iCubesWire, a leading ad-tech platform has surveyed 2,987 Indian consumers and released a report, ‘Influencer Marketing 2024 Reflections, Audience Outlook Forecast 2025’. According to the report, 82% of consumers accept that Influencers impact their buying decisions.
The report surveyed consumers covering all the relevant demographics from cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi with income groups ranging from Rs 5-20 lakh. The aim of this report is to uncover key insights and future trends that are shaping the Influencer marketing landscape.
Some of the key insights include:
- Size of Influencer following- 84% respondents trust Influencers with followers below 1 million.
- Impact on brands- 84% of the respondents believe Influencers can impact a brand’s reputation.
- Influencer recommendation- 82% of the respondents acknowledge that Influencers impact their buying decisions.
- Credibility of Influencer content- Only 17% of the respondents believe that celebrity endorsements are more credible
- Preferred platform- 48% respondents prefer Instagram, while 34% prefer LinkedIn which ranks second, surpassing YouTube and X.
- Loss of trust- 45% of the respondents lose trust in Influencers who promote unrelated products, while 32% are turned off by repetitive content.
- Top Influencer trait- 40% of the respondents prefer Influencers with niche expertise, followed by 28% who prioritise audience connection.
- Social Media shopping use- 68% of the respondents are not interested in social media shopping features like Instagram and Facebook shopping.
The data shows that in 2025, brands need to look at LinkedIn as a major Influencer platform. They should also analyse the Influencer background and their content before making them the brand’s advocate. Expertise in specific categories and product reviews are the primary factors contributing to consumer trust in Influencers.
It also underscores the importance of creating niche content that fosters a loyal and engaged follower base. Not only that, shopping features on social media platforms have fallen flat, with 68% of consumers expressing disinterest or outright dislike for these features.
Speaking on the findings of this report, Sahil Chopra, Co-Founder and CEO at iCubesWire said, “We at iCubesWire strongly believe in the value of consumer insights and this survey is an eye-opener. The consumer today builds deep connections with Influencers and is more active on LinkedIn than we anticipated. Influencer marketing is no longer just a branding exercise but has a significant impact on the entire customer purchase funnel.”
