Actress Sofía Vergara or makeup vlogger Yuya? Athlete David Beckham or Minecraft master DanTDM? Millennials would pick YouTubers hands down as their top influencers.

A new study from affiliate marketing company Affilinet shows that millennial shoppers are more likely to buy a product that has been endorsed by a YouTuber, blogger or Instagrammer than a TV celebrity.

2,293 UK adults aged 18-30 say they’d rather buy something that was reviewed or discussed by someone they follow on social media than a celebrity-endorsed product.

That’s quite understandable as 63% of them watch more YouTube videos than TV shows at various frequency levels.

According to the respondents, they have subscribed to at least 18 YouTube channels, whose videos they watch once a week or more. Over 51% admitted to spending around £285 on articles in the past year that were reviewed by someone whose channel or Page they follow.

Affilinet research data shows apparel (44%) as the most common purchases, followed by makeup and beauty products (36%), video games (21%), home furnishings (16%) and kitchen appliances (12%).

Meanwhile, only 9% of those surveyed said they purchased a celebrity-sponsored item.

the power of youtube

While celebrity endorsement is a proven strategy for brands, YouTube served as a gateway to younger and wealthier consumers.

Many millennials engage more with YouTubers and bloggers, as their lifestyles seem more attainable than those of big-name celebrities.

Unlike actors and TV personalities, YouTubers don’t act or get into character when facing their audience.

They shoot their videos wherever and whenever they feel like it, regardless of their appearance or background. So what if they’re shooting a video in their bedroom upside down, with their hair all messed up when they just got out of bed?

All they care about is getting their message across to people who appreciate what they have to say and never tire of tuning into their channel.

The most important thing is that they call things by their name; they praise, criticize or even curse if they feel the situation calls for it.

That candor, coupled with her helpful product information and advice, garners the trust of her crowd of followers and ultimately influences their purchasing decisions.

As you can see, the success of any brand does not depend on the name and face of a famous film, television or sports personality.

You can dictate your customers’ buying behavior by adding valuable content to your own blog, YouTube channel, and Instagram account, among other online platforms.