the customer journey in some of the most traditional spaces. Why stagnate when you can innovate?

Influencers open the door to your next generation of customers

Throughout my time working in influencer marketing, getting incumbent brands to understand the power of influencers has always been a tougher sell. But the “sell” is far from surprising: all businesses need to meet consumers where they are, and increasingly, that’s on social.

To opt out of working with influencers—who have built captive audiences on social—is a total miss.

Marketers identified that the most valuable opportunity with influencer marketing is expanding their reach to new audiences, according to our Q3 2023 Pulse Survey. Given how product discovery habits are shifting, there is an urgent need to get in front of untapped audiences. Consider how 77% of Millennials and 73% of Gen Z car buyers would prefer to handle more of their next purchase from home. Or how 66% of Gen Z has used YouTube, and 44% has used TikTok, to find banking information.

We hear so much about how brands collaborate with influencers for their authenticity, but that only reveals a fraction of the business case. Consumers are smart. They recognize an ad or a paid partnership, even when it’s coming from an influencer they follow and trust. But influencers can afford traditional industries something that has been nearly impossible to achieve to date: the ability to bring a product or service experience to life in a more genuine way.

Take the auto industry. Car manufacturers like Subaru and Toyota are striking a balance between content and experiential quality by tapping influencers to show their vehicles in action.

These partnerships can support buyers’ research process long before they step foot in a dealership, in a way that high-production commercials and website slideshows can’t. There’s no reason a similar approach couldn’t work for retail banks, insurance firms or appliance brands.

Your influencer marketing strategy—and metrics—shouldn’t stand alone

For brands used to running campaigns across TV, print or radio (let alone organic social), influencer marketing poses a new measurement challenge. Nearly half of marketers we surveyed told us they struggle to quantify influencer ROI.

The underlying issue is that influencer marketing can’t be compared apples to apples against other channels like paid social or display ads. Influencer partnerships are unique to media, in that the advertiser gets two outcomes: organic impressions and a creative asset that can be repurposed across channels. There are multiple elements of the spend to consider. Marketers need to understand their industry benchmarks for each channel they use before declaring whether or not an initiative was successful.

Measuring performance solely on the organic influencer posts won’t tell the full story, because your influencer efforts shouldn’t exist in a silo. Strategically weaving influencer assets into your broader media mix is what makes influencer marketing so effective. Defining a clear measurement approach upstream that accounts for the entirety of your “influencer media buy” is how you’ll understand the true impact of an influencer campaign.

The way you measure influencer efficacy will depend on the type of campaign you’re running at any given time. Assessing an influencer partnership aimed at growing brand awareness looks a lot different than gauging one intended to drive repeat customer purchases.

Another important (but often overlooked) variable in the influencer ROI equation is cost savings. Yes, influencers offer reach, they offer content creation expertise. But the content they deliver has legs far beyond social—and at a fraction of the price of working with some creative agencies. A six-month influencer partnership can quickly turn into a full asset library that can fuel your paid efforts, website content and even email marketing. It’s hard to put a price on working smarter.

Getting creative, even in regulated spaces

The magic of brand and influencer collaborations manifests most when marketers relinquish control. Influencers know their audiences and what will (or won’t) land. But letting go of the creative reins is tough for brands beholden to strict regulatory and compliance mandates.

If you can’t escape being over-prescriptive with your content briefs, it’s worth asking if influencer marketing is the right choice for your brand. (Partnering on a Reel that requires formal credits at the end misses the point.) That’s not to say that influencers should get carte blanche, but you do need to strike the right balance between being firm and being flexible.

This means bringing influencers into the concepting phase earlier, so that the end product is a true collaboration. It also means creating clear—not rigid—briefs that are explicit in what cannot be included in order to comply with industry regulations. For instance, alcohol brands often have to ask partners working on summer campaigns not to show any body part in water at a pool or beach. Even a toe in the water could be construed as unsafe behavior while drinking.

Most importantly, brands have to remember that influencer marketing content isn’t simply a studio-produced ad. In the same way mascots like Flo from Progressive or Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man in the World have become cultural icons, influencers can create cultural, relatable moments around your brand in the place your audience spends a majority of their time—on social.

@nationwide

Reminder to celebrate your achievements, just like our partner @latinapreneur. #entrepreneur #SmallBusiness #BusinessTalk #LevelUp

♬ original sound – Nationwide – Nationwide

This doesn’t have to be hard sell content that details the ins and outs of your coverage plans and deductibles. It should lend a voice and (in some cases) a face to your brand, one that lives rent-free in consumers’ memories until they eventually need your product or service.

Chart a smarter customer journey with influencer marketing

Influencer marketing may be less familiar territory for regulated or more traditional industries, but it’s one well worth exploring. Businesses in these sectors have to reach new audiences in order to grow. If you’re not meeting potential customers where they spend the most time, you can’t expect them to invest in you.

Ready to start building a business case for more influencer marketing resources? Use our influencer marketing budget template to expedite the planning process.

The post For legacy industries, influencer marketing is key to evolving the customer journey appeared first on Sprout Social.

Powerful UK fitness influencers for your next campaign

Sam Kendall — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 14:00:03 +0000

Influencer marketing has quickly become an essential digital marketing strategy for businesses of all sizes. Last year, influencer ad spending was projected to reach a staggering $30.81 billion, increasing to $47.80 billion in the next three years.

Understanding what influencer marketing is, and how to apply it successfully today, demands niching down. If you’re a UK company, particularly if you’re a brand selling health-conscious or fitness products, you should consider working with local UK fitness influencers.

Read on to learn more about how to find and vet UK fitness influencers in 2024, alongside examples of 27 of today’s biggest creators.

Understanding the UK fitness influencer landscape

To better understand the landscape of today’s UK fitness influencers, we need to apply three key approaches: identifying them, analyzing their performance and evaluating their credibility.

Identifying key fitness influencers in the UK using Tagger

There’s no shortage of UK fitness influencers on social media. Due to the sheer number of active influencers today, you’ll likely need to use influencer marketing management tools like Tagger to measure your campaigns and find the right individuals for your brand’s identity.

Within Tagger, you can access an extensive database of influencers to find the right person for your company. You can achieve this using thousands of search filter combinations, including filtering influencers by their follower count, or the total sum of shares their profile has achieved.

Evaluating the authenticity and credibility of fitness influencers

You’ll need to evaluate the credibility of any fitness influencers you’re considering working with. This involves making sure their engagement is legitimate, and that they follow compliance guidelines like those of the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority). The ASA is the UK’s independent advertising regulator across all forms of media, including social media marketing.

By using Tagger, you can ensure you’re always working with authentic influencers who align with your particular brand. If they pass your evaluations, you’re well on your way to mastering a successful influencer marketing strategy.

Analyzing audience demographics and engagement

Once you’ve started a campaign with a UK fitness influencer, you can continue to use Tagger to analyze individual influencer metrics, like post count or total sum of likes, as well as overarching trends and the performance of your influencer campaigns.

What to consider when choosing UK fitness influencers?

There are several factors you should consider when choosing between influencers, particularly the following:

Audience demographics and relevance to your brand

When analyzing audience demographics, you should make sure that an influencer has the same target audience as your company. This ensures they’re already engaging with your target customers, and means their content is likely more relevant to the needs of your business.

Engagement metrics: quality over quantity

It’s tempting to simply contact the UK fitness influencers with the highest engagement figures, but this isn’t always wise. For example, you may prefer an influencer who gets a lot of shares over someone who attracts a lot of reactions, depending on if you’re prioritizing reach or impressions in your campaign. Or, an influencer could have a high comment count that looks impressive but is mostly generated by bots. Always make sure you’re considering an influencer’s engagement quality, for example by selecting a few of their posts at random, and checking whether any comments are from legitimate accounts.

Authenticity and alignment with your brand values

Before you work with them, you need to make sure everything an influencer posts, even posts you’re not affiliated with, also aligns with your brand’s values. This mitigates risks for your company, as any issues that occur with an influencer’s career could negatively impact your reputation.

This authenticity, in terms of how professional and reliable an influencer is, can end up being just as important as other metrics to track influencer marketing success, like conversions and impressions.

Ensuring compliance with ASA guidelines

As the number of people becoming full-time influencers has increased, so too have guidelines and laws designed to regulate them. You need to ensure any of the fitness influencers you work with follow all current guidelines, particularly regarding advertising. A reliable set of guidelines are those published by the ASA.

Leading fitness influencers in the UK

Based on the factors above, here are some of the top fitness influencers in the UK today. We’ve used Tagger to filter influencers based on both YouTube and Instagram followings.

Joe Wicks (@thebodycoach)– 4.7 million Instagram followers, 2.81 million YouTube subscribers

With an Instagram following of a whopping 4.7 million followers and close to 3 million YouTube subscribers, Joe Wicks is one of the most noteworthy UK fitness influencers today. His popularity skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he remains one of the most influential people in the UK fitness world. Wicks posts weekly workout videos on his YouTube channel, as well as healthy recipes and inspirational content on his Instagram.

Tom Daly (@tomdaley) – 3.2 million Instagram followers, 1.18 million YouTube subscribers

Tom Daley is an Olympic gold medalist who has amassed a colossal social media following, becoming one of the biggest male UK fitness influencer examples in terms of reach. Tom posts regular vlogs on his YouTube channel, as well as occasional workout videos. He then also posts frequent diving and workout reels on his Instagram.

Ryan Terry (@ryanjterry) – 2.5million Instagram followers, 191k YouTube subscribers

Ryan Terry is the 2023 Mr Olympia champion and a three-time winner of the Arnold Classic. He posts motivational reels on Instagram and lengthier workout videos on his YouTube channel.

Gemma Atkinson (@glouiseatkinson) – 1.9 million Instagram followers

Former soap star and UK celebrity Gemma Atkinson has become one of the leading female UK fitness influencers in terms of followers. She combines motivational Instagram posts with her podcast, The Overshare, to provide advice on how to keep fit while being a mother.

Kim French (@kimfrench87) – 1.6 million Instagram followers

Kim French launched the Believe by Kim French fitness app and has one of the largest Instagram followings of today’s UK fitness influencers. She posts multi-reels for workouts designed for specific body parts, as well as exercise advice.

Matt Morsia (@mattdoesfitness) – 1 million Instagram followers, 2.26 million YouTube subscribers

Matt Morsia stars in the UK’s rebooted Gladiators TV show and has a substantial following on both Instagram and YouTube. He creates popular motivational Instagram posts, but his larger reach is on YouTube where he regularly creates training videos, alongside unconventional content like a house-building vlog.

Gabby Dawn Allen (@gabbydawnallen) – 1 million Instagram followers

Former Love Island star Gabby Dawn Allen is one of the UK’s biggest Instagram fitness trainers. She hosts the What the Health show and posts lifestyle content alongside workout reels.

Female fitness influencers in the UK

Below are some of the biggest female UK fitness influencers working at the moment. To do this, we analyzed cross-platform correlations across Instagram and YouTube, and chose influencers who are all creating content in unique ways.

Meggan Grubb (@meggangrubb) – 1.3 million Instagram followers, 536k YouTube subscribers

Meggan is one of the biggest UK fitness influencers on Instagram and has a growing presence on YouTube. She founded both the clothing brand Move with Blue and the Beyond app for women’s fitness, and regularly posts exercises, meal plans and parental advice.

Natacha Oceane (@natacha.oceane) – 1 million Instagram followers, 1.7 million YouTube subscribers

Natacha is a biophysicist who curates training programs approved by the Team GB Olympic Team. She posts exercise tips on her Instagram, and workout routines on her YouTube channel.

Courtney Black (@courtneydblack) – 838k Instagram followers, 61k YouTube subscribers

Courtney is one of the fastest-growing UK fitness influencers with a huge Instagram following. She hosts live workouts through the Courtney Black app, and also posts workouts and dieting advice on her Instagram and YouTube channel.

Chessie King (@chessieking) – 705k Instagram followers

Chessie is an experienced social media influencer, who’s worked with some of the biggest names in fitness, including Nike and Adidas, and creates short motivational workouts and lifestyle reels.

Lucy Davis (@lucydavis_fit) – 671k Instagram followers, 254k YouTube subscribers

Lucy styles herself as the “no BS fitness girl” and posts regular workouts and exercise reels on her Instagram. On her YouTube channel, she posts vlogs about her fitness achievements as well as hybrid fitness challenges.

Male fitness influencers in the UK

The following represent a few of the notable male UK fitness influencer examples on social media today, which we found using the same strategy as in the above section.

Simon Chu (@striking.coach) – 1.2 million Instagram followers

Simon is a Muay Thai coach with a gym based in Leeds. He posts sparring videos on his Instagram and has several online tutorials hosted on his website.

Michael Griffiths (@mac_griffiths) – 1 million Instagram followers

Michael is a former Love Island contestant with a notable Instagram following. He works as a transformation coach, and posts workout routines alongside collaborations with fellow Love Island alumni, boxer Tommy Fury.

McKenna Crisp (@mckennawcrisp) – 696k Instagram followers

McKenna is a Gymshark athlete and frequently shares updates of his workout journey on Instagram.

Alex Beattie (@alex.beattie) – 627k Instagram followers

Another former Love Island contestant, Alex now promotes muscle strength and weight loss training routines through his workout reels and motivational posts.

Wayne Bridge (@waynebridge03) – 276k Instagram followers

Wayne is a former Premier League footballer. He now uses his Instagram to promote how he keeps fit in retirement. Wayne is an older fitness influencer, which is far less common across the industry. If you were looking to market your products to an older audience, you could use Tagger to filter influencers by age, and find more influencers with an audience similar to Wayne’s.

YouTube fitness influencers in the UK

Influencers tend to use YouTube to post longer content. This is worth remembering if you’re looking to start any influencer campaigns, as the different types of content available on each platform, and the demographics of their user bases, will impact your overall reach.

These five YouTube influencers create fitness videos, as well as more experimental viral videos, and were chosen using Tagger’s filters for UK fitness influencers with high YouTube subscriber counts.

Eddie Hall (@eddiehallwsm) – 2.87 million YouTube subscribers

Former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall has one of the most successful YouTube channels of any current UK fitness influencer. He creates sparring videos with other famous sportspeople, workouts, eating challenges and viral content.

Lucy Wyndham-Read (@lucywyndhamread) – 2.38 million YouTube subscribers

Lucy’s home workout fitness channel has over 1,000 workout videos, with some of her most popular videos regularly amassing millions of views. She’s also published several workout and diet plans on her website.

Joe Fazer (@JoeFazer) – 1.53 million YouTube subscribers

Joe has grown to become one of the biggest male UK fitness influencer figures on YouTube. His videos regularly reach millions of views and involve fitness challenges, vlogs, and body transformation advice.

Gabriel Sey (@GabrielSeyOfficial) – 410k YouTube subscribers

Gabriel Sey has published over 700 videos on YouTube since starting his channel over a decade ago. Several of his fitness tips videos have exceeded a million views, and he also posts vlogs about his fitness journey, alongside diet advice.

Lottie Murphy (@LottieMurphy) – 398k YouTube subscribers

Lottie Murphy creates approachable pilates and flexibility videos on her popular YouTube channel and hosts more in-depth routines on her website.

Instagram fitness influencers in the UK

Fitness is well-suited to Instagram thanks to its focus on photo and video content. These five UK Instagram influencers all have huge followings and evidence the growing popularity of fitness influencers on the platform.

Lucy Mecklenburgh (@lucymeck1) – 1.7 million Instagram followers

Lucy Mecklenburgh is a former UK reality TV star, having appeared in The Only Way is Essex as well as several other shows. Alongside lifestyle content, she uses her Instagram to promote dietary advice and fitness tips, and launched the Results Wellness Lifestyle app to support women looking to lose weight.

Danielle Peazer (@DaniellePeazer) – 1 million Instagram followers

Danielle is a wellness influencer who specializes in dance workouts. She creates dance workout and exercise reels on Instagram and YouTube, whilst also posting lifestyle advice.

James Stirling (@london_fitness_guy) – 983k Instagram followers

James posts home workout content that uses minimal equipment, which has helped him nurture a huge Instagram follower count. He also offers more intensive workouts through his fitness app, PWER.

Claressa Shields (@claressashields) – 824k Instagram followers

Claressa is an undisputed boxing champion and former Olympic athlete. On her Instagram, she posts motivational content, sparring sessions, and pre-fight exercise routines.

Talia and Giulia Harte (@thehartesisters) – 810k Instagram followers

The Harte sisters are former Team GB skiers who now manage their own UK fitness influencer careers. They publish workout reels on Instagram, often with both beginner and advanced options or variations for home and gym workouts.

How to start marketing with UK fitness influencers

You should now have a greater understanding of how to find UK fitness influencers in your niche, as well as some of the biggest names promoting fitness content. If you’re planning to start utilizing influencer marketing in your business, you’ll need the right tools for the job. Learn about some of the best influencer marketing tools available in 2024 to find the right UK-based influencer to power your next campaign.

The post Powerful UK fitness influencers for your next campaign appeared first on Sprout Social.

Find UK TikTok Influencers for your brand

Jasmine Williams — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 14:00:40 +0000

Looking to build buzz for your UK-based brand? There’s never been a better time to invest in influencer marketing—especially UK TikTok influencers. The platform, known for its fast-moving trends and authentic content, is often tough for brands to break into. However, working with local UK TikTok influencers provides you with plenty of opportunities to reach a wide range of people and niches.

Local influencers also share the same experiences and dialects as your audience and understand local customs, values and trends, so their endorsements are more relatable and trustworthy.

In this article, we’ll share more about how TikTok is growing in the UK, how to identify the right influencers for your campaigns and provide suggestions on real UK TikTok influencers you could work with on your next campaign.

The impact of TikTok on the UK

TikTok has grown massively over the past few years in the UK—particularly among young people. According to a 2023 report from Ofcom, the UK’s communication watchdog, more than half (53%) of youth aged three to 17 use TikTok. It’s also the most popular news source for 12 to 15-year-olds and becoming increasingly popular with older generations.

The same Ofcom report found that TikTok is a favored news source for UK adults, increasing from 1% in 2020 to 10% in 2023. However, TikTok consumers are generally more interested in lighter topics such as celebrities and music. Other choices include entertaining or funny stories, sports, fashion and beauty.

In terms of purchases on UK TikTok, personal care products reign supreme, making up two-thirds (61.3%) of consumer goods sales made via TikTok Shop in the UK. Most of these purchasers are Gen Z, likely to identify as female and spend around 41% of their total beauty spend on the platform.

So, how do you turn these insights into strategies for influencer marketing success? If you’re a brand looking to reach Gen Z or Gen Alpha consumers, you’ll likely be a hit on UK TikTok. But don’t count the app out if your brand is outside of this target market, as the app is growing rapidly in popularity among other audiences, too.

How to identify the right TikTok influencer in the UK

You want to find a UK influencer for your next campaign, but you’re not sure where to start? Here are a few tips to help you discover the right creator.

1. Review trending UK TikTok hashtags

Trending hashtags highlight topics that resonate with UK audiences, giving you insight into which influencers are leading conversations that matter locally. Just search “UK TikTok” on TikTok, set the Sort by filter to Date posted and set the Date posted filter to Last 3 months to pare down the results to the most recent trending videos.

2. Use keywords to find UK topics

Whether it’s slang, cultural references or iconic locations, targeting UK-centric keywords will narrow your search to influencers who understand and engage with UK audiences. For example, this video from creator @angelinina.pj uses specific London neighborhood hashtags to indicate location.

3. Conduct competitor research

Identify influencers your competitors are collaborating with and examine the engagement and response to their content. Competitor research will show you which influencers are popular in the UK market and resonate with your target audience.

4. Use an influencer marketing tool

Streamline your influencer campaign management with influencer marketing tools like Tagger by Sprout Social.

Use this platform to:

Find the right influencers. Filter influencers based on location, audience demographics, engagement rates and content style to discover the best UK TikTok influencers for your campaigns.
Build your strategy. Analyze industry trends, social content, posts and profile data to quickly evaluate an influencer’s reach and engagement.
Reach out to key influencers. Communicate with potential influencers about partnership opportunities from within Tagger, and keep all conversations in one place rather than digging through dozens of outreach emails.
Run and measure campaigns. Collaborate with influencers and track campaign performance, all in one place.

Macro TikTok influencers in the UK

If you’re a larger brand looking to reach a broad audience, macro-influencers are a great fit. While they’re the most expensive to work with, their large audience size will give you maximum exposure to your target audience to supercharge growth. From fashion to beauty to comedy, here are a few of the UK’s most prominent TikTok macro-influencers.

Ayamé Ponder

With over 3.2 million TikTok followers, Ayamé Ponder (@ayame) is a creator on the rise. Known for her hilarious reaction duet videos, travel vlogs and skits, she’s quickly becoming one of the UK TikTok’s most popular comedy creators. She’s also partnered with a diverse range of brands, from fashion company New Look to the Deliveroo food delivery app.

Damien Broderick

Damien Broderick (@damienbroderick) is a London-based TikTok fashion creator with 1.2 million followers. He’s known for his ‘lets get dressed’ style content, where he offers details on his dapper outfits with a deadpan tone. He also starts every video with his signature “click click clap” hand gesture. He’s worked with brands like Thomas Sabo and Just Eat.

Paul Lee Hiley

Paul Lee Hiley (@paulleehiley) is a Manchester-based hairdresser with 1.6 million TikTok followers. Paul’s known for hair styling videos, product reviews and a hilarious alter ego, Becki-Jo, a caricature of a Manchester woman. They’ve worked with brands like Skin + Me and El Dulce London.

Sabrina Bahsoon

Sabrina Bahsoon (@sabrinabahsoon) is a London-based content creator who went viral for her “Tube Girl” videos, where she confidently lip-syncs and dances to songs on the London Underground. She now has an audience of 794,500 TikTok followers and has worked with brands like MAC and Hugo Boss.

Ella Thomas

Ella Thomas (@3llathomas) is a London-based model and creator with 737,000 TikTok followers. She gained popularity after appearing on the reality TV show “Love Island UK.” She primarily posts Get Ready With Me (GRWM) makeup tutorials, vlogs and fashion styling videos. She’s worked with brands like Kylie Cosmetics and Gymshark.

UK TikTok micro-influencers for niche campaigns

If you’re a brand with a tight budget or looking to reach a very specific niche audience, consider partnering with a micro-influencer. With under 25,000 followers, these creators are more affordable and often have more engaged audiences than their macro-influencer counterparts.

Here are a few UK TikTok micro-influencers to have on your radar.

Niki

Niki (@nikibnatural) is a London-based natural hair and beauty influencer and content creator with 24,300 TikTok followers. Her content consists of hair styling videos, tutorials, and product reviews. She’s partnered with brands like Wild, a sustainable personal care brand, and You Go Natural, a hair accessories brand for textured hair.

Jana May

Jana May (@janamayinteriors) is a London-based interior designer, decorator and content creator. She posts many before-and-after design videos, design tips and interior inspiration content. With 19,900 TikTok followers, she’s partnered with brands like Nude, an app for first-time home buyers, and Learndirect, an online education company offering interior design courses.

Toby and Luna

Toby and Luna (@tobyandluna) are a pair of tabby cats from Exeter. Yes, cats. With 18,400 TikTok followers, their TikTok account consists mostly of pet trend videos documenting their playful antics. They frequently partner with pet brands like Webbox.

Sam

Sam (@samsliftlife) is a Liverpool-based fitness coach and TikTok creator. On TikTok, he documents his running journey, offers insights into his diet and workout routine and shares health and fitness tips with his 18,200 followers.

Amber Nicole

Amber Nicole (@justanotheramba) is a plus-size fashion and beauty creator from Essex. With 9,210 followers, she primarily posts product reviews, hauls and outfit of the day (OOTD) videos. She also shares some snippets of her life as a first-time mom and frequently reviews products from Made By Mitchell and Lottie London.

TikTok fashion influencers in the UK

The fashion world isn’t always known for its diversity. But on TikTok, you will find all types of creators with a variety of niches, from modest fashion to high-concept menswear. With follower counts in the tens of thousands up to a million-plus, here are a few UK TikTok fashion influencers to follow.

Aly Meghani

Aly Meghani (@yungalyy) is a London-based fashion content creator. With 1.1 million TikTok followers, he posts GRWM videos showcasing small independent brands and outfit recreations from celebrities, anime characters and rappers. As an influencer, he’s partnered with brands like ASOS and Timberland.

Aminah

Aminah (@amxnahali) is a London-based fashion and lifestyle creator with 60,500 TikTok followers. As a hijabi woman, she posts many GRWM videos featuring modest fashion, product reviews and travel content. As an influencer, she’s partnered with Reebok and Adidas.

The Wade Twins

William and Henry Wade (@thewadetwins) are twin brothers based in London. With 749,100 TikTok followers, they post a lot of POV videos, OOTDs, GRWMs and ‘who wore it best?’ content. They’ve partnered with companies like protein bar brand Barebells, online streaming service Paramount+ and clothing brand Next.

Becky

Becky (@bexx0308) is a London-based fashion creator. With 133,100 TikTok followers, she primarily posts OOTD videos featuring streetwear, tomboy and unisex clothing. She also frequently posts coordinated outfits with her girlfriend.

Reb Stephenson

Reb Stephenson (@rebstephenson) is a model, actress and fashion content creator with 76,100 TikTok followers. She’s known for her relatable trending voiceover videos, try-on hauls and OOTD videos. She’s done influencer partnerships with fashion brand Lasula and dating app Hily.

TikTok food influencers in the UK

For UK food and beverage brands, partnering with a UK TikTok food influencer is a no-brainer. From ‘hands and pans’ style recipe content to food reviews, here are a few TikTok food creators to consider for your next campaign.

Steve Devereux

Steve Devereux of Newcastle is the brain behind @foodmadesimple, a popular TikTok account that showcases easy and affordable recipes that anybody can replicate. With 1.2 million TikTok followers, he’s partnered with brands like Tilda Rice and Whitby Seafoods.

Oliver Paterson

Oliver Paterson (@elburritomonster) is a Manchester-based food content creator. He’s known for making over-the-top, high-protein dishes and inventive takes on the classic burrito—hence the handle. With 824,200 TikTok followers, he’s partnered with brands like Myprotein and Nando’s.

Yasmine

Yasmine (@thechefmine) is a London-based food creator. With 345,400 TikTok followers, she’s known for her approachable yet indulgent and aesthetically pleasing recipe videos, kitchen hacks and Ramadan series, where she shared halal recipes for every day of the holy month. As an influencer, she’s partnered with Notion and has created several videos highlighting how she uses the app to organize her recipes.

Coco’s Recipes

Coco’s Recipes (@halfacoco) is a London-based recipe videographer and photographer. They’re known for their aesthetically pleasing overhead shot recipe videos featuring colorful ingredients. With 93,400 TikTok followers, they’ve partnered with brands like Rheal Superfoods and Waterdrop Filters.

Glasgow Gannets

Glasgow Gannets (@glasgowgannets) is a Glasgow-based food TikTok account run by two flatmates, Kat and Haley. With 36,900 TikTok followers, they post a lot of restaurant reviews, hauls, taste tests and recipe videos. As influencers, they’ve partnered with Tim Horton’s UK, food review app Rate-It-Now and many local Glasgow restaurants.

Streamline your TikTok influencer marketing strategy

As TikTok grows in popularity in the UK, so does your opportunity as a brand to reach your target market on the app. And it doesn’t matter what niche or demographic you’re trying to reach—there’s likely a UK TikTok influencer out there that would be a perfect fit.

Of course, managing an entire influencer marketing campaign is easier said than done. That’s why our all-in-one influencer marketing tools make it easy for brands to find authentic creators, manage a campaign from end-to-end, and measure your success. To learn more, schedule a demo or try it out for free.

The post Find UK TikTok Influencers for your brand appeared first on Sprout Social.

Post Performance Report: Influencer marketing campaigns taking over our feeds

Aubree Smith — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:10:50 +0000

It’s time for another edition of the Post Performance Report (PPR), a series where we showcase social media posts and campaigns inspiring us, and explore what makes them so genius. We unpack how your brand can use these examples to spark your own scroll-stopping ideas—while maximizing your budget and doing more with less.

According to a Q3 2023 Sprout Pulse Survey, 81% of marketers agree influencer marketing is an essential part of their overall social strategy, but almost half struggle to measure the effectiveness of influencer campaigns. Since the opportunity for influencer marketing looms large, we decided to round up some of our favorite recent influencer campaigns, and demonstrate how they drive business results the C-suite cares about.

Let’s dive into our lineup of brands who excel at influencer marketing, and takeaways you can use to deliver compelling results.

Plot: The brand excelling on LinkedIn

Plot, the up and coming creative management platform, mastered influencer marketing on LinkedIn—a platform even large tech companies struggle to harness. And they’re only in the beta phase of their product launch.

The brand collaborated with trusted voices in the social media industry for the #PlotPartner program to tease their launch and encourage people to sign up for the waitlist. Like Chi Thukral, a Forbes 30 under 30 winner who works in social at HubSpot. In her recent post about the brand, she points out how she uses it day-to-day, and hits on specific pain points social marketers know all too well.

Another post from Lia Zneimer, the VP of Marketing at Teal, shares her candid feedback about how great she thinks the product is, and talks in more detail about the product itself.

The influencer buzz surrounding this new product coincided with Plot raising a $3 million investment round, which the brand will use to accelerate product development and launch the brand publicly. A moment all of LinkedIn is eagerly awaiting.

The play: Consumers are discerning. They know influencer marketing isn’t the same as word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family, and they don’t take influencers at their word. But you can still achieve genuine anticipation by allowing influencers to describe how they use your new product in their own words, and take consumers on a BTS journey.

But remember to always look for influencers and partners who actually use your product and understand how it works, especially if you’re in the tech industry.

YSL Beauty: The best date for Valentine’s Day

YSL Beauty, the luxury skincare and makeup brand, rained love on influencers this Valentine’s Day to promote the launch of their new Candy Glaze lip product. From gift giving to quality time to acts of service, YSL had every love language covered.

Leading up to the product launch, the brand sent heart-shaped Candy Glaze gloss press boxes to various beauty influencers. Every video was in the influencer’s unique style, suggesting YSL empowered them to give candid product feedback and put their own creative spin on the videos.

@phyllicia.victoria

The perfect valentine gift from @YSL Beauty candy glaze lip gloss stick set. I’m wearing shade 5 💋 🩷💕 #yslbeauty #beauty #beautyblogger #lipstick #skincare #cosmetics #lipgloss #nycblogger #ysl #valentinesday #fypシ

♬ L’amore dice ciao (From “La matriarca – The Libertine”) – Main Titles – Armando Trovajoli

@kellyydoann

happy valentine’s day & special thanks to the one & only @YSL Beauty #candyglaze #yslbeauty #candyglazelip #prunboxing

♬ เสียงต้นฉบับ – nad♡inem – 𓇼

They also hosted an influencer YSL Beauty party during New York Fashion Week attended by celebrities and influencers-turned-celebrities. The YSL event featured lipgloss engravings, lip-print readings and a performance by Jack Harlow. The event was attended by YSL influencers and spokespeople like Dominic Sessa and Noah Beck.

The beauty brand topped off their Valentine’s Day activations by sponsoring the makeup looks of internet personalities, like Amelia Dimoldenberg. Dimoldenberg’s YSL Beauty post was one of her most liked in February.

According to Sprout Social Listening data from February 4 to March 5, 2024, mentions of the new Candy Glaze lipgloss and YSL Beauty increased by 3634% from February 11 to 12, and then leveled off after Valentine’s Day. The week of Valentine’s Day, the posts resulted in over 40 million impressions and more than 554,000 engagements on X and YouTube. That week, the brand and #CandyGlazeLip boasted an impressive 100% positive sentiment.

The play: YSL Beauty’s campaign launch was an elaborate ecosystem of influencer content that made a major awareness impact. For your next launch, remember to make influencer marketing an integral part of your marketing strategy—not a peripheral tactic.

Disney: “Echoing” what their audience wants

Disney’s newest Marvel miniseries, Echo, tells the story of Maya Lopez, an antagonist-turned-protaginist who embraces her Choctaw family and community, while battling a criminal organization. Maya Lopez is a deaf, indigenous, amputee woman—identities typically underrepresented in superhero franchises.

To create hype for the series premiere, Disney strategically partnered with indigenous and deaf influencers who celebrated the series’ portrayal of the Choctaw nation and a deaf, disabled hero. This included a roundtable discussion between influencers and stars of the show.

@ohkairyn

Diving into the dark and thrilling world of ‘Echo’ with @marvelstudios @disneyplus @hulu ! Just watched some epic clips and I’m already so excited. 😍 Maya Lopez’s journey as a deaf Choctaw superhero is groundbreaking, and the action scenes are so sick! This is the indigenous and deaf representation that’s needed right now. 🦸‍♀️💥 The series is out now on Disney+ and Hulu, let’s binge it!. Who’s joining me for Marvel’s first TV-MA rated show? #Echo #DisneyPartner 🎬🖤 #marvel #superhero #indigenous #choctaw #nativeamerican

♬ original sound – Kairyn Potts

@og.robinson

#DisneyPartner OHMYGOSH, what an amazing little round table I was so lucky to be a part of with Alaqua Cox (who plays Maya Lopez) and Sydney Freeland (the director) to talk about the new @Marvel Studios series ECHO 🤩 I’m sooooo excited to FINALLY watch it and you can too! Check out @Disney+ and/or @hulu and let me know who your favourite character is in the comments 👀 #echo #disneyplus #hulu

♬ original sound – Haley Robinson

According to data from Tagger by Sprout Social from January 1 to March 5, 2024, conversations on social media resulted in over $1 million in earned media value, with some posts garnering an engagement rate of 10%, like this post from @TheDeafFamily

Post-launch, Forbes reported the show performed better (with audiences and critics) than recent Marvel Cinematic Universe ventures with higher budgets.

The play: A series like Echo has been a long time coming for fans of Disney and the MCU. But without the input of indigenous and disabled communities, the series might not have delivered a fair or accurate portrayal of the character. Disney took care when telling Echo’s story—and that includes choosing with influencers to partner with on promotion. When finding influencers to partner with, remember representation matters.

Porsche: Luxuriously whimsical content races to the top

When you visualize auto industry influencer marketing, you might picture luxurious vehicles and idyllic adventures. You probably don’t think of fashionable grandpas or adorable gray cats. But, those are exactly the influencers German automobile manufacturer Porsche is partnering with on TikTok. A far cry from the car-centric, sleek content on their other channels like Instagram and Facebook (and their competitors’ content).

@porsche

Fit for a king. 👑 📼 @Jaadiee

♬ Originalton – Porsche

User comments—both on the influencers’ pages and their own—suggests fans of the brand are loving it. These influencer partnerships are helping Porsche create their own cultural moments and reach younger consumers.

@paquito_thecat

The cat mom aesthetic is in. Actually, it never went out of style. @Porsche

♬ Sugar Plumbin’ (NCS) – Reece Taylor

Porsche’s quirky TikTok content helps them soar past auto industry competitors on social media. So far this year, Porsche’s influencer marketing content delivered $56 million in earned media value, according to Tagger by Sprout Social data from January 1 to March 5, 2024. Porsche is driving more engagements and earned media value than the other top three auto brands on social, according to Tagger data.

The play: Highly edited, promotional content is not the best use of any brand’s influencer content efforts. Especially when all your competitors are doing it. It’s important to find influencers who can present your product in new and creative ways.

Reformation: Vote in style this election year

In a stunning move that took the internet by storm, Reformation named political icon Monica Lewinsky the face of their new campaign, “You’ve Got the Power,” in partnership with Vote.org. The campaign is meant to encourage voter awareness, while launching a new line of elevated workwear with “strong silhouettes, excellent tailoring and sustainable deadstock materials.”

@emilycarmeli

#greenscreen monica lewinsky for reformation! I havent been this happy about a brand marketing opportuntiy in a long time ❤️ #reformation #marketing #brandmarketing #fashion #fashiontiktok #monicalewinsky

♬ original sound – Emily Carmeli

The reaction to the campaign was overwhelmingly positive, with influencers, creators and internet culture commentators weighing in on its significance. TikTok user @BlakelyThonton said, “This is the most culturally relevant thing Reformation has ever done. Any brand that exists right now must create an emotional reason for being…[Lewinsky] is the perfect vessel for a message about workplace power dynamics.”

@blakelythornton

♬ Violin – Grooving Gecko

The initial post announcing the campaign received more than 39,000 likes on Instagram and almost 17,000 views on TikTok. According to Sprout Social Listening data from February 26 to March 11, 2024, the launch was so iconic, it has a 100% positive sentiment rate. Even the brand relished the success of the campaign’s launch in an Instagram Carousel, where it reposted some of the best fan reactions.

The play: The ingenuity of Reformation’s partnership with Lewinsky is how well it speaks to the specific issues their audience cares about. In an era where many brands are shying away from the political limelight, brands can still use influencer marketing to make their values known. Just be careful to work with influencers who have a high “approval rating” with your audience.

Influencer spotlight: Corporate Erin

Though not technically an influencer marketing brand deal or campaign, we are so inspired by the humor, satire and realness Corporate Erin brings to her social presence, we decided to include her in the lineup.

@lisabevolving

CorporateErin’s 1:1 w/ Reesa Teesa

♬ original sound – Lisa Beasley

Her humor is a spot-on impression of the pitfalls of corporate culture—including corporate jargon, unrealistic expectations of employees and atrocious work-life balance.

See more from Corporate Erin (aka Lisa Beasley) in Sprout’s on-demand webinar about building data-powered social strategies.

The play: The best influencer content feels genuine—conveying relatable truths and capturing the creator’s unique artistic style. Corporate Erin’s videos are a reminder of why overly prescriptive creator briefs tend to result in lackluster content, while authentic posts perform well. Influencers understand what their audience wants, and that isn’t neatly scripted, overly promotional content.

Grow your discoverability with influencer marketing

That concludes this month’s installment of the PPR. Stay tuned for next month’s edition where we’ll be digging into brands who use AI to enhance their social content. Until next time, keep these points in mind:

Post Performance Report Takeaways

Remember: Influencer marketing isn’t just a 'nice to have.' It’s essential to reaching your audience and should be a core part of your strategy.
Look for people who are familiar with your products and represent the values of your target audience when searching for influencers for your next campaign.
Think beyond closely held beliefs in your industry to breakthrough and appeal to younger audiences.

Looking for more on influencer marketing ROI? Read up on this six-point framework for cracking the influencer ROI equation.

And if you see a social post or campaign that deserves to be highlighted, tag us @sproutsocial and use #PostPerformanceReport to have your idea included in a future article.

The post Post Performance Report: Influencer marketing campaigns taking over our feeds appeared first on Sprout Social.

24 Top YouTube influencers to check out in 2024

Brent Barnhart — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 16:31:43 +0000

YouTube influencers are on a different level when it comes to business impact.

The term “influencer” might be synonymous with Instagram and TikTok these days. Thing is, YouTube creators predate both and are the blueprint for what an “influencer” is today.

And YouTubers have consistently built full-blown brands, media careers and product lines.

These aren’t just one-off success stories, either. From beauty and fitness to gaming and beyond, YouTube creators drive billions of views from any audience you can imagine.

And this speaks to the power of YouTube influencer marketing and sponsored content for brands.

This post digs into the top YouTube influencers of all shapes and sizes and why they’re notable.

Table of contents:

Who are YouTube influencers?
Top YouTube influencers overall
Top YouTube fitness influencers
Top YouTube makeup and beauty influencers

Who are YouTube influencers?

YouTube Influencers are creators with substantial followings and engaged communities. These creators’ personal brands are recognizable among their audiences and businesses.

While there’s no one-size-definition of what a YouTube influencer is, our criteria for this list includes:

A sizable audience (100,000s or millions of subscribers)
Videos that regularly earn 1+ million views
Content that’s brand and collab-friendly

Brands primarily partner with YouTube influencers through sponsored videos and brand ambassadorships. Beyond paid partnerships, many creators will serve as affiliates for brands.

Consider that many YouTube influencers’ level of engagement dwarfs that of traditional ad channels. The platform’s largest creators drive millions of views in a matter of days.

These viewers are engaging with long-form content (hint: not 15-second ad spots). With so much content on YouTube, brands are spoiled for choice when it comes to finding the right influencers.

Top YouTube influencers overall

Below is our breakdown of some of the top YouTube influencers overall.

Bear in mind that subscriber count isn’t everything! While many of these channels represent some of the biggest YouTube influencers, we also share a few up-and-coming creators as well.

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can seamlessly find and manage influencer relationships, all the way from onboarding and project assignment through to execution, request a demo of Tagger by Sprout Social today.

Tagger by Sprout Social

Revolutionize your influencer marketing with data-powered social intelligence.

Published on

1. MrBeast

With over 240 million subscribers, MrBeast is officially the biggest individual YouTube influencer.

His elaborate stunts and philanthropic videos are among the platform’s most viral content. The channel has inspired platform-wide trends including over-the-top thumbnails and “challenge”-style videos.

Inspiring so many copycat channels, MrBeast’s ability to establish trends and drive millions of views in minutes is what makes him the top YouTube influencer by a wide margin.

2. Lily Singh

Lilly Singh is a shining example of how to go from being a YouTube influencer to launching a legit media career and personal brand. With over 1,000 videos and 13 years on the platform, Singh highlights how far both YouTube and creators have come.

Over the years, her content evolved from cultural comedy skits to vlogs featuring Zendaya and The Rock. While Singh doesn’t publish as much long-form content these days, she posts plenty of YouTube shorts of her behind-the-scenes life as a celeb.

3. Marques Brownlee

Marques Brownlee is the mastermind behind MKBHD, breaking down cutting edge tech with super in-depth reviews. Brownlee’s 18+ million subscribers speak for themselves, as does the fact that his new review of the Apple Vision Pro has already amassed 26+ million views in a month.

His channel is the go-to place for the YouTube community to learn about the latest gadgets, phones, tech accessories, gaming consoles and more. What makes Brownlee notable is his welcoming presentation, making his content accessible to casual viewers and tech junkies alike.

4. Dude Perfect

Five YouTube influencers, one channel.

Despite being simply presented as five guys making videos, Dude Perfect is the blueprint for a successful comedy channel on YouTube. Their sketches and outlandish “trick shot” videos consistently go viral across social media, not to mention YouTube itself.

Getting hundreds of millions of views for flipping water bottles and making ping pong trick shots might seem impossible. That said, the personality of the Dude Perfect team is what really hooks viewers from the start.

5. Emma Chamberlain

Emma Chamberlain proves the power of day-in-the-life style content. Amassing 14+ million subscribers for her vlogs and lifestyle videos, Chamberlain presents her “real” self to viewers whether she’s filming her daily fits or exploring a new county.

Like all of the YouTube influencers on our list, her channel is a reminder that building an audience boils down to creating a legit emotional connection with your audience. Needless to say, Chamberlain has nailed it there.

6. Markiplier

Markiplier is a pioneer as a YouTube influencer in the gaming space. His channel blew up in the wake of horror game jump-scares and reaction videos taking off over a decade ago. 5,500+ videos later, Markiplier continues to create similar content with the occasional vlog or charity announcement in-between.

7. KallMerkis

KallMerkis’ channel is a perfect storm of what tends to trend across YouTube. That includes reaction videos, reviewing weird products and outlandish thumbnails. Her consistency and content variety has netted her nearly 11 million subscribers to date with no signs of slowing down.

8. Jacksepticeye

Jacksepticeye is another example of a gaming YouTube influencer who got in early on reaction content and playthroughs. While many of his earliest and most popular videos also featured original animations, Jack has also branched out into meme reviews, reaction videos and everything in-between.

9. Morgan Drinks Coffee

Morgan Drinks Coffee’s Morgan Eckroth is a barista champion turned YouTube influencer who regularly publishes super creative branded content. Unsurprisingly, most of her content is coffee-themed. This includes long-form educational videos, recipes and product reviews.

Given that Morgan is also popular on TikTok (6.3 million followers), she makes a point to regularly crosspost her videos to YouTube Shorts where they likewise earn impressive engagement.

10. JaidenAnimation

JaidenAnimations is unique as the only animated YouTube influencer on our list. Many of her recent videos focus on video games and nerd culture along with her personal experiences. Combining humorous “storytimes” with stunning cartoons, her distinct style has earned her 12.4 million subscribers to date.

11. Davie 504

David504’s content is equal parts bizarre and mind-blowing. Combining memes with creative bass guitar solos and challenges, Davie’s channel is one of the biggest independent music YouTube influencers with an impressive 13+ million subscribers.

12. Adam Neely

Another music YouTube influencer, Adam Neely has one of the oldest channels of anyone on this list (with his first video published way back in 2006). Since then, Neely has consistently published deep-dives into music theory alongside live performances and vlogs detailing his life as a gigging musician.

13. SB Mowing

SB Mowings’ before-and-after mowing videos are also a perfect example of “oddly satisfying” content that tends to go viral on YouTube. Transforming untenable lawns into something with curb appeal definitely falls under that category as millions of viewers regularly tune in to see it happen.

Even more impressive is how the channel boasts its fair share of sponsored content. SB Mowing is a shining example of just how successful niche YouTube influencers can be.

Top YouTube fitness influencers

While there’s no shortage of them, here are a few notable YouTube fitness influencers to watch.

14. Yoga With Adriene

Yoga with Adriene is YouTube’s one-stop-shop for all things yoga. Her calm presentation and the fact that she has tutorials for all skill levels have only helped her viewership grow since. From bite-sized routines and full-blown classes to in-depth yoga pose tutorials, Adrienne has covered all of the above in detail in 700+ videos and counting.

15. Jeff Nippard

Jeff Nippard is different from many of the biggest YouTube influencers in the fitness space because of his background in chemistry. His recommendations go beyond anecdotal fitness advice with a focus on science and peer-reviewed data. Nippard’s videos combine practical muscle-building and diet recs with serious educational value that doesn’t skimp on the details.

16. Athlean X

Like Nippard, Athlean X’s Jeff Cavaliere takes pride in his “no BS” and science-backed approach to fitness advice. Serving as a celebrity trainer with decades of experience, Athlean X goes to great lengths to dispel common YouTube fitness myths. Much of the channel is dedicated to addressing weightlifting trends with the potential to cause injury.

17. Blogilates

Another example of how creators turn content into careers and products, Blogilates is an “OG” fitness YouTuber who also has a thriving activewear brand to her name. Her channel primarily consists of bodyweight exercise tutorials and ~15 minute workout routines for busy viewers.

18. Carla Rowena

Carla Rowena’s channel is a notable mix of both fitness and lifestyle content. Beyond traditional workout routines, she also uses her channel as a place to document her journey as a parent. She’s recently published a series of postpartum workout videos which highlights how creators can seamlessly reach multiple audiences at the same time.

Top YouTube makeup and beauty influencers

19. Michelle Phan

While Michelle Phan’s channel initially popped off thanks to her copycat celebrity makeup tutorials, the channel primarily focuses on product reviews and routine breakdowns. Not to mention founding EM Cosmetics along the way.

Her videos are seriously in-depth and border on ASMR with a soft and calm presentation. Phan sometimes publishes lifestyle videos and personal vlogs for the sake of variety.

20. Jackie Aina

Jackie Aina’s self-proclaimed goal is to change “the standard of beauty” and she delivers with her routine videos, vlogs and self-care videos. While Aina initially built her brand on beauty reviews, self-care has become the primary focus of the channel with makeup playing a supporting role.

Some of her more recent videos are sponsored by brands like CashApp, highlighting how YouTube beauty influencers are creating content powered by paid partnerships.

21. Taylor Wynn

Taylor Wynn has been posting beauty tutorials and reviews for over a decade. She continues to consistently post routine videos and recommendations alongside long-form vlogs. With many of her videos clocking at over 30+ minutes, she’s yet another example of a beauty vlogger who dives deep into her favorite finds at Ulta, Sephora and beyond.

22. NikkieTutorials

NikkieTutorials’ content is much more in-your-face than other beauty YouTubers but that’s 100% on-brand. Her 14.5m subscribers don’t lie!

Quick edits, memes and a great sense of humor help Nikkie’s content stand out from the crowd. Testing viral hacks and bizarre routines provides serious entertainment value while also showing off her skill as a makeup artist.

While Nikkie doesn’t post as many long-form videos these days, she’s still actively publishing bite-sized makeup applications and reaction videos.

23. Huda Beauty

Like many YouTube beauty influencers, Huda Beauty went from creating makeup tutorials to building her own cosmetics empire. Huda’s 4 million YouTube subs and ever-growing brand highlight her impact as both a beauty influencer and entrepreneur.

24. Christen Dominique

With 4+ million subscribers, Christen Dominique has mastered the art of creating long-form beauty videos. Most of her videos are ~20 minutes long with the occasional unedited videos that can last for over an hour.

Routines, hacks and GRWM videos are cornerstones of her content which gets seriously in-depth. The fact that Dominique continues to publish multiple videos per month is impressive for a creator of her size. Bonus points for keeping up that sort of volume and high production value.

Ready to start working with YouTube influencers?

The list above provides a taste of what YouTube has to offer in terms of creative talent. The amount of talented influencers on YouTube across industries and genres is staggering.

And this is great news for both creators and the brands that want to partner with them.

Especially as YouTubers continue to find super creative ways to feature brands in their content. Still, simply finding the right influencers is one of the toughest parts of getting started.

If you haven’t already, check out Sprout Social’s suite of influencer marketing features to see how the platform can help you reach your target audience with creators faster.

The post 24 Top YouTube influencers to check out in 2024 appeared first on Sprout Social.

8 top influencer analytics tools to boost your campaign ROI in 2024

Martha Kendall — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:00:54 +0000

While the right influencer endorsements are worth their weight in gold, brands have to be strategic with their influencer campaigns to get positive results.

That means finding influencers with followers in your target audience and creating campaigns that feel natural and inspire conversions. It’s no small task, but the right influencer marketing analytics can help.

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of 8 outstanding influencer analytics tools to help you discover niche influencers and optimize your campaign strategy in 2024.

What is an influencer analytics tool?

Influencer analytics tools are a type of influencer marketing tool designed to measure the performance and impact of influencer marketing campaigns. These tools help brands find influencers with the right target audience, and then track and evaluate how each sponsored post contributes to the overall campaign.

Consolidating audience demographics, content performance metrics and profile stats for each influencer helps marketers measure and optimize their influencer partnerships according to overall business objectives.

What to look for in an influencer analytics tool

Influencer data analytics isn’t just about a creator’s engagement rate. To find the right influencers and optimize future campaigns, you’ll need access to audience demographics, brand affinity, competitor analysis, industry trends and so much more.

Here are the most important features to look for in an influencer analytics platform to get just that:

Influencer discovery

The influencer you choose can make or break your campaign. Big audiences and high engagement rates don’t guarantee success. It’s all about finding an engaging audience that fits your ideal customer profile (ICP).

That’s why influencer discovery features are so important. Your influencer analytics tool should have a database of vetted influencers you can filter and search through. It should also have analytics profiles with historic content performance and audience demographics for each influencer.

If you use Sprout, you can find the best influencers for your campaign with Tagger’s social intelligence engine, Signals. It monitors trends, influencer data and competitor strategies so you can spot your industry’s key creators and trends and take strategic action before the competition.

Campaign tracking and monitoring

Reviewing influencer campaign performance can be a headache, especially when you have to request performance data directly from each influencer and hope you get accurate results.

Your influencer analytics tool should eliminate that burden and streamline the campaign performance reporting process.

Look for a tool that consolidates accurate, relevant analytics for all your influencer marketing campaigns into a single dashboard, so you can dissect campaign performance on a per-influencer and per-post basis. You’ll need access to advanced metrics like reach, impressions, engagement, clicks, conversions, audience insights and TikTok-specific metrics like average watch time and views for each influencer’s sponsored and organic content.

Another essential: enhanced link tracking. This is how you’ll measure the concrete impact of your influencer campaigns. Like how Sprout links campaign performance with Google Analytics so you can analyze link clicks, total new users and other conversion metrics at the post level.

Influencer marketing trend analysis

Social media users expect brands to read the room. Industry conversations, social media trends, current events and even brand sentiment can impact the success of your campaign.

Your influencer analytics tool should help you stay in the know so you can make informed decisions about your campaign messaging and brand positioning.

For example, Sprout’s social listening tools provide insight into critical use cases, including industry trends, product share of voice and event discovery.

Competitor analysis

Studying your competitor’s influencer marketing strategy is a bit like observing your older sibling. You learn to do what they did, but better. You also learn what to avoid at all costs. The best influencer analytics tools recognize the value of social media competitive analysis.

Look for a tool with competitor metrics so you can study your competitors’ influencer marketing strategy and optimize your campaigns accordingly.

Maximizing influencer ROI

Influencer marketing wouldn’t be a $7.14 billion industry without high ROI, but reaching that point takes strategy.

Influencer analytics tools help you strategically maximize influencer marketing ROI. How? They use precise audience targeting, influencer insights and performance metrics to help you pick influencers that align with your brand and campaign objective.

They also provide creative content insights that show what type of content will perform best for your target audience. When you know what creative direction will work best, you set your influencers up for success.

Top 8 influencer analytics tools to boost your influencer marketing

Using an influencer analytics tool makes your influencer marketing workflow more efficient so you can focus on strategy and building strong, creative partnerships.

Here are eight of our favorite influencer analytics tools:

1. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is an all-in-one social media management platform stocked with powerful influencer analysis features. Our influencer analytics tool, Tagger by Sprout Social, helps you discover niche influencers, analyze content performance and create influencer campaigns that resonate with your audience (and inspire conversions).

Here are a few ways Tagger streamlines end-to-end campaign management and delivers fast, tangible business impact:

Grow your audience organically by collaborating with vetted influencers whose audiences align with your brand
Build data-driven influencer marketing campaigns and optimize your social strategy with tailored insights into your target audience’s behavior across all social media platforms
Maximize influencer ROI fast by accurately measuring and reporting the impact of your influencer campaigns

Key features:

Vetted influencer database with audience demographics and smart filters
Brand affinity engine that uses machine learning and audience psychographics to suggest influencers based on interests, audience demographics and more
Real-time content performance metrics
Follower verification and engagement rate analysis
Historical data tracking for analyzing an influencer’s past content history, quality and brand alignment
Industry trend analysis
Competitor analysis

Most importantly, our influencer analytics tool is part of our larger suite of social media solutions. It integrates influencer marketing with social media management, aligning all components of your social media strategy in the process.

2. Upfluence

Upfluence is an influencer marketing platform that helps you find creators and measure campaign performance. The tool’s comprehensive influencer database uses machine learning to choose the best influencers for your brand. Use this platform to find influencers, measure engagement rates and content performance, and integrate influencer marketing into your broader marketing strategy.

Key features:

Engagement rates
Content performance
Ecommerce and CRM integration
Influencer audience demographics
Automatic sales and ROI tracking
Custom campaign results dashboard

3. HypeAuditor

HypeAuditor is an all-in-one influencer marketing solution that helps with influencer discovery, audience analysis and campaign tracking. This influencer analytics tool uses AI to track audience demographics, engagement rates and follower authenticity. HypeAuditor’s influencer database is 81 million strong and uses more than 35 metrics for vetting and fraud detection.

Key features:

Audience quality filters
Demographic search
Fraud detection
Brand affinity
Key campaign KPIs
Competitor analysis
Global market research
Trends and ranking analytics

4. Emplifi

Emplifi is an influencer marketing solution that helps users boost reach, engagement and conversions. AI-powered content grades take the guesswork out of understanding individual influencer performance, engagement and brand health. Use this tool to discover top influencers and measure the true ROI of your campaigns.

Key features:

Influencer discovery and vetting
Competitor analysis
Audience segmentation
Real-time content analysis
Consolidated view of reach, engagement and sales
Influencer dashboards with preset templates and easy exporting
Custom rules that automatically identify potential red flags or off-brand topics
AI-powered content grades

5. Grin

Despite being one of the more complex, pricey creator management platforms on the market, Grin has a free Influencer analytics tool. It’s designed to help you identify potential influencers for your next campaign. Just paste an influencer’s URL in the search bar or use the Chrome extension to check critical performance metrics, including engagement rates, likes, comments, shares and views.

Key features:

Influencer analysis
Fake influencer tool
Influencer comparisons
Influencer lookalike audiences
Engagement rate calculator
CPM calculator
Engagement metrics

6. Creator.co

Creator.co is a user-friendly influencer marketing platform dedicated to challenger brands and micro-influencers. Find influencers that align with your target audience using this influencer analytics tool’s detailed demographic data and database of 200M+ profiles, then analyze performance with comprehensive reporting for campaign reach, engagement and ROI.

Key features:

Influencer discovery
Detailed demographic data
Campaign performance insights
Influencer performance insights

7. Promoty

Promoty is an influencer analytics tool that helps you discover influencers with strong brand affinity and analyze campaign performance. Use this tool to view a detailed profile report for every influencer, worldwide, with data on their follower count, engagement rate, credibility scores, audience demographics, most-used hashtags, brand affinity and interests.

Key features:

Influencer search
Detailed influencer profile analytics
Audience demographics
Brand affinity
Content analysis
Credibility scores

8. Keyhole

Keyhole is an influencer marketing platform that helps users measure and optimize influencer campaigns with trustworthy analytics data. Use this influencer analytics tool to track influencer activities and campaign performance data in real time, then assess overall campaign impact by aggregating data from all your influencer partners into a comprehensive report.

Key features:

Influencer engagement, region and sentiment analysis
Audience demographics
Keyword and hashtag tracking
To-the-minute analytics
Automatic reporting and optimization
Comprehensive campaign reports that consolidate all influencer, brand ambassador and UGC data

Build the right campaigns for the right audiences with influencer analytics tools

Starting a new influencer campaign can feel like rolling the dice, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With influencer analytics tools, you can be more strategic with your influencer search, campaign strategy and optimization.

Ready to start reaching new audiences, fostering authentic customer engagements and driving brand growth? Schedule a demo to learn how Tagger by Sprout Social can help you source niche influencers, create engaging campaign content and seamlessly integrate influencer marketing into your social strategy.

The post 8 top influencer analytics tools to boost your campaign ROI in 2024 appeared first on Sprout Social.