A new report from Sprout Social reveals shifting priorities in influencer marketing. Generational differences are emerging in how consumers perceive and engage with influencers. The research, conducted in February 2024, surveyed 2,000 consumers and 300 influencers across the US and UK.

The study’s key findings are that while authenticity remains a crucial factor for most consumers, its importance varies significantly across generations. Approximately half of Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers value authenticity in influencers, even when posting sponsored content. However, only 35% of Gen Z respondents prioritize authenticity, with 47% placing greater importance on follower count.

This generational divide extends to purchasing behaviors. Nearly half (49%) of consumers report making purchases at least once a month due to influencer posts. Gen Z and Millennial respondents are more likely to make weekly or monthly purchases based on influencer recommendations than older generations.

The report also highlights a discrepancy between perceived and actual influence. Only 16% of consumers rank influencer marketing as having the most impact on buying decisions. However, 86% of consumers make a purchase inspired by an influencer at least once a year.

Influencer trust is holding steady overall, with nearly half of all consumers reporting the same level of trust as six months ago, while close to 30% report increased trust. Millennial and Gen Z respondents trust influencers at a higher rate than Gen X and Baby Boomers.

From the influencer perspective, the study reveals that 61% prioritize working with brands whose values align with their own, followed closely by budget and payment structure at 59%. Almost half of influencers charge between $250-$1,000 per post, with 71% offering discounts for multiple-post partnerships.

Regarding content creation, 53% of influencers prefer creating short-form video content (15-30 seconds), followed by slightly longer short-form videos (31-60 seconds) at 50%. Static image posts are favored by 48% of influencers.

The report also explores the potential impact of AI influencers. While 37% of consumers express interest in brands using AI influencers, an equal percentage say it would make them distrustful. The remaining 27% believe they couldn’t discern between AI and human influencers.

Looking to the future, 80% of consumers indicate they would be more willing to buy from brands that partner with influencers beyond just social media content, suggesting a potential expansion of influencer roles into other marketing channels.

The study reveals that food and drink (30%) and beauty (26%) influencer content most often captures consumer attention, though preferences vary by age. Younger consumers show more interest in fitness, gaming, and lifestyle content, while Gen X prefers movies/TV and sports content.

Across all age groups, honest and unbiased influencer content is most likely to engage consumers, while aspirational content is least likely to catch their attention. Entertainment value ranks higher than educational or surprising content.

Platform preferences for engaging with influencers also show generational differences. Facebook is the most popular among Baby Boomers, with 50% of users engaging there. Gen X and Millennials are almost twice as likely as Boomers to engage on Instagram. Gen Z strongly prefers TikTok, with 27% engaging with influencers there compared to 15% overall. Get the full report here.