Influencer marketing statistics (2026)
The global influencer marketing market reached roughly $24 billion in 2024, according to Influencer Marketing Hub, up from about $1.7 billion in 2016. Brands earn an average of $5.78 in value for every $1 spent, nano-influencers make up the largest share of creators, and TikTok has become the most-used platform for influencer campaigns.
Afflio is a new marketplace with no customers yet, so none of the figures below are ours — every statistic is attributed to a named third-party source and linked directly beneath it.
Key statistics at a glance
Number of influencer-marketing platforms and agencies worldwide
Source: Influencer Marketing Hub
How big is influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing has scaled roughly fourteen-fold in under a decade. Influencer Marketing Hub's annual benchmark report tracks the global market at about $24 billion in 2024, up from just $1.7 billion in 2016. Statista's independent estimate of roughly $21 billion for 2023 lands in the same range.
That growth has spawned an entire supporting industry — Influencer Marketing Hub counts around 18,900 influencer-focused platforms and agencies worldwide, from discovery tools to full-service campaign managers.
What is the ROI of influencer marketing?
The most-cited return figure is an average of $5.78 in earned media value for every $1 spent, though results vary widely by campaign quality and category. It is a benchmark, not a guarantee — the top-performing campaigns earn multiples of that, and poorly-matched ones earn far less.
Marketer sentiment backs up the spend:
- About 85% of marketers say influencer marketing is an effective form of marketing.
- Roughly 63% of brands plan to increase their influencer budgets.
- TikTok is now used by about 69% of brands running influencer campaigns, ahead of Instagram and YouTube.
The rise of nano and micro creators
The market has shifted decisively toward smaller creators. HypeAuditor reports that nano-influencers — accounts with 1,000 to 10,000 followers — now make up roughly 47% of all Instagram influencers, the single largest tier.
Brands favor them because smaller creators tend to have higher engagement rates and more trust with their audiences, at a fraction of the cost of a macro-influencer or celebrity. A campaign spread across many nano and micro creators often outperforms one big-name post.
Why it matters for creators and brands
For creators, the tilt toward smaller accounts means you no longer need a million followers to get paid — a focused, engaged niche audience is now a commercial asset. For brands, the challenge becomes managing many small partnerships instead of a few big ones.
That fragmentation is precisely why marketplaces and tracking tools have grown alongside the channel: someone has to match creators to brands, measure real outcomes, and handle payouts at scale.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the influencer marketing industry?+
Influencer Marketing Hub tracks the global market at roughly $24 billion in 2024, up from $1.7 billion in 2016. Statista's independent estimate of about $21 billion for 2023 is in the same range.
What is the ROI of influencer marketing?+
The most-cited benchmark is an average of $5.78 in earned media value for every $1 spent (Influencer Marketing Hub), though returns vary widely by campaign quality, creator fit, and category.
What percentage of influencers are nano-influencers?+
HypeAuditor reports that nano-influencers with 1,000 to 10,000 followers make up roughly 47% of all Instagram influencers — the largest single tier, favored for their high engagement and lower cost.
Which platform is most used for influencer marketing?+
TikTok has become the most-used platform, with about 69% of brands running influencer campaigns there according to Influencer Marketing Hub, ahead of Instagram and YouTube.
Do most brands use influencer marketing?+
Adoption is high and rising: around 85% of marketers call it effective and roughly 63% plan to increase their influencer budgets, per Influencer Marketing Hub's benchmark report.
Are these influencer statistics Afflio's own numbers?+
No. Afflio has no customer dataset to report. Every figure here is attributed to a named third party — Influencer Marketing Hub, Statista, and HypeAuditor — with a link to the underlying report.
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