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In this edition, we share focal points from Glossy’s recently released YouTube Influencer Index on the best partners for more engagement per dollar spent.
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Glossy+ YouTube Influencer Index: Best partners for more engagement per dollar spent — Kait Gardner and Ramon Pagan
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This is the first installment of Glossy’s two-part Influencer Index series that looks at YouTube brand partnerships and the types of influencers that best fit various marketing objectives. Keep an eye for the second installment about what to keep in mind when developing a YouTube partnership strategy.
Kait Gardner (@StateofKait on YouTube; 20,500 subscribers) and Ramón Pagan (@GlowByRamon on YouTube; 55,200 subscribers) are the two top-ranking influencers for eliciting strong engagement from viewers on both non-sponsored and sponsored videos according to Glossy+ Research’s recently released YouTube Influencer Index. That makes them the best influencers to partner with for more engagement per ad dollar spent, despite their smaller audience sizes. For brands looking to advertise to loyal audiences that are more likely to seek out an influencer’s recommendations, this group better guarantees attention from its specific audience.
Key findings:
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- Although Gardner and Pagan have the smallest subscriber bases of the influencers included in the index, their proportion of average views to their subscriber count was very high compared to other larger influencers. Gardner and Pagan’s average viewership makes up 38% and 23% of their total subscribers respectively, compared to the index average of 6% without these two influencers.
- Consumers who follow Gardner and Pagan trust their expertise and advice. Both influencers are transparent as to whether or not a product recommendation is sponsored. Gardner received the highest score of 10 for both non-sponsored and sponsored engagement. Pagan received a score of 9.1 for non-sponsored engagement and 9.2 for sponsored engagement, the second highest scores among the group.
Glossy x Saks Research: For online luxury shoppers, Instagram and free shipping are musts
Newer social platform TikTok has the least penetration among older generations of luxury shoppers, according to an April 2023 Glossy and Saks survey of 3,944 luxury consumers on their current shopping habits. Only 18% of respondents said they use TikTok once a week. This was the same percentage as those using Pinterest, and a slightly lower portion than those on Twitter (20%). Out of the survey respondents, 77% were above the age of 41.
TikTok, of course, is wildly influential on other consumer age groups because of its ability to create viral brand moments. A local Alabama retailer went viral in 2021 when University of Alabama sorority hopefuls began sharing outfit-of-the-day posts on TikTok under the hashtag #BamaRush. Public fascination with the womens’ fashion posts even spawned a “Bama Rush” documentary, which premiered on Max last month.
Key findings:
- For the typical Saks luxury shopper, Meta platforms dominate their social media activity. Instagram is the top social platform of choice with 65% of respondents saying they use it at least once a week, while Facebook came next at 54%.
- When it comes to online shopping, free shipping is an absolute must: Eighty-three percent of respondents said they are unlikely to buy from a retailer that does not offer it. The second most important factor for them was a loyalty program, with 32% saying they’re unlikely to shop from a company without one.
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