Influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for brands to connect with their target audiences all over the world, and Europe is no exception.
This is particularly true in Finland, although there are some key differences that separate the country from the rest of its European neighbours.
Through this Influencer Marketing series, I’ll be deep-diving into the quirks of different countries - because there are, surprisingly, quite a few.
Speaking with Daria Belova, Growth and Marketing Director at HypeFactory, the influencer marketing landscape in Finland is taking its own unique shape.
What are influencers like in Finland?
Influencers in Finland are quite different from those in the UK and US. Unlike English-speaking countries, Finnish influencers create their content in Finnish - which goes without saying. Belova did acknowledge that their reach is limited due to the Finnish language barrier.
Additionally, Finland doesn’t have any mega-influencers, with the majority of content creators being nano and micro-influencers. Belova described the market as “predominantly mid-tier influencers below 50k followers” due to Finland’s small population (5.5 million), with just over 2,000 influencers there.
Key content creation platforms in Finland are TikTok and Instagram. The reason behind this is that the two platforms have “lower entry barriers.”
“If you compare them to YouTube and Twitch, which require a camera, a microphone, and lighting, as well as learning how to stream, not everyone feels comfortable about it.
“But with Instagram and TikTok, you just need your phone. You can post a series of photos, just film, or shoot your opinion on something. As a result, Finland has a really high number of non-influencers on these platforms. And Finnish creators, they cover a wide range of topics, and it’s really difficult to define any dominant niche.”
This follows the majority of European influencer marketers who, according to a Kolsquare 2024 study, dominate Instagram. 89% of influencer marketers use Instagram in comparison to other platforms like Facebook, where numbers are only at 57%.
What type of content performs the best in Finland?
As expected, globally-popular topics like fashion, fitness, and shopping all do well. However, two niches of content also thrive specifically in Finland.
“Wellbeing, travel and outdoor activity are quite important for the Finnish audience. Even if you live in a big city, like in the capital, you will still find a lot of photos and videos of the local creators about nature and how they spend their weekends outdoors.”
Belova also highlighted an appetite for content about cultural differences between Finnish people and non-natives moving to the country. It might be surprising, but Finnish audiences actually enjoy watching content about their country through the eyes of newcomers. For example, Dave Cad is a Brit living in Finland and focuses his content on the culture shocks he experienced while moving here.
Watch on TikTok
He’s followed by mostly Finnish people, despite making his content in English. He also enjoys brand deals from businesses that are not only local but want to show that they’re “widely positioned” on a global scale. His English-speaking content acts as a bridge between Finnish companies and the global market.
It seems that English-speaking influencers living in Finland perform better on a global scale, but the overwhelming majority of Finnish-speaking influencers still dominate the content Finnish audiences want to watch.
Influencer marketing in Finland is evolving by embracing both its distinct cultural nuances and global trends, creating a dynamic and innovative landscape as well as making room for an exciting future.
