Younger users (15-24) tend to have a higher level of trust in social media influencers compared to older demographics

The social media landscape in Finland is continually evolving, with notable shifts in platform usage and the emergence of new engagement patterns. The "Suuri somevaikuttajatutkimus 2023" (Big Social Media Influencer Study 2023) indicates several key trends.

Shifting Media Landscape: The activities of social media influencers are actively reshaping the media landscape, making it increasingly interactive and commercial. Young people, in particular, expect interaction from the entities they follow on social media, and influencers are meeting these expectations. While trust in influencers remains lower than in traditional news media, influencers are highly effective in activating discussions and prompting actions, particularly among the youth who also expect high levels of interaction from them.

TikTok's Explosive Growth: TikTok has shown the most significant growth. Its monthly usage has more than doubled in the last three years, increasing from 14% in 2020 to 36% in 2023. This surge means TikTok is now part of the repertoire for every third Finnish social media user. The growth is particularly notable in the 35-44 age group, indicating the platform's success in reaching consumers with significant purchasing power. TikTok has also introduced a new way of using social media, which is primarily driven by algorithmic content rather than following specific accounts.

Instagram's Continued Rise: Instagram has experienced consistent growth in monthly usage, climbing from 49% in 2017 to 66% in 2023. This indicates a steady, albeit slightly slower, expansion compared to TikTok.

YouTube's Saturation: While YouTube remains one of the most used platforms, its growth has largely saturated. Monthly usage was 88% in 2020 and slightly decreased to 87% in 2023.

Facebook's Stability: Facebook maintains its strong position as a dominant platform, with monthly usage remaining stable at around 80% from 2017 to 2023.

Snapchat's Moderate Growth: Snapchat has also seen moderate growth, with monthly usage increasing from 24% in 2017 to 31% in 2023.

Decline of Blogs: In contrast to the growth of visual and short-form content platforms, the use of blogs has declined significantly, dropping from 32% in 2017 to 21% in 2023 for monthly usage.

Stable Platforms: Other platforms like Twitter (now X), Pinterest, and LinkedIn have remained at relatively low and stable usage levels over the years. Jodel and Twitch have shown slight increases in monthly usage.

Growth in Podcast Consumption: Domestic podcast listening has grown considerably, with 28% of Finnish social media users listening to domestic podcasts weekly, compared to 13% for foreign podcasts.

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Social Media Influencers Shaping the Media Landscape

Research Report 2023

Basic Information About the Research

• Research target: Finnish social media users

• Survey conducted by Norstat in their online panel from June 14-25, 2023

• Respondents were screened by asking about social media usage; the population consists of 15-65-year-old Finns who use some social media service; n = 1034

• The research was funded by the Media Research Foundation

• The steering group participated in preparing the questionnaire.

Definition of Social Media Influencer

In this study, a social media influencer referred to social media content creators who engage in commercial collaborations, i.e., advertise products or services on their social media channels.

Alongside bloggers, YouTubers, Instagrammers, TikTokers, and podcasters, athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, and politicians also act as influencers.

Weekly Usage of Social Media Channels (%)

[Table 1 showing weekly usage percentages across age groups 15-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-65, and total 15-65]

The majority of Finnish social media users used Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram weekly.

For 15-24-year-olds, the top three weekly platforms were Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube.

Table 1. Uses at least weekly, %

Following Influencers

Most 15-24-year-olds followed influencers on YouTube and Instagram, half also on TikTok and Snapchat.

Social media influencers were most followed on Instagram and YouTube, with younger users also following on TikTok and Snapchat.

[Table 2 showing percentages of users following influencers across different platforms by age group]

Table 2. Users (%) following influencers across different platforms by age group

Weekly Usage of YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat (2019-2023)

[Chart showing trends across platforms for age groups 15-24 and 25-34]

• YouTube usage had saturated

• Instagram usage had still grown slightly and TikTok dramatically

• Twitter (now X), Pinterest, and LinkedIn had remained at their own low levels

• TikTok had jumped to be in the repertoire of one-third of Finnish social media users.
  

  

  Chart: trends across platforms for age groups 15-24 and 25-34

  
  

TikTok's Popularity Has Created a New Way to Use Social Media

• The number of users using TikTok at least monthly had more than doubled in the last three years

• The growth had been most significant in the 35-44 age group, meaning the platform also reached the most purchasing power consumers

• TikTok has brought a new way to use social media that is no longer based on following certain accounts but on how the algorithm works based on app usage.
  

  

  Chart: Monthly use, % of Finnish social media users aged 16-65

  
  

Podcast Listening

28% listened to domestic podcasts weekly
13% listened to foreign podcasts weekly

Domestic podcast listening had grown substantially across all age groups.

[Chart showing weekly podcast listening by age group in 2023 vs. 2019]

Chart: Weekly domestic podcast listening by age group in 2023 vs. 2019

Social Media Usage Intentions

In 2023, half of the respondents opened social media with a specific goal in mind

• Keeping in touch with friends and acquaintances: 26%

• Entertainment: 20%

• Information search: 13%

• Following a specific influencer: 4%

• Other: 36%.

Most Used Social Media Application Habits

Using the application had become a habit for the majority of digital natives.
Half considered the application more important than its individual content creators.

[Table 4 showing percentages by age group]

When thinking about which application they used most:

• Facebook: 37%

• Instagram: 25%

• YouTube: 15%

• TikTok: 9%

• Snapchat: 4%

• Other: 4%.

Usage Patterns of Most Used Social Media Application

[Table 5 showing percentages by age group for different usage patterns]

The majority followed specific topics regardless of who publishes them.
Over half followed news media's social media content.
15-24-year-olds followed influencers as much as they follow news and entertainment media social media content.

Trust in Social Media Actors

Finnish social media users demonstrate varying levels of trust in different actors when it comes to information shared on social media, as detailed in Table 6 of the "Suuri somevaikuttajatutkimus 2023".

Here's an explanation of trust in various actors in Table 6

• News Media (e.g., Yle, HS): Generally, news media are the most trusted source of information on social media, with 64% of all 15-65-year-old users reporting trust. Trust levels are consistently high across age groups, including 70% among 15-24-year-olds.

• Researchers or Experts: Information shared by researchers or experts is also highly trusted, with 60% of all users generally trusting them. This trust is strong across all age groups, with 52% of 15-24-year-olds and 54% of 25-34-year-olds trusting them.

• Public Entities (e.g., agencies, ministries): Over half of Finnish social media users, 54%, generally trust information shared by public entities.

• Friends and Acquaintances: Trust in information shared by friends and acquaintances stands at 36% overall.

• Journalists: Journalists and reporters are trusted by 36% of users.

• TV and Radio Presenters: 31% of users generally trust information shared by TV and radio presenters.

• Businesses: Trust in information from businesses is lower, at 22% overall.

• Entrepreneurs: Similar to businesses, entrepreneurs are trusted by 21% of users.

• Social Media Influencers: Trust in information shared by social media influencers is relatively low across the entire demographic, with only 12% of all users generally trusting the information they see influencers sharing. While this is low, trust among the youngest users (15-24-year-olds) is notably higher at 25% compared to older age groups (e.g., 7% for 45-65-year-olds).

• Political Parties: Political parties are trusted by 12% of users, similar to influencers.

• Politicians: Trust in politicians is slightly lower than influencers and parties, at 11% overall.

• "Counter-Media" (e.g., Uusi MV-lehti): These alternative media sources are among the least trusted, with only 9% of users generally trusting them.

• Discussion Forums or Comment Sections: Information found in discussion forums or comment sections is the least trusted source, with only 7% of users trusting it.

In summary, traditional and official sources like news media, researchers, and public entities enjoy the highest levels of trust among Finnish social media users. Trust diminishes significantly for individuals or entities perceived as having a commercial or political agenda, such as social media influencers, political parties, and politicians, as well as less moderated platforms like discussion forums. However, it's worth noting that younger users (15-24) tend to have a higher level of trust in social media influencers compared to older demographics.

Table 6 showing trust percentages across different sources by age group

Combining Journalist and Influencer Roles

One-third say that journalist and influencer roles could not be combined - for one-fifth it was okay.

"Some journalists can also act as social media influencers and engage in commercial collaborations on their own social media channels. How do you feel about this? Select the option that is closest to your own attitude”. The table presents percentages of responses from different age groups to four options.

• "It's okay. I don't see this as a problem." 15-65: 21%

• "It's not okay. The roles of journalist and influencer are not compatible." 15-65: 33%

• "I don't know." 15-65: 19%

• "It depends on the person." 15-65: 26%.
  

Young people (15-24) are most permissive: 40% don't see a problem with journalists acting as influencers and engaging in commercial collaborations.

In older age groups, significantly more believe that the roles of journalist and influencer are not compatible - among 45-54-year-olds, as many as 46% hold this view.

The last option "It depends on the person" divides opinions across different age groups, but receives the most support from 25-34-year-olds (35%).

Table 7. attitudes toward journalists acting as influencers by age group

Social Media Influencers' Impact

Social media influencers guided especially young people's attention. Content shared by social media influencers has a significantly greater impact on young people's (15-24-year-olds) behavior and attitudes compared to older age groups. This is evident across all statements surveyed.

Political or societal content shared by social media influencers has made me... %

Pay more attention to political or societal issues on TV, radio, or newspapers:
Highest: 15-24 (32%)
Overall: 15-65 (19%)

Become more interested in political or societal issues:
Highest: 15-24 (30%)
Overall: 15-65 (16%)

Discuss political or societal issues more with friends and family:
Highest: 15-24 (30%)
Overall: 15-65 (20%)

Consider political or societal issues more important than before:
Highest: 15-24 (29%)
Overall: 15-65 (15%)

Recycle:
Highest: 15-24 (25%)
Overall: 15-65 (15%)

Vote for a specific political party or candidate:
Highest: 15-24 (20%)
Overall: 15-65 (13%)

Participate in a boycott:
Highest: 15-24 (15%)
Overall: 15-65 (10%)

Participate more in political party activities:
Highest: 15-24 (15%)
Overall: 15-65 (6%)

Donate to charity:
Highest: 15-24 (14%)
Overall: 15-65 (9%)

Act or participate in other ways:
Highest: 15-24 (6%)
Overall: 15-65 (4%)

Participate in a demonstration:
Highest: 15-24 (8%)
Overall: 15-65 (4%)

The table 8 compares different age groups according to how political or societal content shared by social media influencers has influenced them in various ways.

Table 8. Percentages of how influencer content affected behaviors from Pay more attention to political or societal issues on TV, radio, or newspapers from 32% among 15-24-year-olds, to Participate in a demonstration, an overall 4%” across age groups.

Expectations for Interaction on Social Media

Young people had the highest expectations for interaction. Young people expected researchers and experts to engage in social media interaction (52%) even more than they expected from social media influencers (49%).

The table shows what percentage of different age groups expect various actors to engage in conversations with their followers on social media.

1. Highest expectations are directed at researchers and experts

   • Especially young people (15-24: 52% and 25-34: 54%) expect them to be active in discussions

   • The average across the entire population is 42%

2. Political parties and politicians follow next in expectations

   • About 39% of all respondents expect them to participate in discussions

   • 15-24-year-olds have the highest expectations for interaction from political parties (48%) and politicians (45%)

3. Entrepreneurs and public organizations are also expected to engage at a moderate level

   • Entrepreneurs: especially by young people (15-24: 35%), with an average of 34%

   • Public organizations (e.g., ministries): 34% of all respondents expect participation

4. Expectations for social media influencers to engage decrease with age

   • 49% of 15-24-year-olds expect social media influencers to participate in discussions, but only 18% of 55-65-year-olds

   • 33% of the entire population expects this

5. Lower expectations: journalists, brands, media

   • Journalists/reporters (26%), companies/brands (25%), TV/radio hosts (24%), news media (20%), entertainment media (18%)

   • Expectations for these entities are significantly lower, especially among older age groups

Young people generally expect more active interaction from various actors on social media compared to older age groups. The highest expectations are directed at researchers, political parties, politicians, and social media influencers. For journalists, media, and companies, expectations are notably more moderate.

Actual Interaction in the Past Month (per June 2023)

Table 10. shows which entities people from different age groups reported having engaged with in discussions on social media channels during the past month prior to the June 2023 survey. Young adults (15-24 years) were clearly the most active participants in social media discussions, particularly with social media influencers, politicians, and media actors. Across all age groups, discussions occurred most frequently with social media influencers. Companies, public entities, and hosts/presenters generated the least participation.

1. Young people (15-24-year-olds) are the most active in interactions

   • Most discussion with social media influencers (28%)

   • Interaction with politicians (21%) and media companies (20%) is also prominent among young people

2. Average activity decreases with age

   • For example, the percentage of those who discussed with social media influencers drops from 28% (15-24 years) to only 8% (55-65 years)

   • The same trend applies to almost all entities

3. Most commonly engaged entities across the entire population (15-65 years)

   • Social media influencer: 16%

   • Politician: 12%

   • Media company: 11%

   • Researcher/expert: 8%

   • Political party: 8%.

Table 10. Percentages of actual interaction with different actors by age group

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Attractiveness of Certain Future Scenarios to 15-24-Year-Olds

How attractive do you find the following media landscape future scenarios set in 2028 for your own media use?

Social decision-makers and politicians increasingly engage in discussions with diverse people on social media services.

• Very attractive: 5%

• Somewhat attractive: 29%

In 2028, significantly more professionals from different fields will work as social media influencers (i.e., advertise) as a side job

• Very attractive: 3%

• Somewhat attractive: 31%

I have a personal coach provided by the government, an assistant powered by digital artificial intelligence.

• Very attractive: 7%

• Somewhat attractive: 20%

I have some commercial AI-powered personal assistant.

• Very attractive: 8%

• Somewhat attractive: 18%

I follow virtual, AI-generated social media influencers

• Very attractive: 5%

• Somewhat attractive: 13%.
  

Research Group Comment:

"The results confirm our understanding of the significant role of social media influencers in activating societal discussions. Both companies and organizations can utilize social media influencers specifically to increase interaction. This also involves consumers in communication, strengthens engagement, and offers an experience of participation. The target group listening we've developed over the past year is a good example of this as a method." (Pinja Orre, Strategist at PING Helsinki).

Researcher's Comment:

"Social media influencers' activities on platforms are shaping the media landscape to be more interactive and more commercial. Especially the youngest expect interaction on social media from the actors they follow, and it is precisely social media influencers who meet these expectations.

When asked about future scenarios, the youngest were more positive about AI assistants than others. What kind of information and entertainment needs will be discussed with AI characters offered by social media services? Those working on platform infrastructure are required to have an unwavering ability to renew themselves." (Tuija Aalto, Doctoral Researcher, Tampere University).

This survey walkthrough was translated into english from a report published originally in Finnish.

The research was funded by the Media Industry Research Foundation. The steering group included the Mediapooli, the Finnish Media Federation (Finnmedia), Bauer Media, and the Consumer Research Centre of the University of Helsinki.