With input from more than 500 marketers, the AI Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2023 offers a thorough examination of the use of AI in influencer marketing. It describes their comprehension and use of AI in influencer marketing, its effects on the sector, and their predictions for its future.
This study incorporates findings from our partners and other key industry studies, going beyond our annual survey, which compiles important industry data.
Table of Contents
As a result, the market dynamics of AI in influencer marketing are thoroughly understood. We are focusing on two key topics :-
Influencer software uses AI technologies
created by AI are virtual influencers
Businesses have been forced to innovate and evolve in order to deal with the disruptive effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and operational challenges. This need for change has accelerated the digital transition, making influencer marketing—especially with AI influencers—a crucial tool for brands looking to forge close ties with their target audiences.
AI’s expanding position in influencer marketing technology is one of the most notable developments. For instance, ChatGPT, a state-of-the-art AI language model, has just been integrated with Upfluence, a prominent influencer marketing programme. With the introduction of sophisticated messaging elements in this ground-breaking move, influencer recruitment is about to undergo a revolution as these interactions become more effective and tailored, increasing overall success rates.
These discoveries highlight the significant influence that AI has on influencer marketing. As time goes on, we anticipate AI to continue revolutionising the sector and posing both new opportunities and difficulties for marketers.
However, it’s simple to write off influencers like “Nobody Sausage,” an AI-generated fictional influencer, in the face of this fascinating frontier. We caution readers against making snap judgements about a book or, in this instance, an influencer based only on their online presence. As weird or humorous as it may appear, the emergence of virtual influencers like “Nobody Sausage” heralds a historic change in the landscape of influencer marketing. With their quick ascent to acceptance and popularity.
Major Findings
This section summarises our research’s key conclusions and sheds insight on the state of artificial intelligence (AI) in influencer marketing today. The main conclusions include:
Experience working with AI influencers : 50% of those who did so said it was “very positive”
Customising AI Influencer Behaviour : The majority of participants considered it either “very important” (42.6%) or “extremely important” (33.5%) to be able to customise or manage the AI Influencer’s behaviour and content output.
Future of AI Influencers : According to 40.9% of participants, the sector will undergo a revolution as a result of advances in AI technology.
Advantages of AI Influencers: “Control over messaging” (31.7%) and “24/7 availability” (29.1%) were viewed as having the most advantages above utilising traditional human influencers.
Ethics: Concerns regarding the ethical issues involving the usage of AI influencers were stated by 43.8% of the participants.
AI Influencers and Purchase Intent: For 39.1% of respondents, the perceived authenticity of the AI influencer had a substantial impact on purchase intent.
Versatility of AI Influencers: According to 52.8% of the respondents, the future of marketing and entertainment will be significantly impacted by the versatility of AI influencers.
Nearly half (48.7%) of the participants always use AI technology in their influencer marketing activities.
Natural language processing (50.4%) is the most frequently employed artificial intelligence (AI) technology in influencer marketing campaigns.
Influence of AI on Results of Influencer Marketing: According to 37.4% of respondents, the use of AI technologies has considerably enhanced their results of influencer marketing.
Priorities for AI Influencer Software: The most important feature while choosing AI Influencer Software is content development (46.5%).
technological Issues with AI Influencer Software: 77.4% of participants reported running into problems or restrictions due to technological issues.
Better predictive analytics to forecast campaign results was the most desired upgrade in AI influencer tools (41%).
Expectations for AI: According to 41.3% of respondents, AI will significantly boost their influencer marketing strategies.
Influencer Marketing and AI :- A Comprehensive Benchmark Report
In conclusion
The report’s conclusions are summarised in the executive summary, which also highlights the most important trends and insights we found during our research. For busy professionals, this part acts as a fast reference manual that enables them to quickly understand the main points.
Methodology
This benchmark study is built on a strong approach that incorporates primary and secondary research to guarantee accuracy and dependability. In order to perform our main research, we launched a survey on our homepage and interviewed 500 marketers who specialise in AI influencer marketing. The study asked questions about the tactics, difficulties, and success of AI influencer efforts. To provide a thorough study, we examined survey data as well as industry publications, case studies, and expert comments.
data from the survey
A total of 500 marketers with expertise in AI influencer marketing participated in our poll. They come from different backgrounds, representing various industries, sizes of businesses, and degrees of experience. However, they all have a similar interest in and knowledge of the developing topic of AI influencers. We made sure that our responses included both those who have previously deployed AI influencer methods and those who are considering doing so in the future as part of our dedication to collecting a well-rounded perspective on the subject. This method enhances our comprehension of the current status of AI influencers in marketing by enabling us to record a wide range of experiences and expectations.
Position within the Organisation: The majority of responses (53.3%), followed by Mid-level (13.3%), Owner/CEO/President (10%), Senior level (20%), and Executive level (3.3%), are at the Junior level.
Years of Marketing Experience: The majority of respondents (26.6%) and (36.6%) have between 1-3 years of marketing experience. 16.6% of responders fall into the 1-4 years, 4-6 years, and 7-10 years experience categories.
Company Size: The majority of respondents (46.6%) work for businesses with 1–10 employees, followed by those with 11–50 workers (20%), more than 500 workers (16.6%), 201–500 workers (13.3%), and businesses with 51–200 workers (3.3%).
Artificial intelligence in Influencer Technology, Part 1
Analysis of industry trends
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has arisen as a paradigm-shifting invention as a result of the advent of the digital era. The effects of AI are significant and widespread in the field of marketing. According to our previous AI Marketing Benchmark Report, marketers actively use AI in their work and have clear preferences for particular products. However, influencer marketing is one area where AI’s impact is very noticeable.
A sizable percentage of respondents (63%) stated plans to include AI or Machine Learning (ML) into their influencer marketing in 2023, according to our AI Marketing Benchmark Report. A comparatively small number (11.7%) currently has no plans to use AI or ML in their influencer marketing initiatives in the foreseeable future, while another 25% are thinking about doing so. With nearly 90% of respondents indicating that they are seriously considering using AI tools, this data demonstrates their pervasive and growing popularity in influencer marketing campaigns. This adoption of AI represents the landscape of influencer marketing’s transformational potential, particularly in the area of content production and optimisation.
These findings highlight the growing significance of AI in content marketing. Its revolutionary potential in the influencer marketing environment is highlighted by the extensive use and adoption of AI and ML in influencer campaigns, further illuminating the significant movement in the industry towards data-driven marketing methods. We should expect a continued rise in the use of AI and ML in influencer marketing and other fields as these technologies advance and become more widely available.
AI now actively shapes the landscape rather than just supporting procedures in influencer marketing. The development of content, audience interaction, data analysis, and even the creation of influencers themselves—AI Influencers—all depend on it today. Investors are paying attention to the rising convergence of influencer marketing and AI technology, as shown by the remarkable fundraising rounds for businesses in this sector.
This section will look at these market trends, investigate the enormous investment levels that are fueling this transition, and showcase the businesses that are at the forefront of this paradigm shift.
Financing for AI-Related Influencer Marketing Startups
We observe a pattern of significant financing moving into businesses that use AI to maximise marketing efforts when we examine AI marketing startups. The graph below shows the financing received by various global startups in the field of AI marketing as of March 2023.
The company Jasper, which received the most investment, is streamlining content marketing with its cutting-edge AI platform. This business is a shining illustration of how AI can be used to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of content creation. As trailblazers, Synthesia and Anyword both use AI to improve content production and optimisation, enabling more individualised and targeted marketing campaigns.
The perception of AI in the workplace among marketers
Marketers have differing opinions about how AI will affect their ability to keep their jobs, despite the industry’s significant growth and acceptance of the technology. Our AI Marketing Benchmark Report found that while an equal proportion of respondents did not share this anxiety, 35.6% of respondents were concerned that AI would endanger their employment. However, the majority of respondents (71.2%) agreed that AI can perform some activities better than humans.
It’s interesting to note that marketers thought that even if AI replaces many operational duties, humans will still be in charge of high-level strategy and decision-making (42.2%), as well as creativity and emotional appeals (22.6%). This demonstrates the ongoing value of creative thinking and strategic planning on the part of people in the rapidly changing AI-infused marketing environment.
Predictions for Future Demand for AI Technology
Understanding the interplay between the marketers’ current use of AI technology and their expectations for the future is crucial as we examine the influencer marketing space. To shed light on how the requirements of marketers are constantly changing, we begin by looking at the needed advancements in AI influencer software solutions. The presentation that follows illustrates these requirements :-
It’s interesting to note that 41.3% of respondents stressed the need for improved predictive analytics to forecast campaign results and emphasised the important role that precise predictive models play in their marketing strategies. Additionally, 22.2% want better AI-driven content recommendations that are targeted at particular populations.
On the other side, 18.7% of the respondents indicated a need for sentiment and engagement analysis tools. Aside from these, the participants indicated a wide range of expectations, including improved AI content moderation (3%), greater platform integration (3.5%), influencer-brand pairing enabled by AI (3%), and more simplified brand-influencer communication (6.5%). Only 1.7% of respondents felt the need to track influencer metrics and KPIs in great depth.
Utilisation of AI in Influencer Marketing Currently
We now turn our attention from the demands of the future to the AI technologies that marketers are now using in their influencer marketing campaigns. This investigation offers insightful information on preferences and trends in this quickly changing industry.
Our study results show that Natural Language Processing (NLP) is now used by 49% of respondents, demonstrating its dominance in the industry. The use of Deepfake Technology, which enables the production of hyper-realistic videos, is followed by Machine Learning at 28.7% and by 24.3%. According to the previously mentioned future demands, a sizable amount of marketers are currently using audience segmentation tools (18.7%)
and predictive analytics (22.3%) in their plans. Intriguingly, despite the obvious benefits of AI, 18.3% of the respondents say they don’t use any AI-based technologies in their influencer marketing campaigns, suggesting room for improvement. A thorough overview of the changing environment of AI in influencer marketing is provided by the relationship between the use of AI technology today and anticipated future demands.
Influence of AI Technologies on the Results of Influencer Marketing
We consulted our community for their opinions on how AI technologies have affected their experiences with influencer marketing as we forayed into the future of influencer marketing. Their comments have been of immeasurable use in helping us comprehend the opportunities and difficulties we may encounter going forward.
The use of AI technologies, according to an encouraging 36.3% of the respondents, considerably improved their influencer marketing outcomes. Additional respondents who indicated a marginally enhanced performance as a result of AI technology, or 23.5% of respondents, lent more credence to this favourable opinion. On the other hand, 8% of respondents said that the use of AI technology had greatly worsened their influencer marketing outcomes, and another 12.7%
said that they had slightly worse outcomes. Interestingly, 19.5% of respondents reported having no impact from using AI in their influencer marketing activities. This may imply that a number of variables, including the unique use case, the level of sophistication of the AI technology used, and the degree to which it is included into the broader marketing plan, can have a big impact on how effective AI technologies are.
Influencer marketing expectations for AI
It’s crucial to understand the expectations marketers have for the future of AI in influencer marketing as we learn more about the current impact of this technology. In order to do this, we polled them about their expectations for how AI will improve their influencer marketing strategies. The responses are broken out as follows:
A strong 39.8% of respondents believe that the use of AI technologies will significantly boost their influencer marketing results. This hints at a high degree of optimism and is consistent with the 36.3% of respondents who have already noticed major changes. In contrast, 16.7% of respondents anticipate marginal improvements, displaying a more circumspect optimism.
On the other hand, 13.9% of respondents believe AI might have a negative impact on their influencer marketing results. This is in line with the 12.7% of respondents who reported slightly worse results in the part before, indicating some level of scepticism or unhappiness with present AI applications.
A further 15.5% do not expect their influencer marketing results to alter, reflecting the 19.5% who saw no change as a result of present AI applications. The perceived ambiguity and probable unpredictability of AI technologies are highlighted by the same percentage of respondents (13.9%) who expressed uncertainty about their expectations.
Prioritised Features of Influencer Software for AI
Understanding the exact features that marketers prioritise when selecting AI influencer software is essential after evaluating the effects of AI technology on influencer marketing outcomes. These capabilities frequently coincide with the areas where marketers have noticed the biggest gains as a result of AI technology. Software vendors can be directed by the conclusions formed from these preferences in order to successfully respond to the changing demands of the market.
The replies of marketers to the query “What capabilities do you prioritise when choosing AI influencer software” are shown in the graph below.
According to the study, 46.2% of respondents give content generating top priority when choosing AI influencer software. This is consistent with the notable gains in influencer marketing results that have been noticed as a result of AI technology. Additionally, it highlights how crucial AI-generated content is in boosting marketing effectiveness.
According to respondents, 33.5% and 28.3% place the most priority on data analysis and audience targeting, respectively. These skills can offer information on audience preferences and behaviour, helping marketers create successful plans.
Notably, 22.7% of marketers place a high priority on tailoring AI behaviour. This implies the need for AI solutions that are more flexible and adaptable and can be customised to fit particular marketing circumstances.
Although the majority of marketers place a higher priority on the aforementioned qualities, 2.4% of respondents responded that they preferred something else, highlighting the wide range of needs and expectations in the market.
This information offers a useful perspective on the expected capabilities of AI influencer software and identifies areas where software developers should concentrate their efforts to meet the changing requirements of marketers. It is clear that a combination of these prioritised characteristics should be present in an effective AI solution for influencer marketing in order to guarantee greater results and user happiness.
Finances for AI in Marketing
Interesting information about AI-driven campaign budgets was also highlighted in our prior report. Nearly 20% of marketers spent more than 40% of their expenditures on AI-driven efforts, compared to 40% who spent less than 10%. Over 54.5%
of respondents think AI will significantly improve marketing outcomes, which is consistent with the rising awareness of AI’s ability to benefit marketing efforts. 17.1%, on the other hand, expressed a neutral opinion and predicted that marketing will be moderately impacted by AI. 14% of respondents were unsure or pessimistic about the potential for AI to replace traditional marketing employment.
This division in viewpoint illustrates how the marketing sector is still evolving in response to the development of AI. The rise in funding and investment in firms focused on artificial intelligence marketing, however, also reflects a pervasive confidence about the technology’s ability to improve marketing operations. Notably, our study revealed that 71.2%
of participants think AI can perform better than people at their employment. While at first look this could appear scary, it’s important to consider it in its larger context. Typically, repetitive, data-intensive tasks that can be automated are the ones where AI is thought to be superior. As a result, the growing influence of AI in marketing doesn’t necessarily mean that human functions will be replaced, but rather that those roles will change in nature.
The influencer marketing sector will undoubtedly experience both fresh opportunities and novel obstacles as AI continues to enter the sector. As a result, the future of influencer marketing will surely be shaped by how well businesses and marketers can adjust to this shifting environment.
It will be vital for industry participants to navigate these challenges in the coming years and take use of AI’s ability to develop creative, efficient, and moral marketing tactics. As demonstrated by our AI Marketing Benchmark Report, the impact of AI on marketing is more than just a passing fad; it’s a developing reality that is changing the marketing sector as we know it.
Part 1: Final Statement
A interesting, though convoluted, picture of AI’s role in influencer marketing is emerging as we wade through the data and viewpoints offered by our influencer marketing community. Over 36% of respondents reported major improvements as a result of the use of AI technology, and a further 23.5% reported some improvement. These figures demonstrate how AI has the potential to revolutionise influencer marketing by improving efficiency,
analysing massive volumes of data, customising content creation, and refining audience targeting tactics. It demonstrates how effectively applying AI can result in significant gains. We must not, however, ignore the 8% respondents who have had major declines or the 12.7% whose results have slightly deteriorated.
It emphasises the importance of giving considerable thought and using a nuanced approach when applying AI to marketing campaigns. It’s interesting to note that 19.5% of respondents said they have observed no difference in their influencer marketing efforts from AI solutions. According to its use-case scenario, level of technological development, and integration into the entire marketing plan, AI’s effectiveness may vary significantly.
Different people have different expectations for how AI will affect the results of marketing. A major improvement is anticipated by about 40% of respondents, demonstrating the high degree of optimism regarding AI’s potential. A small portion, though, thinks that AI might make things worse, and others are unsure. These opinions highlight the necessity of continual discussion, instruction, and transparency regarding the potential, potential limitations, and best practises of AI.
