The Size of Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is all about making a brand feel real and relatable—like getting a personal recommendation from someone you actually like. Most of the time, that happens on social media. And while social platforms started as a way to connect, today they’re also about persuasion.
In the last decade, influencer marketing has exploded. According to Statista, the industry has more than tripled in the last five years, hitting a $32 billion value in 2025. Why are marketers obsessed with it? Because it works. On average, brands earn $5.78 for every $1 spent—that’s a 578% ROI (Quick Frame). ¡Que loco!
But what is it about influencer content that gets us to watch, follow, and even pull out our wallets? Let’s break down what’s happening in our brains.
Mentalizing: How We Judge Authenticity
When you scroll through social media, you’re constantly sizing people up, in other words, you are deciding if what they’re saying feels authentic. That process is called mentalizing. It’s our brain’s way of figuring out someone’s intentions before we decide to trust them.
This happens in a specific “mentalizing network” in the brain (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction, and posterior cingulate cortex) that lights up when we’re judging someone’s behavior.
If we believe an influencer is genuine, we’re more likely to follow them, engage with their posts, and yes, buy what they recommend (National Library of Medicine).
Reward System Activation & Social Needs
Humans are wired to socialize. It’s an evolutionary thing. Social media taps into that wiring, triggering our reward system (hello, the Ventral Striatum) every time we like, comment, or share content in social media (National Library of Medicine).
We also get a little brain-boost when we interact with people we find attractive, trustworthy, or relatable (Sage Journals). Influencers blend those qualities into their content, making engagement feel good—literally.
When influencers create online communities built on trust and authenticity, they’re not just getting likes—they’re activating our reward centers and nudging us toward action.
Sense of Belonging & FOMO
Following influencers can make us feel like part of their “in” crowd, a powerful driver of human behavior. People often copy what they think is socially accepted, or the social norm (Frontiers in Psychology).
That’s why trends—whether it’s a new summer wardrobe or the latest TikTok craze—catch fire so quickly. FOMO (fear of missing out) kicks in, and nobody wants to feel left out, or the patito feo in the group.
The Takeaway
Influencer marketing isn’t just about pretty pictures or clever captions. It taps into three hardwired human motivators:
- Our instinct to read and trust people (mentalizing)
- The reward system that lights up when we connect
- Our deep need to belong—and avoid missing out
If you’re planning your next campaign or product launch, investing in influencer partnerships can help you connect with audiences in a way that feels authentic, builds trust, and delivers.
At Vaquero Advertising, we help brands connect with authentic, trustworthy, and genuine influencers in order to build a successful and authentic marketing campaign.
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