Influence traffic is the traffic brought to you by bloggers. Essentially, there are no limitations or specific characteristics for it; you can work with this type of traffic on any platform and in any vertical. However, if you want your efforts (and investments) to yield results, it’s important to choose the most suitable traffic sources, as well as niches and GEOs.
Verticals Suitable for Influence Traffic
Spoiler: In general, all verticals are suitable for promotion through influencers. However, for some verticals, this advertising format is more natural and effective. Generally speaking, verticals include different types of businesses that influencers can promote.
The following verticals are considered in demand for collaboration with influencers:
- Nutra;
- E-commerce;
- Gambling;
- Betting;
- Finance;
- Essay.
Bloggers motivate users for purchases because usually people want to have what influencers have or look like them. Or they believe when a blogger in an ad tells how you can earn on bets (like Ovechkin constantly convinces everyone).
Which Geos Work with Influence Traffic
When it comes to geos where influencer marketing performs well, these are Tier-1 European countries (USA, France, Germany, UK, Portugal, Spain) and Tier-3 countries (for example, Brazil, Argentina). In Tier-1, influencer marketing works well in e-commerce, iGaming, and betting. In Tier-3, bloggers who work with gambling, betting, and iGaming show decent results. Nutra is also advertised well.
Which Platforms Are Sources of Influence Traffic?
Instagram remains one of the most popular platforms for influencer promotion. The social network offers various content formats, allowing to reach different audiences (some prefer photos, some reels), and advertising can be set up through the Facebook Ads Manager. And of course there are platform-specific strategies:
- Stories: you can use questions and polls to interact with your audience. Instagram Stories is a good tool for creating engaging content.
- Giveaways: a greate way to build your fanbase and reach new potential customers to expand brand awareness.
- Product placement: influencers can combine entertainment with a subtle advertisement. It can be used for beauty, fashion or food brands.
Telegram
Telegram is also very popular, but it’s worth noting that this is only the case for some parts of the world. Surprisingly, Telegram is popular in India, where 6.37% of the population use this messenger. The most common format on this platform is thematic channels. In the messenger, you can also run targeted advertising or buy it directly from channel owners. Another way of promotion is bots, which can serve as warm-up tools or standalone shops.
YouTube
Next in popularity is YouTube. Video in all its forms (especially short videos) continues to be one of the most demanded formats for promotion, as these creatives do not require strong attention from viewers, while the platform offers a lot of useful and interesting content on various topics. The Shorts format is currently the most in demand.
- Livestreams: it is possible to make live sessions with influencers to interact with audience in real time.
- Tutorials: influencers creating tutorials using your product can show its benefits and advantages.
- Long-form reviews: product demonstration can be valuable for people who want to purchase your product.
TikTok
Next, you can collaborate with influencers on TikTok. This is a social media platform focused on video content, similar to YouTube and now Instagram. However, users here typically seek funny, entertaining videos, challenges, and trends. TikTok has earned its reputation as the primary distributor of viral advertising.
- Hashtag challenges: influencers can encourage users to participate in branded hashtag challenges that showcase a specific action, a dance.
- Behind-the-Scenes content: you can show your audience how your product is being developed behind the scenes.
Although some may consider Twitter a controversial platform for driving traffic from, it still has its numerous influencers, which you can collaborate with. One of the main advantages of this platform is its diverse topics – from silly and meme-oriented topics to serious and money-oriented ones. Anyway, it is indeed possible to make money on Twitter (X) with affiliate marketing.
Twitch
And let’s not forget about a platform like Twitch. It’s a haven for streamers from around the world. This platform is particularly well-suited for promoting gambling, betting, and iGaming. But remember, the platform has officially banned gambling, so there may be difficulties. Therefore, if needed, an alternative to Twitch could be platforms like Kick.
Additionally, international counterparts to YouTube could be platforms like Vimeo and Vevo, but they specialize more in music videos and movie clips.
Typical Funnels for Influencer Marketing
In influencer marketing, there are also sales funnels to guide people to take the desired action.
The simplest way is when users are led directly from an ad to a website via a link. This is a straightforward scheme that suits any platform. Essentially, there are two stages: attraction and sale.
There is a more complex funnel consisting of stages: attraction, retention, and sale. So, the influencer has piqued the interest of their followers in your product or service. Then, to retain them, they promise, for example, to test the product themselves for some time and share their impressions. This keeps their attention and builds trust in the product. And then they seal the deal by sharing how satisfied they are with the result.
Sometimes, after the sale, there is another stage – recommendations from satisfied customers. In this case, the blogger may share a promo code or referral link, through which the new customer will receive a discount for referring a friend. It’s like a word-of-mouth with a bonus system. Even if the second person doesn’t make a purchase immediately, they will at least hear about the product and might return for a purchase later.
Another implementation option for such a funnel is to attract users first, and then offer a small group to test the product. During this period, they should share their feedback with the blogger for some time. After the test-drive, the influencer compiles a compilation of video reviews from people and publishes it. This will serve as both a second advertising post and a way to increase the audience’s loyalty to the product they are promoting.
Another funnel option: attracting attention, developing interest, desire to buy, actual sale. For example, a blogger uploads a video on their topic, seamlessly including a couple of words about the product they are discreetly promoting. They attach a link to another video where they directly test this product (not on their blog, but on the company’s website). This way, they grab attention and develop interest. Then, when a person ends up on the company’s website and becomes interested in the product, they continue to study it and the brand itself. This is how they mature for making a purchase.
Also, for the funnel format, attraction-retention-sales, an option where a blogger launches a series of videos testing several products could work. One of them is the product they advertise, while the others are competitors. This way, the advertisement doesn’t seem as intrusive, and the image of the competitors slightly fades in the eyes of the users.
Alternatively, another implementation of this funnel could be used. In the first video, the influencer talks about compiling various reviews of one product. They show screenshots, then mention being intrigued by the range of opinions and wanting to test the product themselves. This creates the feeling that it’s not a paid advertisement.
The blogger shares a link to the product or service, saying that if any of their subscribers want to join their marathon and try the product, they can buy it and test it too. And then, of course, share their impressions in the comments. Later, the influencer will upload another video with feedback on the test drive.
Funnels are great for both Nutra and e-commerce, let’s also consider gaming or iGaming with non-physical products.
Here the customer journey might look like this: awareness – retention – interest – sale. For example, a blogger announces a new app, it catches his interest, and he plans to play. He’ll stream himself playing (adding a link to the upcoming stream). Later, he posts several short clips of gameplay on his profile. And in the final post, he offers followers to join a joint stream (to maintain their interest). Users download the app, take a trial period, play, and get involved, eventually subscribing.
In influencer marketing, essentially the same sales funnels are used as in other advertising formats. The main difference is implementation, and in this matter, there is no limit to creativity, as long as the user eventually makes a purchase.
Comments and Expert Opinions
We discussed sources of influencer traffic with representatives from Royal Partners, One Partners, and Famesters.
- Famesters is a leading advertising agency for influencer marketing with more than 5 years of experience and more than 10 thousand implemented compaigns. It has covered 68 countries. They build turnkey influencer marketing for businesses: connect brands with influencers, create powerful collaborations, manage all the stages of influencer marketing campaigns.
- One Partners are experts in affiliate marketing that help people increase their income in affiliate marketing industry.
- Royal Partners is one of the top advertisers in gambling vertical with its affiliate program attracting over 1000 leads daily.
Are there any noticeable trends in terms of the popularity of different platforms or any hierarchy of influencer platforms?
“YouTube and Telegram are the leading platforms in influencer traffic”, – Answered by the Royal Partners team
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“Let’s look at this situation as follows: there is no hierarchy among influencer platforms as such.
Where and why do bloggers migrate? They always try to engage their audience, especially regarding the migration from Instagram to Telegram — a logical step for a blogger to maintain interaction with their audience, preserve reach, and essentially duplicate their audience in Telegram channels.
Why is this done? Because no Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Twitch account is immune to platform blocking, unlike Telegram.
Thus, if a blogger’s audience is on a platform that is prone to blocking or there is a risk of losing access, it is logical for the blogger to want to move their audience to a platform that more or less guarantees its safety. Telegram is one of the most secure platforms for influencers.
As we know, people can be popular on any platform and advertise everywhere. But we understand that third-party links/resources are blocked by YouTube, Twitch, etc. Each platform has its own rules/restrictions, so there are no trends now. Whoever gathered their audience somewhere can lead and mention it there. Through Instagram, Telegram, even Twitter (current X) — however they please”.
Answered by the One Partners team
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When dealing with influencer traffic, what parameters do you use to evaluate the quality of the source? How much does the quality of traffic vary across popular platforms? Are there platforms that consistently rank at the top?
“The quality of sources is evaluated based on internal parameters. YouTube stands out as a top platform”, – Answered by the Royal Partners team
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When considering the quality of a source, it’s important to understand what exactly you’re purchasing, how it will be presented, what flow the traffic will have, and how it will move through your link/promo code. The main difference lies solely in this, as each platform has its own features that are well known to everyone (stories, mentions in posts, posts, links).
The flow towards all of this is already accustomed. Much depends on the quality of information presentation by the influencer, how they managed to interest their audience with this offer. And quality depends solely on how skillfully the blogger managed to advertise/present or sell to their audience.
There are no platforms that consistently rank at the top. Twitch blocks accounts, YouTube has many restrictions, Instagram has many limitations, Telegram also has its own rules for placement. In other words, there is no specific platform that consistently ranks at the top. The rule here is: how well you negotiate with the influencer and for how much—this is the entire parameter for evaluating quality. The ability to compare what you agreed upon with the price and then correctly assess the result.
Answered by the One Partners team
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“When evaluating, it’s important to consider the vertical and the offer theme. Let’s take iGaming products: for them, YouTube and Twitch are at the top.
Twitch allows demonstrating the full use of iGaming products. YouTube, on the other hand, offers a more polished presentation: slick footage, less emphasis on gambling, and more on enjoyable pastime.
Twitch thrives on mass integrations, thus warming up the audience and increasing brand loyalty. YouTube is more about brand storytelling. By changing the brief for the same blogger for a repeat integration, you can influence audience behavior. For example, if the first integration resulted in many registrations but few deposits, then in the second integration, the focus should be on deposits: talk about deposit methods, ease of the process, and limit the offer. For instance, “whoever deposits by the end of the week will get 20 free spins.”
And let’s go through all popular platforms because each traffic source has its advantages and nuances:
- YouTube provides organic growth in the long run;
- Instagram offers quick conversion. Stories work better than posts, but after 24 hours, everything becomes inactive, so there won’t be additional traffic later;
- TikTok removes videos with links (the link disappears, the blogger gets banned, etc.), so TikTok is about brand recognition and publicity, not performance.
Overall, the quality of traffic depends more on the blogger than the platform. The better the warming up and advertising presentation, the better the conversion will be. That’s why advertisers often purchase several advertising integrations in a row from the same blogger”.
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Which platforms do you consider most profitable for working with influencer traffic?
“The most profitable platforms are considered to be YouTube, TikTok, and to a lesser extent, Twitch”, – Answered by the Royal Partners team
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“There are no platforms that are the most profitable and cannot be. The most popular ones, where people are most devoted to their audience, are Twitch and YouTube. On these platforms, the most relevant audience can be found, but due to their numerous restrictions, not everything and everyone can be converted”.
Answered by the One Partners team
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“Firstly, the choice of platform heavily depends on the product and the offer theme. As I explained above, for example, it makes sense for iGaming brands to advertise primarily on Twitch, Kick, YouTube.
Secondly, it’s important to understand the advertiser’s main goals: for online casinos, for example, aiming for publicity and brand recognition, TikTok might be a good choice, but expecting performance from it would be unreasonable. However, the road to performance lies through platforms like Twitch”.
Answered by Pavel Beinya,
CEO, founder of Famesters and Infinity Media buying agency
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Is there a correlation between the offer vertical and the influencer platform? For instance, do gambling bloggers prefer Twitch more, while health and wellness bloggers prefer Instagram?
“The choice of platform by influencers doesn’t necessarily correlate with the offer’s theme”, – Answered by the Royal Partners team
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“It’s not so much a correlation between the offer vertical and the platform, but rather which platform attracts which audience more. Naturally, Twitch is a streaming platform designed for gaming. Initially, it will attract more gamers who have a penchant for gambling. They are ready to play, ready to take action, as they are easily influenced to engage in such activities and are more loyal to verticals like gambling. Instagram, on the other hand, is positioned as a beauty, lifestyle platform, so it’s understandable that Instagram has a more receptive audience to health and similar verticals. In other words, you can advertise almost anything there”.
Answered by the One Partners team
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The specificity of different platforms makes them more or less suitable for advertising products from different verticals. For example, it’s easier to showcase products like lipstick, chairs, food on Instagram, while demonstrating and explaining gameplay is more profitable on YouTube or Twitch. Here are a few examples of verticals and platforms:
- For iGaming verticals: Twitch and Kick;
- For gaming in general, games on PC, consoles, mobile: YouTube and Twitch;
- For showcasing products: Instagram, YouTube (reviews work well here);
- For lifestyle-related content: Instagram, YouTube;
- Schematic marketing works better through Instagram.
Answered by Pavel Beinya,
CEO, founder of Famesters and Infinity Media buying agency
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Can platforms be divided based on the predominant scale of bloggers? For instance, million-dollar bloggers are on YouTube, while nano and micro-bloggers are on TikTok, and real celebrities are on Instagram?
“Dividing bloggers by scale on different platforms isn’t clear-cut”, – Answered by the Royal Partners team
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“Dividing by predominant blogger scale doesn’t really make sense. What’s more important here is your understanding of which platform is most suitable for aggregating the necessary audience for your product. There’s no point in dividing all these audiences since they all transition from one platform to another and engage in audience migration. This is quite a normal practice. After all, the more channels you have with an audience, the more placement you have for advertising, information dissemination, etc.
It so happened that YouTube has been around for quite some time, and many people initially started their channels and grew proportionally. TikTok is a relatively new story, but microblogging is clearly not what it’s about. It’s quite an extensive network that easily allows anyone to become a million-dollar blogger.
Celebrities on Instagram, it’s their duty to have their own blog. If they are engaged in any active activity, it’s perfectly normal for them to have TikTok and Telegram, but YouTube is unlikely. Considering YouTube’s algorithms, it would be very difficult for them to provide interesting content, but everything”.
Answered by the One Partners team
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“On all platforms, there are already super-celebrity bloggers, millionaires, as well as “ordinary” ones, the same nano- and micro-influencers. And, of course, each platform has its own level that determines whether you are a celebrity here or not.
For example, actors and musicians mainly use Instagram or X (Twitter), while on YouTube, celebrities are more about influencers who became popular because of their content. The brightest examples are PewDiePie and Mr. Beast. They are not celebrities in the traditional sense of the word, they don’t act in movies or sing at stadiums, but on YouTube, they have over 100 million subscribers. A similar story with TikTok: Khaby Lame (@khaby.lame) is the most popular TikToker (with over 160 million followers), who became a celebrity precisely because of his content on TikTok”.
Answered by Pavel Beinya,
CEO, founder of Famesters and Infinity Media buying agency
Conclusion
Essentially, any platform where a blogger can gather an audience and broadcast to them can become a source of influencer traffic. The difference lies only in the presentation format: video, image, or text. Instagram, YouTube, and Twitch continue to remain among the most popular, but with the desire, promotion can also be done with the help of a blogger on Facebook.
One noticeable trend is the frequent migration of audiences from one platform to another. This is largely due to the desire to retain the audience if the blogger’s account gets blocked. Also, for this reason, the popularity of Telegram is growing – it is the most secure platform for bloggers. Additionally, the increase in the number of working platforms allows influencers and their partners to obtain more placements and reach.
