When an influencer does their job right, people grab products they might not have considered before and subscribe to services that suddenly seem essential. Part of what’s behind these decisions is that a certain aspect of the influencer’s life seems somehow real and attainable, and purchasers can imagine things the influencer is wearing or using in their real lives. Sometimes this happens when the influencers themselves aren't even real. Not in a “nothing on the internet is real” way, but in a "they’re completely digital creations" way.
Virtual influencers are created in graphics programs and then infused with personality on social media. Though they can’t spend it, they can make lots of cash. And according to an online survey conducted by The Influencer Marketing Factory of around 1,000 people 18 and over, virtual influencers can convince others to spend their own money. Thirty-five percent of the survey's respondents said they've bought a product or service promoted by a virtual influencer. While that’s clearly not a majority, it’s far from insignificant.
Lil Miquela, a top faux influencer, has partnered with Prada and joined Samsung’s #TeamGalaxy. Digital supermodel Shudu Gram has modeled Christian Louboutin boots. Blawko, a model who wore a face mask before any of us had to, appropriately posed for Ali Express’ Trendspotting campaign.
And though the virtual influencers have no experience with what they’re selling, that doesn’t stop people from putting stock in what they say. On a scale of 1 to 10, people on average gave a 5.6 when asked if they would trust a product advertised by a virtual influencer. The highest level came from those ages 35 to 44, who rated their trust at a 6.5. That age group also gave a 6.2 out of 10 when asked how relatable virtual influencers are.
But just how common is it to follow virtual influencers in the first place, and why would someone do it? Of those surveyed, 42% follow at least one virtual influencer. Reasons include the virtual influencer's content (26.6%), the storytelling aspect of the account (18.6%), the inspiration they get from the influencer (15.5%), the music that the influencer puts out (15.5%), the aesthetic of the avatar (12.1%), and the interactions they have with the account (11.8%).
These virtual influencers hang out on a variety of social media platforms: Survey respondents say they follow them on YouTube (28.7%), Instagram (28.4%), TikTok (20.5%), Facebook (14.6%), Twitter (4.6%), Spotify (2%), and others (1.2%). While you might not have encountered any of them yet yourself, The Influencer Marketing Factory said that when it asked people how mainstream they think virtual influencers will be in the next 12 months, they saw a trend toward “very mainstream.”
