In this edition of the Glossy+ Research Briefing, we examine how sponsored content on smaller influencer Instagram accounts receives more follower interaction, while on YouTube the opposite is true, as reported in Glossy’s newly released 2024 Influencer Index.
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Followers engage more with sponsored content on smaller Instagram accounts, the opposite relationship exists on YouTube
Chart analysis: Glossy+ Research found that on Instagram micro-influencers with less than 500,000 followers had higher rates of engagement on their sponsored posts than influencers with larger followings. On YouTube, the opposite relationship was true — large accounts performed better than those with smaller followings.
Research finding: Because YouTube’s algorithm recommends videos based on previous views and platform interactions, a user who is not subscribed to a specific YouTube channel could regularly view sponsored videos from an influencer with a large reach. Therefore, general audience discovery on YouTube is not as dependent on follower count as it is on Instagram, but large followings do help break through YouTube’s noisy algorithm.
Content on Instagram can be viewed as highly curated, therefore viewers may find more authenticity in sponsored recommendations from smaller micro-influencer accounts. “It’s crazy how we’ve evolved as a beauty community, and marketing has evolved with us, as well,” said content creator Stephanie Valentine.
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