The Power of Influencers: 1 Out of 5 Users Trusts Influencers More Than Their Health Specialists
Publié le: 22 Aug 2022 | Auteur: Sortlist
Marketing Reports
In this Marketing Report:
- Preferred Sources of Information
- What Makes People Trust Influencers?
- Impact of Health Influencers on Users
- Health Influencers Vs. Specialists
- Conclusion
- Methodology
Sortlist surveyed 1,000 users who followed health and nutrition influencers on social media. The goal was to understand the power of influencers on people’s decisions and where this leaves specialists. Do you trust your influencer more than your doctor? Here are the results.
Easiest source for people to find information about their health
50%
People who research the background information of influencers
Credibility
The single most decisive factor when choosing influencers
Preferred Sources of Information
Google is still #1
People claim that Google and specialists are the easiest sources to find information about their health.
36.4% of people prefer to use Google, while 32.4% prefer specialists.
But social media is the main source for almost half (47.6%)
In contrast, the main source of health information in practice remains social media (47.6%), followed by specialists and online media (magazines, forums, etc.).
Inspiration and information are users’ main interests
In health, the type of content users follow influencers for is a combination of inspiration and ideas (27.12%) and information (25.47%).
Visual content is in high demand
Of these social channels, Youtube and Instagram appear at the very top for the health industry, highlighting the demand for visual content.
The power of influencers
What makes people trust an influencer?
Across markets, credibility reins as the single most decisive factor when choosing influencers in health.
In this industry, the number of followers is more important than content.
Half of users research influencers’ backgrounds
Exactly 50% of people following health influencers say they research the background information of influencers, as well as the information they provide.
Impact of Health Influencers on Users
71% have bought products from influencers
Almost 4 out of 5 people following health influencers said they have bought a product promoted by them.
Almost half of people report a positive experience from health influencers
The majority of people report a positive result (42%) from following health influencers, whether by fully adopting a lifestyle or buying promoted products.
Reasons to stop following a health influencer
There are several reasons why someone decides to stop following an influencer that he or she once looked up to. But according to our research, these are three main reasons, prevalent across the countries we surveyed.
Health Influencers Vs. Specialists
Honesty, still the best policy
Trustworthiness, personalized service, and transparency in health are the three main factors that stop users from choosing an influencer over a specialist.
Half of users would not trust health influencers for health symptoms
Issues related to information about health conditions or symptoms (47.68%) and which products to use (31.89%) are examples of things that people wouldn’t trust a health influencer with, despite saying earlier that the main reason they followed these influencers was for inspiration and information.
Most users find health specialists expensive and hard to reach
Cost (51.8%) and ease of access, or the difficulty to get an appointment (25.75%), stand as the two main blockers that users face when deciding to contact their health specialist.
People trust specialists more
When asked who they would trust more, the majority of users threw influencers under the bus: only 1 out of 5 people would trust them before specialists.
Conclusion
Despite listening to these influencers’ tips, buying their recommended products, taking investing advice directly from them, and overall making important decisions towards health and wealth, the power of influencers still doesn’t seem as big as others make it out to be. People will often turn to specialists, especially when more details are needed or when a first action is ready to be made. This happens despite blockers such as cost and appointment difficulties.
50% of users research information from health influencers.
Cost and ease of access are blockers for contacting specialists.
Inspiration (27.12%) and information (25.47%) are the preferred health content.
33% believe credibility is the most important factor.
Methodology
The study was conducted between June 1st and June 8th, 2022, among 1,000 users across Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. In the study, we surveyed users who followed health and nutrition influencers in order to determine their preferences when it comes to trust, reliability, and action regarding influencer advice. The responses are anonymous.
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About Sortlist
Sortlist is Europe’s largest B2B marketplace in the marketing industry. Its goal is to connect companies with marketing and creative agencies that fit their needs. Today, Sortlist has offices in seven countries.