Influence marketing in 2024: Data revealed by the Reech study

For the ^8th year running, Reech unveils its annual study, which has become a benchmark in the industry. After having questioned brands in 2022 and the French in 2023 on the contours of influence, it's once again content creators who have lent themselves to the Q&A game for this 2024 study, the most comprehensive ever carried out. In order to bring more context to the creators' answers, additional data obtained through Reech's proprietary Influence Cloud technology solution completes the survey, as does an analysis of media processing by Synomia, a subsidiary - like Reech - of the Dékuple Group. For this major survey, carried out last December, Reech interviewed almost 1,300 content creators, with the aim of providing an up-to-date overview of influence by giving them a voice. Who are today's content creators? How is their profession evolving? What new platforms are they using, and at whose expense? How much are they paid? What impact does the new Influence Act have on their daily lives? And what about responsible influence? It's been an eventful year for the influencer market. Here's an overview with Reech. 

‍Rapidoverview of the main findings of the 2024 study:

• Content creators: an increasingly female (+4% vs. 2021) and older (+3 years) population
• Lifestyle: designers' favorite subject (89%)
• Earnings on the rise: for 72% of respondents, content creation is the main source of revenue
• Platforms: Instagram still the leader, TikTok largely dethrones Snapchat and X collapses
• More than 8 out of 10 designers made a partnership this year
• Product placement: designers' preferred partnership (76%)
• Influence Act: 75% of content creators are aware of the law

2021 vs. 2024: Who are today's content creators?

Estimated at 150,000, the number of content creators in France appears to be stabilizing compared to previous years, with the proportion of women increasing by +4 points : 78% this year versus 74% in 2021.
While the estimated number of creators has not changed, there have been a number of developments. Firstly, the average age has increased by 3 years compared to 2021. This year, the average age of content creators is 34. "This evolution can be explained not only by the ageing of the same population, but also by the population of creators extending to new age brackets," comments Guillaume Doki-Thonon, CEO and co-founder of Reech. While in 2021, 27% of creators were between 19 and 25 years old, today only 16% are in this age bracket. Conversely, the percentage of content creators over 30 is on the rise. For example, three years ago, 10% of content creators were aged between 41 and 50, compared with 16% today.

Changes are also taking place in terms of professional activity. Today, nearly 1 in 4 content creators work full-time: 24%, versus 15% in 2021. The number of content creators with a professional activity has risen by 9 points. Only 5% of creators combine this activity with their studies and/or academic career, compared with 20% in 2021, a drop of -15 points.

Beauty, fashion, travel, food - lifestyle is the subject of choice for content creators. 89% of them address these subjects in their content, and 41% share leisure content such as sports, video games or humor.

As a result, more and more content creators are making a living from this activity, and for good reason: their revenues are on the rise. For 72% of respondents, content creation is their main source of income. Whereas only 11% said they would be earning more than €10,000 a year in 2021, today the figure is 25%. And conversely, 38% of content creators earned no money from this activity in 2021. Today, the figure is 12 points lower.

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Instagram confirms its leadership... X (ex-Twitter) and Snapchat collapse

Over the past two years, the platforms and their usage have evolved considerably. Instagram is the main network for 91% of content creators, and used by a large majority of them (98%). TikTok and Facebook are also on the podium of the social networks most used by content creators.

In 2021, TikTok was far down the list of networks most used by creators. Today, it joins the star platforms and climbs to^3rd place on the podium of most-used networks. A dazzling breakthrough in the sector, TikTok is used by 58% of creators and becomes the main network for 33% of them.

Although Facebook is now considered old-fashioned in the collective consciousness, it takes^2nd place among the networks most favored by designers, being favored by 71% of those surveyed, including 27% as the main network.

TikTok has not dethroned Instagram, but Snapchat. Previously stable, it seems to have suffered from the rise of TikTok, with only 6% claiming to use it on a daily basis. The position of X (formerly Twitter) is under threat, and is now a major platform for only 5% of content creators surveyed.

Other networks are holding their own this year, such as LinkedIn and YouTube. The professional social network remains the main network for 7% of creators, while YouTube is the preferred platform for 17% of respondents.

In addition to the networks favored by content creators, in this study Reech looked at the dynamics of these networks by asking creators about their recent or future registration on the various platforms. Network dynamics are dominated by TikTok and YouTube. Unsurprisingly, TikTok enjoys the strongest momentum, with 13% of subscribers in 2023 and 4% expected in 2024. As for YouTube, 3% of creators surveyed signed up in 2023, and 5% plan to do so in 2024.

Influencer marketing: still an exponential market?

In the Reech study conducted with brands in 2022, those questioned about their perception of influencer marketing were unanimous about the indispensability of influencer marketing in their strategy. The study revealed that 86% of brands surveyed considered influencer marketing to be an effective lever, and 92% of them integrated it into their strategy. Proof that the influencer market is evolving continuously and rapidly.  

In this study, Reech asked designers if they had made any partnerships this year (free or paid). The answer is yes, for 83% of them. That's 2 points more than in 2021. Thanks to Reech Influence Cloud technology, we can now observe that 2.85% of posts published by content creators are made as part of a partnership with brands, compared with 2.1% in 2022, a notable +33% increase.

While more than 8 out of 10 creators have entered into at least one type of partnership this year, product placement remains the preferred partnership at 76%, followed by content production for brands, which explodes to 61% in 2023 from 39% in 2019 (+22%).

Regulation of the influence market: What do content creators think of the June 9, 2023 law?

The influence market came to the fore in 2023 with, among other things, the promulgation of the June 9 law. In a sector where certain aspects are still unclear to some people, particularly with regard to the profession of content creator, which is still poorly understood, what do the main stakeholders think?

75% of content creators say they are aware of the law aimed at regulating their activity, in order to combat the various abuses that taint the profession. In this large majority, 58% nonetheless assert a lack of information on the subject, and would like to see clarification so that the law can be applied with peace of mind. The impact of the law is perceived positively by respondents. Even if 74% of them believe that the law is making the world of influence evolve in a positive direction for consumers, 56% declare that the law is favorable for content creators. Only 18% see the law as a disadvantage for them.  

While ¾ of content creators are aware of the June 9, 2023 influence law, changes are still struggling to materialize on the brand side. They are 24% to see changes in their collaborations with brands and 42% to see a change but still too minimal.

A number of influence-related abuses also occupied the media spotlight this year, particularly with regard to scams and lack of transparency towards consumers. For a more responsible influence, Reech asked content creators about the priority battles to be waged for a more ethical influence. Unsurprisingly, banning scams and ensuring partnership transparency top the list of priorities.

For 83% of creators, the most important thing for a more responsible influence is to guard against scams. Transparency of partnerships comes in second place, at 67%. An interesting figure, considering that 47% of those surveyed said that the obligation to explicitly mention partnerships was an important change brought about by the new Influence law.

The 2024 study reveals that content creators are as committed as ever. 30% of those questioned said they had already carried out a public interest partnership, the majority of them unpaid. Respect for and protection of the environment and equality between men and women, at 46% each, are the priority causes of creators' commitment. Followed by the fight against cyberbullying for 39% of them, this last item is not surprising given that one in 3 creators under the age of 30 claims to have been a victim.

"This study shows that the influence market continues to grow. Content creation is not just a hobby, it's a real professional activity and an entrepreneurial project for those who practice it. Revenues are on the rise, the use of platforms is multiplying, and requests to collaborate with brands are increasing and evolving. It's a whole ecosystem that's taking hold and making its mark on society. The June 9 law on the regulation of influence supports the sector's good health, encouraging a more responsible and less controversial influence, now subject to legislation. There's still some way to go to abolish certain practices and bring influence to the forefront as it should be considered, but it's well on the way ", says Guillaume Doki-Thonon, CEO and co-founder of Reech.

What does the future hold for influence?

The lights seem to be on for the influencer market. It's a sector in perpetual evolution, more and more widely regarded and now regulated, with more content creators and more brands calling on the market. Despite this, content creators are cautiously confident in the future of influence. Only 53% are confident in the long-term future of their business. " This situation is entirely understandable, given the upheavals in the sector in recent years, and the precarious situation of most players," concludes Guillaume Doki-Thonon.

To download the study, please click here.

_{Methodology Study 2024:From November 22 to December 11, 2023, 1,268 content creators answered a 40-question questionnaire in order to draw up a panorama of influence. The creation, results analysis and layout of this study were carried out with the assistance of Pierre Simonnin, an external expert in online surveys. For the first time, the study includes data from Reech Influence Cloud, a platform for managing influencer marketing campaigns. Lastly, Synomia, a subsidiary of the Dékuple Group - of which Reech is also a member - shed light on media coverage of the "Influence" law.}

_{Methodology Study 2022 Conducted in October 2021. This study, based on a survey of 600 advertisers and agencies in the mass retail sector, but also in specialized sectors such as beauty, cosmetics, home & decor, publishing, multimedia, tourism, leisure and clothing, sought to find out how influencer marketing is evolving today.}

_{Methodology Study 2021 : 1423 content creators responded to the questionnaire administered by Reech from October 23 to November 8, 2020. From designing the questionnaire to analyzing the results, Reech was assisted in this study by Pierre Simonnin, Survey Designer and online survey expert. This year, the study was enriched with data from Reech Influence Cloud, a data- and AI-based influencer technology enabling Influence activation, analysis and amplification.}

Reech can help you with your influencer marketing strategy:

Reech is an expert in Influence Marketing, working with leading brands such as : Accor, Carrefour, Decathlon, Deezer, Yves Rocher. With its support offer, Reech defines strategy and operates influencer campaigns for brands from A to Z. Since 2020, Reech has been marketing Reech Influence Cloud, a solution that enables organizations to autonomously manage all their influencer activities. Since 2021, Reech has been a subsidiary of Dékuple (formerly ADLPerformance), a listed group with 1,000 employees and a data marketing expert in France and Europe. In 2022, Reech was voted Influence Marketing Agency of the Year at the 43rd Grand Prix des Agences de l'Année. Since 2023, Reech has been training Influence Marketing professionals with its "Reech Learning Program".

For further information:

3iCom Agency

Samia Arrom - samia@agence3icom.fr / 06 12 99 10 43