Sponsored content on Instagram is scarce but generates high engagement, according to Emplifi

Emplifi, the leading customer acquisition platform, announced its «State of Influencer Marketing Report 2024«, which reveals key trends to help brands optimize their influencer partnerships. A recent report from EMARKETER highlights the critical role influencers play in a brand’s e-commerce results, as content from influencers and creators drives nearly 49.5% of social shoppers to make a purchase. According to Emplifi data, there is a definite correlation between the size of an influencer’s audience and the amount of sponsored content they post, as well as the type of content they share.

Among the main findings of the Emplifi report are:

• Small audiences receive more sponsored posts: Influencers with 100,000 or more followers on Instagram (defined as L and XL influencers) publish fewer sponsored posts than influencers with smaller audiences, even though they publish more content. In fact, micro influencers (influencers with 10,000 followers or less) post 67% more sponsored content than influencers and XL.
• Differences in formats: micro influencers lean towards photos, while macro influencers focus on video: Not only do Instagram influencers with less than 100,000 followers post more sponsored content, XS influencers or “micro-influencers” with 10,000 followers or less are the only influencers who post more photos than videos. Meanwhile, Instagram influencers with the largest followings have doubled down on video content, with videos accounting for nearly 60% of posts from influencers with 100,000 or more followers.
• Sponsored and non-sponsored content generates engagement similar on Instagram. According to the study, there appears to be no significant difference between the engagement generated by the sponsored and non-sponsored posts of influencers on Instagram. When it comes to sponsored content, Emplifi data found that approximately 7% of influencer content on Instagram is sponsored, with slight regional variations.

«Our findings show that macro influencers/creators with a million followers or more are becoming more selective about the brands they work with to maintain authenticity and avoid overwhelming their audience with sponsored posts. Although they command higher fees, they offer massive exposure if the content aligns with their audience,” says Susan Ganeshan, CMO of Emplifi. «Micro influencers, for their part, publish more sponsored content, since they probably have a tighter budget. They are a strategic option for advertisers looking to stretch their budgets: smaller influencers often have closer relationships with their audiences, leading to more authentic brand associations, greater engagement and better conversion rates.

• Sponsored posts increase during the holiday season: As expected, Emplifi confirmed that the frequency of sponsored posts peaks during the months leading up to the holiday season. Additionally, there has been a slight year-over-year decline in sponsored posts on Instagram, likely due to economic factors that have caused brands to adjust their marketing budgets.
• Collaboration strategies: small brands opt for macro-influencers and large brands for micro-influencers; Emplifi’s report shows that smaller brands on Instagram tend to collaborate with at least three macro-influencers for every micro-influencer, in order to increase brand exposure and visibility.

Likewise, larger brands tend to have more collaborations with smaller influencers (Instagram influencers with 50,000 followers or less), working with up to 10 micro-influencers for every macro-influencer they leverage. This approach allows larger brands to tap into niche audiences while still maintaining broad reach across the platform.

“As the holiday season approaches, brands have a unique opportunity to optimize their influencer strategies by leveraging a mix of influencer sizes that can help expand their reach and improve engagement,” said Juan Carlos Luján, Regional VP. of Emplifi for Latin America. «To maximize impact, brands should combine larger influencers – for broad exposure – with smaller, niche influencers for deeper engagement and conversions. A balanced approach ensures that brands do not overlook any opportunities or become overly reliant on a single strategy.”