fien

Manifesto publishes Social Media Influencer Barometer 2020

More than half of Finnish social media influencers say they have actively contributed to the coronavirus response by creating positive content and sharing factual information. Instagram continues to grow in popularity, with TikTok and podcasts also expected to extend their influence. Almost all social media influencers have at some point turned down an opportunity for commercial collaboration, and they are increasingly keen to pursue full-time careers within the industry.

These findings emerge from an in-depth social media barometer survey by Finnish PR Agency Manifesto. Now in its 12th year, the survey drew responses from 100 social media influencers, including bloggers, YouTubers, Instagram influencers and other popular content creators.

More than half of social media influencers actively engaged with coronavirus pandemic

The exceptional circumstances arising from the current coronavirus pandemic have been reflected in the content produced by Finnish social media influencers this year. More than half (55%) report that they have posted coronavirus-related content on their channel. Of these, more than 91 percent say they seek to foster positive attitudes through their content. Almost two-thirds (64%) said they had appealed to their followers to stay at home.

More than half (53%) of the respondents had shared factual information on coronavirus. Additionally, over a third (34%) had shared content from traditional media outlets, while a fifth (20%) had shared content produced by other social media influencers. The open-ended comments contributed by the respondents reveal the responsibility they feel when addressing the topic, with a large number reporting that they had sought information from official sources to share on their channel.

“Earlier this year, the Prime Minister’s office called on Finnish social media influencers to work with the authorities to help disseminate coronavirus information to the public. The influencers responded positively to the invitation and their content was well-received, particularly by younger target audiences,” says Jonna Varhama, partner, at Manifesto.

Instagram still most popular platform, TikTok and podcasts catching up

Used by almost all influencers, Instagram remains the most popular platform for the third year running. Instagram Feed tends to be used slightly more than Instagram Stories.

Blogs are the second most popular platform, followed by Facebook. Although blogs and Facebook remain popular among the respondents, their influence is continuing to decline year on year.

According to the respondents, Instagram is set to retain its popularity going forward, and 42 percent believe that TikTok will continue to increase its influence, although just 13 percent currently use the platform. Almost a third (29%) believe that podcasts will play a more significant role in the future. Currently, 15 percent of respondents run their own podcast.

Influencers highly brand aware, collaborators chosen with care 

As many as 95 percent report turning down an opportunity for commercial collaboration. The most commonly cited reason is that the product or service was not a suitable fit for their brand. Low pay was another key reason.

“Although social media influencing is no longer a new phenomenon, many businesses still struggle to understand the role influencers now play across the marketing and communications field. Our experience is that businesses will still often fail to fully consider how well the product or service they’re offering will match the influencer’s content, style, values or area of specialism. We know that influencers are increasingly keen to look after their brand and they want to make sure that any commercial collaborations they enter into are a good fit with that,” comments Varhama.

Influencing increasingly seen as a full-time job

The influencer market continues to grow in popularity, and many of the respondents believe this trend is set continue. Almost a quarter (23%) say that they would like to work full-time as an influencer, compared with just 14 percent in 2019.

Last year, 81 percent of respondents made a regular or irregular income through influencing, compared with 87 percent this year. The number of influencers earning a regular income saw a slight fall on the previous year.

“The coronavirus pandemic may well have contributed to the fall in the number of influencers earning a regular income, as many businesses cut back on spend,” Varhama notes.

Around half of the respondents (53%) reported earnings of at least EUR 1,000 per month. By contrast, 14% earn at least EUR 4,500 per month. In addition to monetary compensation, influencers also tend to receive invitations to events along with products and services for their personal use.

Respondents believe that increasing levels of professionalism within the sector will ultimately correlate with higher pay while also making it difficult for newcomers to enter the market and reducing the number of influencers actively participating in it. Businesses will increasingly expect high specification, professional content.

Manifesto’s Social Media Influencer Barometer has continued to monitor trends and developments in the Finnish social media influencer industry. The survey has expanded over the years from covering lifestyle blogs to including a wide range of social media categories. Carried out in May and June, this year’s Social Media Influencer Barometer survey drew responses from 100 influencers.

Further information:

Jonna Varhama

Partner

+358 50 543 2926

Markus Hilden

Communications Consultant

+358 44 363 9961