Influencer Video: Your Ultimate Guide

With 1.04 billion active users a month on TikTok and over 122 million daily users on YouTube, it is clear how video content is thriving on social media. Video is a must for brands aiming to reach audiences online.

Why should your brand be partnering with influencers on video content? Our 2024 Influencers & Amazon report, for example, found that 67% of 18-to-29-year-olds say that video content influences their Amazon purchasing decisions. Overall, 59% of social media users say they have purchased a product after seeing it being used by an influencer. This influence extends to other brands and retailers as well.

Influencer video content is effective because of its authenticity. Influencers connect with their audiences in ways that brands often cannot. Their trustworthy reputations make them credible sources of information, and brands are increasingly leveraging this genuine connection to reach consumers.

Our Influencers & Amazon report found that the two top factors increasing social media users’ trust in influencer product recommendations are authenticity and the influencer showing how they use the product. Video is an effective way to demonstrate how to use products, making it a must for an influencer marketing strategy.

User-generated content and creator-generated content, in particular, hold incredible sway, especially with younger demographics. According to June 2024 data from LTK cited by eMarketer, 73% of U.S. Gen Zers say they make online purchases from creators, compared with 66% of millennials and 59% of adult consumers overall.

Types of influencer video content

Get inspired by these examples of the most common influencer videos.

Product reviews and testimonials

Influencers or customers give their honest opinions about products or services, discussing pros, cons, and whether they’d recommend them. Product reviews often show how an influencer actually uses a product. 

In this example, Zoranne, who posts about books on TikTok, shares her experience with an interactive reading app. We like the video because it comes across as authentic and Zoranne’s excitement is evident as she talks about the app.

Unboxing videos

Unboxing videos and vlogs capture the true excitement that a creator has when opening a package or order from a brand. Influencers reveal and explore new products, sharing their first impressions and excitement with their audience.

Ambrosia is a lifestyle, fitness, and beauty influencer with 76.9K followers on Instagram. Her posts include unboxing videos of beauty, fitness, wellness, and other products. In this example, she shares an aesthetic video that clearly shows the packaging and products.

Tutorials

These videos provide step-by-step instructions on how to use a product or achieve a particular look, often focused on beauty, cooking, or tech. These videos are educational and often entertaining.

In this example, Malak shows how she makes napkin origami for ther kids’ lunches using Vanity Fair napkins. The sponsored post promotes the napkins in a creative way that shows ‘it’s the little things that matter in life.”

Challenges

Challenge videos are fun and engaging videos where influencers take on various challenges, sometimes incorporating products or brands in a creative way.

In this example, Lone Fox on TikTok shows how he makes a designer dupe lamp using Minwax products. It inspires followers to try it for themselves.

Live streams

These real-time videos feature influencers engaging with their audience directly, often used for product launches, gaming content, unboxings, or interactive sessions.

In this example, Zach shows how a gaming brand can sponsor a live stream. Prodigy Game, a math game, sponsored Zach’s live gaming stream in an authentic and engaging way.

Influencer collaborations

In these collabs, influencers post joint videos where they team up with other influencers or brands, combining audiences and offering fresh content.

In this example, Gabby and Tyler, who went viral for a TikTok video recently, teamed up to host the “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” movie premiere.

Another example of an influencer collaboration for a brand is this video by Aral Taşer and professional MMA athlete Dustin Poirier to promote Samsung’s Galaxy Watch. The video shows them training together and comparing their health stats on the watch.

Entertainment and humor

Skits, parodies, and comedic videos entertain the audience while sometimes subtly promoting brands or products. Humor and entertainment win over viewers and help brands and creators connect with their audiences.

In this example, Chase hilariously shows how he takes his snacks seriously, by finding out who took his Flamin’ Hot Cheetos snacks and merch.