"The New Rules of Influence": Research Reveals Fundamental Shift in Influencer Marketing Effectiveness

Blue Hour Studios' newest report guides brands on how to revise outmoded social media marketing strategies

Swell.AI reimagines how social impact is measured, leveraging a psychographic approach for more authentic content creation and stronger audience engagement 

NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- While advertisers will spend $8.14 billion on influencer marketing in 2024, traditional demographic-based approaches are failing to deliver results, according to new research from Blue Hour Studios, Horizon Media's full-service social and influencer agency.

The study, "The New Rules of Influence," calls out the brand challenge and opportunities represented by the rise of influencers.  As Blue Hour Studios' research shows, a "random piece of content" from a creator is as, if not more, influential in purchases than other content sources. An overwhelming 80% of consumers agree a "random piece of content" will influence them to buy something on social media.

"Influencer marketing has evolved from a 'nice-to-have' into a strategic imperative, but many brands are still operating on best practices from 2015," said Monika Ratner, Head of Growth at Blue Hour Studios. "Our research shows that the fundamental rules of influence have shifted. Success today requires moving beyond demographic matching to focus on shared interests and values."

The comprehensive study of 1,000 American social media users across generations revealed three key principles for effective influencer marketing:

• Interests Over Demographics: The study found an influencer's connection to interests is nearly twice as impactful as traditional demographics in driving sales. This mirrors the interest graph shift taking place across social, as 78% of adults are more likely to purchase from brands that align with their passions and85% gravitate toward interests that transcend age.
• Viewership Over Followers: With social media evolving to become "the new TV," follower counts should no longer be the primary factor when choosing influencers. The research shows influencers at every tier can drive similar purchase impact, with the ability to attract viewership a better predictor of success than follower size.
• Active Algorithm Engagement: More than half of respondents actively curate their social media feeds, with Gen X showing the highest engagement in "training" their algorithms. Across all generations, influencers who provide education, entertainment, and escape generate the strongest response.

The research challenges traditional influencer tier systems that categorize creators solely by follower count. While the study found similar purchase influence levels across celebrity (73%), macro (76%), mid-tier (76%), and micro-influencers (76%), what truly differentiates performance is an influencer's ability to consistently drive views and engagement beyond their follower base.

This shift aligns with recent platform changes, as highlighted by Instagram head Adam Mosseri's declaration that "sends per reach and views are the most important metrics across all content types." Because of these algorithmic changes, a majority of views now come from non-followers, making an influencer's ability to attract and engage the broader platform audience more valuable than their dedicated follower count.

For marketers, this means moving away from follower-based approaches to a more sophisticated analysis of how content performs within the broader ecosystem of social platforms.

"Brands need to completely revolutionize how they select and work with influencers," said Ratner. "Instead of starting with demographic matching or follower counts, the focus should be on finding creators who authentically connect with the passions and interests that drive your audience. When an influencer's content naturally aligns with what your target audience actively seeks out on social media, you transcend traditional marketing boundaries and become part of their curated experience."

The study revealed that this interest-based approach is particularly effective: an influencer's connection to specific interests is nearly twice as important as demographic alignment in driving purchase decisions. This finding suggests brands should prioritize partners whose content naturally fits into the interest graphs their target consumers are actively building, regardless of traditional demographic matches.

Key findings include:

• Friends and family remain the most influential, but definitions now include online communities and subcultures
• 51.7% of users actively curate or "train" their social media algorithms
• 65% of respondents are using social to explore interests on a deeper level.

To help brands navigate this evolving landscape, Blue Hour Studios has developed Swell.AI, a proprietary tool driving influencer marketing effectiveness. The tool deeply examines how influencers genuinely resonate with viewers through shared interests, hobbies, and values. Swell.AI helps brands build partnerships that drive meaningful engagement rather than just surface-level metrics such as "likes" and impressions.

The introduction of Swell.AI reflects the shift from demographic-only targeting. This psychographic approach leads to more authentic content creation and stronger audience engagement, as influencers are selected based on their natural fit with the brand's values and audience interests. There are three keep aspects to Swell.AI's offerings to advertisers:

• Swell Factor provides a sophisticated, data-driven approach to evaluating influencer potential. This custom-weighted index removes subjective biases from talent selection by analyzing and quantifying how well an influencer's content, interests, and brand qualities align with target audiences. This systematic method helps brands make more informed, strategic partnership decisions.
• Swell Rating reimagines how influencer impact is measured. Rather than relying on the outdated micro-to-macro tier classifications based solely on follower counts, the Swell Rating provides a nuanced 1-10 scale that predicts actual viewership potential. This forward-thinking approach treats influencers more like media channels, focusing on their ability to deliver engaged audiences.
• Swell Brief is designed to produce content that generates greater viewership by balancing an audience's FYP (aka "For You Page," which refers to TikTok tab that recommends videos the user is likely to want to check out), brand messaging and talent's most shared content. The idea is central to "knowing your audience" and the kinds of content they're more receptive to liking and sharing.

Methodology
The Blue Hour Studios research team conducted a comprehensive analysis combining a robust social media audit with primary research to identify emerging trends in influencer marketing. The findings were validated through proprietary research using a panel of 1,000 American adults (September 2024) who are active social media users. The sample was equally distributed across gender and generations, including Gen Z (ages 18-27), Millennials (ages 28-44), and Gen X (ages 45-60). The research team synthesized macro trends and platform shifts with primary research findings to develop the new rules of influence and corresponding proprietary solutions.

About Blue Hour Studios
Blue Hour Studios is a social-led content agency that was formed in 2019 and is an affiliate of Horizon Media. Blue Hour builds community and fandom by playing at the intersection of creators, culture, content, and commerce. The company is headquartered in New York and Los Angeles.

About Horizon Media
Horizon Media is the largest U.S. media agency and the largest independent globally, known for its commitment to innovation and client success.  Through cutting-edge technology and cultural insights, the agency delivers data-driven business outcomes that empower brands to navigate change and drive impact.  Founded in 1989, headquartered in New York, and with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto, the company employs 2,400+ people and has media investments of more than $8.5 billion.  Horizon Media's "business is personal" philosophy drives its mission to lead with humanity to build trusted relationships and deliver unmatched results to its clients and its people.  Awarded as one of the most innovative companies in the industry and with market-leading workplace satisfaction levels, the company is frequently recognized for its client excellence and has earned numerous "Best Workplace" awards reflecting its commitment to the diversity, equity, inclusion, and well-being of everyone in the organization.

SOURCE Horizon Media