How Influencer Marketing Is Rewiring The Consumer Journey

Forbes

5 days ago

Jaime Hintz, VP of Influencer Marketing at Cogent World.
The way consumers shop today looks nothing like it did a decade ago. Gone are the days when a flashy TV commercial or a celebrity endorsement could drive meaningful sales. Now, purchasing decisions happen in comment sections, Instagram DMs, YouTube reviews and, increasingly, at immersive brand experiences. Influencer marketing isn't just a trend; it's fundamentally reshaping the path from discovery to purchase, creating a new, symbiotic relationship between digital content and real-world connection.
Not long ago, I asked a room full of executives when they last clicked on a banner ad. Silence. Then, I asked how many had purchased something after seeing it on social media. Nearly every hand went up.
In 2012, Nielsen reported that 92% of consumers trusted personal recommendations over traditional advertising. More than a decade later, that trust hasn't just endured—it's evolved. A 2023 Matter Communications survey of consumers found that 69% of respondents said they trusted influencer recommendations over brand messaging. What started as peer-to-peer credibility has scaled into one of the most influential forces in modern marketing.
Influencers aren't just driving awareness—they're driving purchases. An April 2024 Sprout Social consumer survey found that 49% of respondents reported making daily, weekly or monthly purchases because of influencer posts, and according to Storyclash, brands are earning an average of $5.78 in ROI for every $1 spent on influencer campaigns. Trust, authenticity and real-world results are why influencers across all audience sizes have become one of the most powerful forces in modern commerce.
Having run campaigns on both sides, I can tell you why: Influencers cut through corporate speak. They're human and relatable, and they've built trust that no brand can manufacture overnight.
In the previous quarter, we ran parallel campaigns for a client—one using traditional media and another leveraging influencers. The influencer campaign cost one-third of the traditional approach but drove double the conversions. The math isn't complicated.
Today's influencers aren't confined to the top of the funnel. They're driving action at every stage of the consumer journey.
Social media is now the first touchpoint for many consumers. A well-placed influencer mention can introduce a brand to millions overnight. Unlike traditional brand awareness campaigns, influencer content is organic and personal—making it far more effective at sparking interest.
When consumers research products, they no longer rely on brand websites alone. They turn to influencers for tutorials, deep dives, ingredient breakdowns and real-world reviews. Influencers have become trusted research hubs.
Here's where influencer marketing truly shines. Discount codes, affiliate links and urgent calls to action drive measurable conversion. A trusted creator's genuine endorsement can erase the last bit of purchase hesitation—a key reason why influencer-driven campaigns often outperform traditional digital ads.
A fitness creator with 50,000 loyal followers can often move more product for a protein brand than a celebrity with 5 million disengaged fans. Real influence isn't just about likes or reach—it's about driving action. Purchasing behavior, not popularity, is the new currency.
Brands that integrate influencer content into their sales strategy (not just their marketing plan) are seeing serious results. The Sprout Social consumer survey found that 86% of respondents said they made a purchase based on influencer recommendations, underscoring just how powerful creators can be in driving action. Consumers want to see, click and buy in the moment.
As AI-driven recommendations, live shopping and hyperpersonalized content continue to rise, influencers will only become more deeply embedded in the commerce journey. The brands that adapt won't just stay relevant—they'll lead.
After years of purely digital campaigns, I've come to recognize that the most powerful influencer strategies incorporate real-world touchpoints. At Cogent World, our most successful case studies all share one element: They bridge digital influence with physical experiences.
One of the biggest mistakes brands make is treating experiences and influencer campaigns as separate efforts. They're two sides of the same coin. When we recently wove influencer marketing directly into a client's experiential strategy, brand awareness surged by 67%. Influencers didn't just show up—they amplified the moment, bringing their audiences with them. In return, the experience gave them authentic, buzzworthy content to share. It's not about adding influencers to a plan; it's about making them part of the story.
The most successful campaign I've ever run didn't look like a campaign at all. Influencers weren't just content creators; they were product collaborators, event hosts and direct sales channels. The result was the creation of a community that continues to fuel growth long after the event ended.
The way people shop has changed for good, and I've had a front-row seat to that transformation. The question is whether you're implementing influencer marketing as the strategic core of your consumer journey or still treating it as just another marketing tactic. In my experience, the difference between those two approaches is the difference between thriving and merely surviving in the new commerce landscape.
Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?