LTK Study Reveals Influencers are the Single Most Important Online Purchase Driver for Gen Z Adults

• 92% of all Gen Z adults credit social media influencer recommendations as the most important driver of purchase decisions online, above brands, retailers, celebrities and store associates
• 75% of Gen Z are shopping online, with the majority doing so on their phone
• 80% of Gen Z report having significantly more or at least the same income as last year, with the vast majority showing great optimism about the return to normalcy after COVID coming as soon as the 2021 holidays
• To learn more, register for the 2021 Gen Z Shopper Study webinar at https://company.shopltk.com/ltk-rewardstyle-webinar-gen-z-shopper-study

 

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The purchasing power of digitally native, influencer-savvy Generation Z continues to be one of the most important and talked about factors for strategic digital marketers worldwide. A study conducted in June 2021 by LTK, the largest creator-powered marketing platform, further underscores this, identifying that 92% of Gen Z adults ages 18-25 make purchases based on influencer recommendations, putting them above advertising by brands or retailers, celebrities and store associates.

Gen Z makes up 40% of Influential Shoppers,™ a term used to describe social-savvy, hyper-loyal consumers who are responsible for two-thirds of the sales driven by social media influencer recommendations. This group doubles influencer sales and engagement among their own following due to their propensity to reshare on social media the items purchased through an influencer.

Where is Gen Z Engaging

With nearly 75% of Gen Z doing their shopping online, these consumers naturally look to their favorite influencers to serve as their guides to the internet — flagging the best sales, researching the best quality items and curating all the must-haves of seasonal trends. Instagram is the top social site Gen Z visit to follow influencers, followed by YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, SnapChat, Pinterest, Twitter and Reddit, respectively. However, when it comes to resharing their shopping finds and purchases, the top three social sites used are Instagram, followed by Facebook and TikTok.

How Brand Marketers Can Take Advantage

With 80% of Gen Z reporting having significantly more or at least the same income as last year, the renewed incentive to shop is promising for marketers eager to capture their attention. In fact, the majority are showing great optimism about the return to normalcy after COVID, with 60% expecting it to resume by the 2021 holidays and 85% believing this to be the case by mid-2022.

LTK is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, November 9 at 1:30PM CST to share important research-based insights on the Gen Z shoppers who influence purchase decisions the most – and how to improve campaign targeting and messaging to make your influencer program a success. To attend the 2021 Gen Z Influential Shopper Study session, register at https://company.shopltk.com/ltk-rewardstyle-webinar-gen-z-shopper-study

“Gen Z continues to influence all aspects of shopping,” said Rodney Mason, head of marketing for LTK Brand Partnerships. “Their affinity for not only shopping from creators, but also the ways in which they use their advice as a filter for their lives and even the content they share with friends and family is further dimensionalizing the cross-generational impact creators have today.”

LTK’s proprietary research was conducted in June 2021, surveying adults ages 18-25 reflective of the US population with 97% confidence.

About LTK (formerly rewardStyle & LIKEtoKNOW.it)

LTK is the largest global digital marketing platform powered by creators. It was founded in 2011 by Amber Venz Box and Baxter Box to empower the world’s premium lifestyle creators to be as economically successful as possible. Now in its 10th year, LTK has grown to become the most trusted and effective business-enablement platform where creators launch, run and grow their universal Shop. Today, more than 5,000 brands partner with LTK to gain access to its global influencer network for original content that converts against performance-driven, cross-channel KPIs. A two-time honoree on Fast Company’s list of Most Innovative Companies, LTK drives more than $2.9 billion in annual retail sales from over 150,000 talented creators in 100+ countries and over 8 million monthly shoppers on the LTK shopping app. The company is headquartered in Dallas, TX and currently operates on five continents.

Contacts

Chloe D’Angelo

[email protected]