Are Young Consumers Tired of Influencers?
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On social media, users are constantly bombarded with videos or photos of product recommendations, hauls, unboxings, extravagant influencer trips (like Tarte in Bora Bora again) and creators directing them to their TikTok Shops and Amazon storefronts. But influencer marketing is undergoing a major transformation because young people are simply growing a bit tired of it—enter influencer fatigue . For brands, this might sound like a full 180 from just adapting to partnering with whoever is hot on TikTok this month and feel a little scary, but it’s a necessary move to stay engaged with young consumers who just want to see people more like them.?
YPulse data shows that influencers are still the top way that young people are being influenced to buy products on social media. But despite the massive exposure influencers bring, that doesn’t necessarily mean viewers love seeing them or trust their recommendation. (The latter especially.) In fact, 78% of young consumers agree, “I care more about what my friend buys than what an influencer buys.” Seeing the required #ad just makes some of these sponsored posts feel tired—do they really love the brand, or are they just saying it today when it’ll be another tomorrow??
To see how this is changing social media word of mouth—which influencers have been ruling—YPulse’s Influencers Anonymous trend survey asks 13-39-year-olds all about how they really feel about influencers right now. Here’s what they tell us about influencer fatigue:
Too many ads give young people the ick?
The excessive number of influencer ads on social media has left many young consumers disillusioned with recommendations. A staggering 61% of 13-39-year-olds agree, “The more ads an influencer does, the less I trust them.” This means brands who sign contracts with influencers to produce an overwhelming amount of product placement and sponsored posts must remember there’s a delicate balance between promotional content and authentic engagement. They still provide the benefit of increasing brand awareness, of course, but there is a limit to the number of brands they can shill before it becomes less believable.?
We also can’t forget that young consumers made de-influencing a huge trend last year, all because of this distrust. Social media users have caught onto the fact that influencers aren’t inclined to say something negative about a product they were gifted or paid to talk about. (Especially in light of “Mascara Gate” —where beloved influencer Mikayala Nogueira wore fake lashes in a paid mascara post then claimed she didn’t.) Now, a subsect of creators on TikTok are de-influencing (telling their viewers what not to spend their money on) instead of urging them to the stores in the name of another brand deal. ??
Young people want real, genuine creators?
Young people’s feelings on influencer recs are clear: they want realness more than idealistic glamour. A significant 44% of 13-39-year-olds agree that influencers don’t have the power they used to. This was even proved during this week’s Met Gala, where familiar faces like James Charles and Addison Rae were docked from the yearly guest list. The only true influencer at the event was Emma Chamberlain, but only because of her partnership with Vogue and the fact that she’s made her place in the world of celebs—one of the few to break the influencer wall. The era of big influencers monopolizing cultural events and brand endorsements is potentially coming to a close. ?
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This may be because the preference for smaller creators over those with larger followings is on the rise. A striking 65% of young people now say they prefer recommendations from small creators to big influencers. And when we ask young people if they’re more likely to listen to a product recommendation from an influencer with a large or small following, 55% agree: “It doesn’t matter to me how many followers someone has.” This shift is indicative of Gen Z’s preference for authenticity and genuine connection, rather than the glossy, manufactured content often associated with mega-influencers.
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