YouTube Holds Top Spot for Creator Content and Product Research for Second Consecutive Year, According to New Traackr Research

-       Traackr's 2025 Influencer Marketing Impact Report finds Gen Z and Millennial consumers find video content most engaging, driving creator success on YouTube

-       TikTok drops two spots from last year, X drops from top five as turmoil surrounds the platforms

-       Consumers welcome sponsored content and creator-owned products – when trust and expertise are present 

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Traackr, the leading performance-driven influencer marketing platform, today released its annual Influencer Marketing Impact Report, which surveyed 1,000 U.S. Millennial and Gen Z consumers to reveal the impact of creators, social content and platforms on consumer engagement and purchase behavior. For the second consecutive year, respondents ranked YouTube as their most used social platform when consuming creator content and when searching for product reviews or information.

These rankings varied slightly across the different generations surveyed, with the exception of YouTube, which remained the No. 1 choice for both Gen Z and Millennial consumers.

• Eighty-six percent of respondents use YouTube at least once a week to consume creator content, followed by Instagram (69%), Facebook (68%), TikTok (57%) and Snapchat (44%). About one-third (34%) of respondents rank YouTube as their first choice for product reviews and information.
• TikTok dropped two spots from last year for consuming creator content, and X (formerly Twitter) fell from the top five completely, with Snapchat taking its place.
• When comparing generations, Gen Z was more likely to use TikTok to consume creator content and Millennials more likely to use Facebook and X.

Consumers also said video content was the most engaging, likely driving YouTube, Instagram and TikTok's success in the top five.

• Nearly half (45%) said short videos (< 5 minutes) were the most engaging, 21% said long videos (> 5 minutes) and 11% said live streams.
• Photo content dropped from second place to fourth.
• Gen Z and male-identifying consumers were more likely to find long-form videos the most engaging, while female-identifying consumers were more likely to find short videos most engaging.

"In a world dominated by bite-sized content, people are starting to crave more substance," said RJ Larese, VP of talent and influencer marketing, Paramount. "With longer content, creators have the space to tell richer stories, dive deeper into their experiences and build an emotional connection that just isn't possible in 90 seconds. The deeper the bond and deeper the trust, the more likely people will watch a series, buy a product or stick around for whatever comes next."

As Creators Diversify Revenue Streams, Consumers are More Likely to Buy Products than Content
With consumers valuing their expertise and opinions, creators are finding new avenues to expand their revenue streams. Sponsored content is now part and parcel of creator feeds, and some industry leaders question if brand deals have oversaturated the market.

• Creators and brands can be assured that most consumers don't look negatively at brand partnerships. Traackr found that the majority of consumers (68%) are either neutral or have positive feelings towards influencer gifting and experiences.
• What's more important to consumers is the creator's expertise and brand affinity shown in content. Sixty-four percent of respondents said a creator demonstrating knowledge about a product or service makes them trust a recommendation the most, followed by seeing them use it in their daily lives (58%).
• Brand deals may also remain the top method for monetizing content in the near term – only 14% of consumers said that they currently pay to subscribe to at least one creator's exclusive content, such as on Substack, Patreon or a creator-owned network.
• But creators who earn the trust and loyalty of their communities can move beyond content and branch out to start their own companies. Up slightly from last year, 58% of consumers are at least somewhat likely to purchase a product from a brand that is owned by a creator they follow.

"Creators are deeply knowledgeable about their audience and can provide valuable feedback to brands beyond a few sponsored videos – they're underutilized partners for marketers," said Pierre-Loïc Assayag, CEO and co-founder, Traackr. "Consumers trust creators' recommendations and are more than willing to try the products they love. We expect to see more brands involving creators behind the scenes. This could take the form of getting feedback on new product development as a proxy for their target customers, getting them involved as advisors for future brand campaigns, or becoming long-term ambassadors, such as Hunter Schafer's five-year global brand ambassadorship with Shiseido."

Consumers Want AI Transparency from Creators and Platforms
Artificial intelligence hype has entered the creator economy as much as any other industry, and the opportunities and risks of AI impact brands, creators and consumers alike. Although "virtual influencers" such as Lil Miquela have been around for years, brands and creators can now use AI for nearly every step of the creative workflow – from sourcing ideas, to writing/producing/editing content, to generating images, video, sounds and more.

The proliferation of AI raises questions yet again around the authenticity of social media. Seventy-five percent of consumers somewhat or strongly agree that they want creators and social platforms to disclose when AI was used to generate content.

"Fear comes with the territory of any new technology, especially when regulations lag behind innovation," said Assayag. "Transparency is key in building and keeping trust with consumers. The worry around sponsored content has dwindled since implementing rules for advertising disclosure on brand partnerships. The same will be true for AI if brands and creators follow the same path, and communicate transparently with their audiences."

To read and download the full report with additional insights on consumer sentiments on the creator economy, visit https://www.traackr.com/influencer-marketing-statistics-impact-report-us. To learn more about Traackr, visit http://www.traackr.com.

Methodology
The survey was conducted for this report using the online survey platform Pollfish. The sample of 1,000 individuals in the United States was surveyed between September 24, 2024 and September 28, 2024. The margin of error is ±4% and no additional weighting was done to the initial sample. Pollfish's survey platform delivers online surveys globally through mobile apps and the mobile web along with the desktop web.

About Traackr
Traackr is the all-in-one influencer marketing platform that helps organizations build performance-driven programs on a global scale. The platform enables marketers to optimize spend, unify data, streamline processes, standardize measurement, and ensure compliance. Traackr powers the most advanced influencer marketing programs in the world for brands including L'Oréal, Tiffany & Co, Pandora, Diageo and Samsung. Traackr has hubs in San Francisco, New York, Boston, London, Paris and Singapore. Learn more at www.traackr.com.

Media contact:
Heather Sliwinski
Changemaker Communications for Traackr
[email protected]
847-722-0293

SOURCE Traackr, Inc.