The data on

influencer

marketing

has spoken

The data on

influencer marketing

has spoken

We asked 1,300+ influencers, marketers, and consumers to Get Real about influencer marketing. See what the data says—literally, with our first ever data report with video.

Chapter one

“Fake makes me scroll away.”

Consumers no longer trust perfection.

Chapter two

“Let the influencer cook.”

Influencers build trust when they're less scripted.

Chapter three

“They’re after reach—not resonance.”

The right influencer might not always have the most followers.

Chapter four

“AI content is an automatic no.”

Consumers are growing wary of the influencer machine.

Chapter five

The source data

The making of the Get Real survey, and bonus findings.

Fake makes me scroll away

Let the influencer cook

They’re after reach—not resonance

AI content is an automatic no

The source data

Chapter one

"Fake makes me scroll away."

Consumers no longer trust perfection.

You can feel when someone’s being real. Whether they’re polished or raw, if they’re genuinely themselves, I’m in.

I unfollow when it looks like an ad and they aren’t genuine about the thing they are pushing

Follow: They’re authentic and relatable—not overly scripted or salesy
Scroll: Too many sponsored posts or everything feels like an ad

Authenticity is key. If someone feels genuine, that’s what normally gets me to watch. If it’s gimmicky or feels dramatic I scroll away pretty quick.

Follow: They don't feel fake, real, not staged

The realness makes me hit. The fake makes me scroll away

The "let's be real" attitude makes me hit follow.

I love when someone feels real, not overly curated.

I'm drawn to influencers who aren't afraid to be themselves as opposed to those who act superficial

You can feel when someone’s being real. Whether they’re polished or raw, if they’re genuinely themselves, I’m in.

I unfollow when it looks like an ad and they aren’t genuine about the thing they are pushing

Follow: They’re authentic and relatable—not overly scripted or salesy
Scroll: Too many sponsored posts or everything feels like an ad

Authenticity is key. If someone feels genuine, that’s what normally gets me to watch. If it’s gimmicky or feels dramatic I scroll away pretty quick.

Follow: They don't feel fake, real, not staged

The realness makes me hit. The fake makes me scroll away

The "let's be real" attitude makes me hit follow.

I love when someone feels real, not overly curated.

I'm drawn to influencers who aren't afraid to be themselves as opposed to those who act superficial

If the storytelling doesn’t feel authentic or the voice doesn’t match the vibe they’re putting out visually, it’s hard to stay engaged.

I'm not a fan of super curated content.

I follow if they seem like a real person, not a walking ad. Someone who shares not just highlights, but thoughts, struggles, and growth.

I follow influencers that are just normal people, and that remind me of myself—or just have something that I can resonate with.

I'm not a fan of super curated content.

Follow: They’re authentic and relatable—not overly scripted or salesy
Scroll: Too many sponsored posts or everything feels like an ad

Authenticity is key. If someone feels genuine, that’s what normally gets me to watch. If it’s gimmicky or feels dramatic I scroll away pretty quick.

Follow: They don't feel fake, real, not staged

If the storytelling doesn’t feel authentic or the voice doesn’t match the vibe they’re putting out visually, it’s hard to stay engaged.

I'm not a fan of super curated content.

I follow if they seem like a real person, not a walking ad. Someone who shares not just highlights, but thoughts, struggles, and growth.

I follow influencers that are just normal people, and that remind me of myself—or just have something that I can resonate with.

I'm not a fan of super curated content.

Follow: They’re authentic and relatable—not overly scripted or salesy
Scroll: Too many sponsored posts or everything feels like an ad

Authenticity is key. If someone feels genuine, that’s what normally gets me to watch. If it’s gimmicky or feels dramatic I scroll away pretty quick.

Follow: They don't feel fake, real, not staged

There
was
a
time
when
“looking
the
part”
meant
being
polished.
Branded
backdrops.
Immaculate
editing.
Captions
that
hit
every
talking
point.
But
now,
that
same
shine
raises
red
flags.
‍
When
we
asked
why
people
hit
“Follow,”
it
wasn’t
about
credentials
or
camera
quality—it
was
about
being
“real,”
“authentic,”
“genuine,”
and
“honest.”
‍
And
what
makes
them
scroll?
Content
that
feels
overproduced,
overly
scripted,
and
packed
with
too
many
sponsored
posts.

I scroll away instantly when the content feels disconnected from reality.

29%

of consumers prefer messy, real storytelling or behind-the-scenes content.

Influence

isn’t

about

polish.

It’s

about

presence—raw,

honest,

and

not

trying

deal.

For

brands,

that

means

the

old

playbook

needs

rewrite.

‍

The

responses

make

clear:

your

content

feels

too

perfect,

it’s

working

against

you.

Which of the following is the biggest “ick” when watching influencer content?

There were 550 responses, and respondents could select multiple answers.

215

Overuse of AI-generated content

237

Too many sponsored posts

294

Lack of transparency

380

Inauthentic engagement

4 in 10

Nearly 4 in 10 consumers say relatability is the number one reason they trust an influencer—more than expertise, fame, or follower count.

So what’s going on?

Polish is out. Presence is in.

Forget TV-level polish and hard sells. The future of influencer marketing is casual, honest, and deeply human. These aren’t actors reading lines—they’re people you know. Friends. Colleagues. Folks you’d run into on the street.

The content that hits doesn’t try to sell like a commercial. It connects like a conversation.

Authentic beats scripted every time.

What this means for…

Marketers

Don’t mistake high production for high impact. The influencer your audience trusts may not look “on-brand.” That’s the point.

Influencers

You don’t need to look sloppy to be real. But if you’re too polished, expect people to scroll.

Consumers

That “something’s off” feeling? You’re not imagining it. Trust is a gut check now.

Chapter two

"Let the influencer cook."

Influencers build trust when they're less scripted.

You reached out to me for a reason—my style, my audience, my voice. So let me talk to them the way I usually do.

This
isn’t
about
being
difficult—it’s
about
being
believable.
It
might
look
like
pushback,
but
it’s
really
a
plea
for
trust.
‍
Because
here’s
the
truth:
The
tighter
the
brief,
the
weaker
the
belief
.

‍
Most
influencer-brand
collabs
die
in
drafts—not
because
the
product’s
bad,
but
because
every
ounce
of
honesty
gets
edited
out.
‍
Box
influencers
in
with
rigid
guidelines,
and
the
content
falls
flat,
the
audience
tunes
out,
and
the
brand
wonders
why
it
didn’t
convert.

A script isn’t a partnership. It’s a paid ad.

When brands hand influencers a script, they’re not getting influence—they’re paying for a performance. Word-for-word scripts might feel safe for brands, but they’re prone to backfiring.

The result: wasted budget, lost trust, and a damaged reputation.

Stop scripting. Start collaborating.

1 in 4

1 in 4 influencers say the most frustrating part of working with brands is being forced to sound inauthentic, misaligned with their audience, or trapped in someone else’s voice.

The most common reason influencers reject brand deals:

13%

Bad contract 
terms

18%

Too many
restrictions

34%

Doesn’t align with personal brand

35%

Low pay
 

A lose-lose situation. When you don't let the influencer “cook”, people still buy but feel misled when it doesn't deliver.

56% of influencers admit to promoting products they don’t actually like.

71% of consumers regret purchases made through an influencer’s recommendation.

Meanwhile...

You said “collab.” Now act like it.

When influencers are stuck trying to please brands, audiences tune out. Trust erodes. And over time, the whole system starts to crack. This isn’t just friction. It’s the engine pulling itself apart.

Honestly? It’s when brands come in with a super strict script and don’t give you any room to be yourself.

Let the influencer cook and do their job and quit needing so much control over campaigns.

Please, for the love of God, stop telling me to say your product or brand name in the first three seconds of the video. Like… have you ever watched a video before.

This isn’t a case of influencers being overly precious. It’s them protecting the reason they’re effective in the first place: their voice.

I scroll away when the content feels too scripted, overly promotional, or lacks personality. If it’s all ads with no real connection or value, I lose interest quickly.

I scroll when it feels like clickbait or like they’ve never even used the product.