The Psychology of Influencers: Why Content Creators Are So Good at Making Us Buy Stuff — Part One
Have you ever bought a new beauty product because your favorite influencer recommended it or bought a viral pair of straight-leg jeans after seeing them on a creator you follow?
You're definitely not alone.
Many of us, at some point or another, have made purchases inspired by those around us – whether from friends, family, colleagues, or the persuasive power of influencers.
According to LTK, a shopping platform that enables brands and creators to monetize their influence, 66% of Gen-Z and Millennial consumers actively shop through influencers. In 2023, influencers on LTK reportedly drove over $4.1 billion in annual sales, which continues to grow yearly, as the platform reported.
More and more consumers are using social media to discover new products and brands, influenced by recommendations from high-profile influencers and niche micro-creators alike. But why?
What is it about influencers that make us want to buy what they recommend?
Trust and Relatability Through Parasocial Interaction
One of the reasons influencer marketing is effective is because of the relatable content and persona they create, which fosters trust and connection with their audience, known as Parasocial Interaction.
Even though followers don't personally know the influencer, they feel connected to them through the one-sided content they share. This connection makes influencer endorsements feel more genuine compared to traditional advertisements.
When influencers share personal stories, experiences, and engage directly with their followers through comments, live streams, and interactive content, it deepens the sense of closeness and accessibility. This strengthens the parasocial relationship, making followers feel even more connected to the influencer.
As a result of this strong connection, when influencers recommend a product or service they “like,” their audience is more likely to engage with it. This engagement level is often higher than what is typically seen with traditional ads because followers trust the influencer's opinion and feel a personal connection to them.
Social Proof and the Principle of “Liking”
Another reason creators are so good at making us buy things is because influencers serve as social proof. In this psychological phenomenon, people mimic the actions of others to guide their behavior. When influencers endorse a product or style, it's often seen as a sign of its quality and desirability due to our natural tendency to follow others' choices. This effect is heightened if the influencer is particularly likable or relatable, as their endorsement adds extra persuasion.
The effectiveness of their endorsements is further boosted when multiple influencers collectively endorse a product or style, creating a stronger consensus about its value and popularity. This is why influencers all seem to talk about the same products at the same time.
Brands strategically gift products to influencers to leverage the collective power of social proof. This approach is based on the idea that when several influencers simultaneously talk about the same product, it creates an impression of widespread popularity and desirability.
The perception that “everyone has it” taps into the psychological tendency to conform to what they perceive as a majority preference or trend. When multiple influencers they admire or relate to endorse the same product, people are more likely to feel the desire to purchase it, believing it to be a popular and validated choice—even if they wouldn’t have necessarily bought it on their own.
Aspirational identity
Similarly, individuals tend to aspire to certain qualities, characteristics, or lifestyles that they perceive as desirable or ideal, even if those aspirations don’t fully align with their current circumstances or reality.
Aspirational identity encompasses the desire to emulate the attitudes, behaviors, and possessions of individuals or groups perceived as successful, influential, or admirable. It reflects the pursuit of self-improvement, social status, and fulfillment by aspiring to embody the values and attributes associated with one's idealized self-image.
In the context of influencer marketing and consumer behavior, aspirational identity plays a significant role in shaping preferences and purchasing decisions.
Influencers often portray aspirational lifestyles characterized by luxury, success, adventure, or beauty, which resonates with their audience's desires and aspirations. By showcasing products, experiences, and aesthetics that align with these aspirational identities, influencers inspire followers to engage with their content and buy items that they believe will grant them similar lifestyles or qualities.
Empowering Conscious Consumption
The influence of content creators on consumer behavior is multifaceted and deeply rooted in various principles of behavioral science and psychology.
By becoming more aware of how brands, influencers, and media use behavioral science to guide our purchasing decisions and nudge us to buy more and more things, we empower ourselves to make deliberate choices founded on empowerment.
