Influencers Aren’t Going Anywhere, and Their Power Is Expanding

A decade after social media became ingrained in mainstream culture, new Morning Consult research makes clear that the power of internet influencers is expanding, especially as it relates to the most online among us: Gen Zers. 

Our latest survey finds that, for large swaths of young people, social media content creators are now go-to sources of information on just about everything — from health and finance to news and current events. In other words, influencers are no longer just expert product pushers; they’re also expert agenda-setters leading conversations around much weightier topics, like what issues deserve Gen Zers’ attention. 

Influencers everywhere all at once 

One reason why Gen Z adults are turning to content creators for guidance on a growing number of topics is sheer exposure. While nearly 9 in 10 (88%) Gen Z adults report following at least one influencer on social media, a notable portion (22%) report following more than 50. Plus, Morning Consult research consistently finds that a majority of the cohort spends at least four hours per day on social media. 

Simply put, internet content is a near-constant presence in the lives of Gen Zers. Those who produce it get more daily facetime with young people than any other major media source — and likely even more than Gen Zers’ own family and friends.

But ubiquity isn’t all content creators have. They’re also aspirational and increasingly credible.

Morning Consult’s Influencer Report found that roughly 3 in 5 (57%) Gen Zers said they would become influencers if given the opportunity. The same report also found that the shares of Gen Zers and millennials who trust social media influencers either “a lot” or “somewhat” grew 10 percentage points between 2019 and 2023, from 51% to 61%. 

Of course, the nature (and reputation) of online content creation itself has changed dramatically in recent years, too. What was once seen as an unserious hobby for those with niche interests is now a bonafide career path within an industry that is valued at more than $250 billion globally. And as the profile of internet content has grown, so too has the profile of those who create it: Lawyers, doctors and other experts from historically well-regarded professions now regularly post — and find virality — on most social platforms. 

It’s this combination of factors that has elevated content creators’ status from simple tastemakers to legitimate thought leaders — again, at least in the eyes of young people. So, where are they being looked to for guidance the most?

Influencers as authority figures 

At least one-third of Gen Z adults said that they actively seek out information from social media influencers on all 11 of the topics we tested, though shares were highest in regard to media recommendations (74%), fashion and beauty (60%) and health and wellness (54%). 

While the above are topics that have long been associated with online influencers, sizable portions of young people now also turn to them for insight on more unexpected and complex subjects. For example, nearly half (47%) of Gen Z adults said they learn information about news and current events from online creators, and similar shares said the same about dating (46%), sports (45%) and entrepreneurship (40%). 

The information shared by influencers doesn’t just stay within their following lists, though. Nearly two-thirds (66%) of Gen Z adults said that they have had multiple real-life conversations based on a topic they heard or saw a content creator discussing online within the past month. 

For many industries, this is a beneficial development. Employing online content creators can be a cost-effective way to generate buzz about a particular product or message, or deepen relationships with a desired target audience. (Professional sports leagues have been especially adept at this as of late.)

But for others, like the news industry, the rise of influencers as information disseminators presents more of a problem. And one platform in particular is at the center of this tension: TikTok. 

The TikTok-ification of information

In addition to being Gen Zers’ favorite platform to follow influencers, TikTok has recently emerged as a major news source for the cohort. Many creators on the app have built large followings by recapping or explaining topical events in a colloquial, direct-to-camera video format, often doing so in front of a screenshot of an actual news article. 

To capture some of this interest for themselves, publishers’ should lean into TikTok and video formats more broadly, which Morning Consult research continues to show is how Gen Zers prefer to learn about new topics. A best practice to this end is to ask individual employees — such as journalists or editors — to grow an online presence and promote their work under their own name. After all, people prefer following other people over brands. 

Though this may be a tall order for older, more established employees, it may also serve to attract younger ones, who are very interested in building personal brands (and who expect employers to provide them with the resources to do so). 

More influencer content please 

When asked about their future consumption preferences, a plurality of Gen Z adults (40%) said they want to see the same amount of influencer content moving forward, while roughly one-third (32%) said they want to see more. These findings suggest that the allure of content creators is unlikely to wane in the near future.

With such an outlook, brands must internalize that, on certain topics, content creators have essentially become mainstream media voices for young people. And on other topics, they’re growing increasingly influential by the day. 

Not even the biggest and most powerful companies are immune to this evolution of authority, so brands' best bet is to embrace and activate around it in an appropriate manner.