We Analyzed 2,113,307 Instagram Sponsored Posts And This Is What We Found

2018 was a big year for us at Klear and an even bigger year for influencer marketing - it grew by over 39% since last year!

We’re seeing that brands continue to flock to IM, attracted by the channel’s ability to create more personal and authentic connections with consumers. And Instagram is leading the way.

To help you boost your 2019 IM strategy, we used our award-winning influencer measurement technology to analyze every Instagram sponsored post with the hashtag ad in 2018 (2,113,307 to be exact) to bring you the latest stats & trends in IM.

One of the report’s most interesting findings had to do with Instagram Stories. We found that Stories are on the rise, accounting for one-third of all sponsored posts.

So why the increase? One reason could be that as Instagram sponsored feed posts became more polished, they began to feel less authentic. Stories, on the other hand, offer a new way to create unfiltered, authentic and engaging content, while still promoting a brand. Additionally, Stories offer brands and influencers new ways to capitalize on creative content and track performance. For example, the swipe-up feature enables influencers to direct traffic to unique URLS within a specific Story (rather than solely relying on bio links).

Below are some additional findings. You can also download the full report here.

Key Finding #1: Worldwide influencer marketing grew by over 39% in 2018

In 2018, Instagram reached one billion monthly active users and is showing no signs of slowing down. Characterized by its rich visual content, creative tools and high engaged communities, it continues to be a key marketing channel for brand-influencer collaborations.

This is reflected in the number of Instagram sponsored posts on the network. In 2018, Instagram influencer marketing grew by over 39% with influencers posting over 2.1 million #ad feed posts worldwide.

To calculate the data, we analyzed over 2 million Instagram sponsored posts that included #ad hashtags between Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2018. We then performed a statistical analysis of trends and demographics using our SIGIR award-winning influencer measurement technology.

Key Finding #2: 1 in 3 sponsored posts is an Instagram Story

Source: @sara.intheflowers

Since their launch in 2016, Instagram Stories have been gaining popularity (even surpassing their predecessor, Snap!). In 2018, 400 million people viewed Instagram Stories every day, and influencers adopted quickly.

As mentioned above, our data shows that in 2018, 1 in 3 Instagram sponsored feed posts was an Instagram Story.

Source: Klear’s State of Influencer Marketing Report 2019

Key Finding #3: Micro-influencers posted 84% of sponsored posts worldwide

With smaller followings than celebrity influencers, micro-influencers offer quality over quantity – highly engaged, targeted communities rather than masses of “low-touch” followers.  As a result, micro-influencers tend to be highly valued and trusted by their followers, making them equally valuable for brands.

The data shows that 84% of Instagram sponsored feed posts in 2018 received up to 1,000 Likes per post, demonstrating the level of influence.

Source: Klear’s State of Influencer Marketing Report 2019

To access the rest of the findings, you can download the full report here.

Klear is the leading influencer marketing platform for Fortune 500 brands and agencies. Powered by award-winning  influencer measurement technology, Klear is setting a new market standard for finding social creators, assessing influence and measuring ROI.