NEW YORK, October 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

#HASHOFF, the leading influencer discovery and content marketing platform, today released its second "Influencer Marketing: State of the Union" report highlighting the importance of influencer authenticity, the growth in white-listed relationships with brands, and the important role of collaborative platforms in the future of the influencer marketing ecosystem. To understand the changing face of influencer marketing, and gain valuable insight as to where influencers are headed, #HASHOFF surveyed hundreds of vetted influencers on its platform to understand what the coming year holds for influencer marketing.

In an era where bots and fake followers are driving up follower counts, reliable metrics are key for both influencers and brands. Influencers encourage brands to look at ROI metrics beyond likes and follower counts, instead prizing engagement rates, clicks and even sales generated through influencer posts.

Here are just a few of the highlights from the report: 

• Influencers don't want to "sell out" - 64% of the creators surveyed said they wouldn't promote a brand they didn't believe in, even if it came with a big paycheck.
  
• Looking ahead, YouTube may start to give Facebook a run for its money. This year, only 3% of creators said YouTube is their #1 platform; for 2018, 4X the number of creators predict it will be their platform of choice.
  
• Being an influencer is becoming a full-time job. Just six months ago, only 12% of respondents said being a creator was their only form of employment. Now, that number has more than doubled, to 28%, and the majority (54%) of creators say that, while they aren't yet able to support themselves as full-time creators, that is their goal.
  
• Two main business models are most prevalent among creators. The vast majority (80%) either charge a flat fee per post (40%) or post in exchange for free product (40%).
  
• Overall, there is little consistency in how influencer fees are developed -- 35% have a model that takes into account reach and engagement rates, 18% ask their peers, and 22% rely on the brands themselves to suggest a price. Perhaps most disturbing of all, 17% of creators say they just "Ask for as much as I can get."  
  
• White-listing is on the rise. The majority of influencers surveyed said they now work with a few brands on an ongoing basis, and a full 21% say they are now part of a whitelisted network with a brand or publisher.

"To understand where influencer marketing is headed and how brands can make the most of it, you have to ask the influencers themselves. As our newest report shows, the success of influencer marketing relies on authenticity, the core feature driving engagement," said Joel Wright, President and Co-Founder of #HASHOFF. "This State of the Union report dives into what influencers are thinking, how they maintain their authenticity and ultimately deliver premium content on behalf of brands that drives real ROI."

To download the full report, please click here.

About #HASHOFF 

#HASHOFF is the leader in influencer discovery and management for brands of all sizes and across all industries, with more than 150,000 creators opted into the platform worldwide. The company's proprietary algorithms combine keywords, geography, interest and past campaign performance to identify and activate the best creators for each brand in any given moment. #HASHOFF's platform lets brands manage content creation, organic distribution and paid amplification all from a single interface, and integrates with Facebook's measurement tools to let marketers quantify the impact of content campaigns. #HASHOFF is platform-agnostic, leveraging creators across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to deliver the best results. Founded in 2014, the company is headquartered in Denver with offices in New York City and Los Angeles. For more information, visit hashoff.com or e-mail info@hashoff.com .

Contact Information: 
Brandon Weinstock
brandon@headline.media
+1-914-336-3878

SOURCE #HASHOFF