Today, social media is not only a platform for communication but also a springboard for new stars. A person can wake up famous literally overnight: a video goes viral, the number of followers grows exponentially, and by the next day, a brand may offer a collaboration contract. This is how influencer marketing works — one of the most dynamic and results-driven forms of modern advertising.

In recent years, the industry has grown explosively. 57% of Generation Z admit that they want to become influencers. The appeal lies in the opportunity to attend glamorous events, receive the latest products from brands, and sign lucrative deals. However, this path is not always as glamorous: influencers often work irregular hours, face hate, and deal with audience pressure. Moreover, financial success is not available to everyone: over 48% of creators earn less than $15,000 per year.

Despite this, influencer marketing remains one of the most effective channels for businesses. Forecasts indicate that global spending on such advertising will reach $48 billion by 2027.

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is a strategic collaboration between companies and opinion leaders, known as influencers, who have an active and engaged audience. These influencers can be present on various platforms — from social media like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn, to blogs and specialized online communities.

The main goal of influencer marketing is to capture audience attention and build trust in a brand through an authoritative and familiar figure. Partnership objectives can vary: from directly driving sales and increasing conversions to boosting brand awareness, creating a positive image, promoting new products or services, and even building long-term customer loyalty.

Influencer marketing differs from traditional advertising because it relies on personal recommendations and content created on behalf of the influencer. This makes the message more authentic and persuasive for the audience, as people are more likely to trust the opinion of an authoritative figure they follow than a brand’s conventional advertisement.

Furthermore, the proper use of influencers allows companies to target specific audience segments, test new markets and content formats, and receive feedback from real consumers. In today’s digital environment, where competition for user attention is intense, influencer marketing becomes an effective tool for quickly achieving marketing goals and increasing ROI.

Most popular platforms: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, podcasts, blogs.

Main collaboration formats:

• Product placement — the product appears in the content but is not the central focus.
• Affiliate links or promo codes — the influencer earns a commission for sales made by their followers.
• Co-created content — material is created together and published on both the brand’s and influencer’s pages.
• Sponsored posts — direct advertising with an agreed-upon message.
• UGC (user-generated content) — more organic materials that the brand can officially use on its own channels.

Why do influencers have such an impact?

In fact, the influencer phenomenon is not new. In the 18th century, British potter Josiah Wedgwood gained recognition from Queen Charlotte, and his products were branded as “Queensware.” In the 2000s, reality TV stars became the first modern influencers, and today it is bloggers and TikTok creators who hold that role.

For brands, influencer marketing offers a number of advantages:

• Precise targeted reach. The ability to reach a pre-established community that closely matches the brand’s target audience.
• Higher engagement. Influencer content typically receives more reactions than standard advertising.
• Increased brand awareness. Partnering with a trusted creator helps a brand quickly expand its reach.

The trust issue

Alongside growing popularity, skepticism has also emerged. Surveys show that 58% of people purchased a product because of an influencer, but only 74% trust such content (compared to 87% trust in traditional advertising).

The biggest challenge is transparency. 64% of consumers do not trust influencers who fail to disclose that their content is sponsored. This is why brands should collaborate only with those who openly indicate partnerships and create authentic content.

Why small influencers can be more valuable than stars

While major bloggers have millions of followers, engagement remains the key metric. Statistics show that nano-influencers (up to 10,000 followers) have the highest engagement rates. They often cultivate a more trusting community, providing brands with more effective entry points to the target audience.

Influencer marketing at different stages of the funnel

This tool works not only at the top of the funnel (TOFU) for reach and awareness. Influencers are also effective in the middle (MOFU), encouraging brand consideration, and even at the bottom (BOFU), when it comes to conversions.

As a result, an influencer marketing strategy can address all key business objectives:

• Scale reach
• Engage with a narrow target group
• Drive direct sales
• Increase brand trust

How influencer marketing can outperform other forms of advertising

Although campaign effectiveness always depends on the specific brand, companies using influencer marketing earn on average $5.79 for every $1 spent. According to data, 13% of businesses earn $20 or more in revenue for every $1 spent.

The average ROI can be higher than digital advertising. Research shows that Google Ads generate on average $2 in revenue per $1 spent, while the average ROI for Facebook Ads has fallen to $1.75. For comparison, just a few years ago, Facebook Ads generated around $4 per dollar.

In times of economic uncertainty, marketers prioritize ROI and conversions over brand awareness. According to a report, 60% of marketers believe influencer marketing delivers higher ROI than traditional advertising.

Beyond financial returns, influencer marketing is a strong driver of word-of-mouth marketing. About 80% of consumers admit they feel more comfortable making impulse purchases when a product is recommended by an influencer or a friend.

Types of influencers

Influencers are typically categorized into five types based on their follower count.

Nano-influencers

Followers: 500–10,000

Advantages:

• More accessible for brand collaborations due to their smaller audience
• Often have higher engagement compared to other categories

Disadvantages: Limited reach because their audience is relatively small

Examples: Jenna Goodfellow (8.6K on TikTok), Sierra Fullerton (4K on TikTok), Meryanne Sammak Makeup (5.7K on TikTok)

Use case: Wedding makeup artist makeupbycharlt creates content with bridal looks and tutorial videos on TikTok. If a cosmetics brand launches a new powder or setting spray, collaborating with wedding makeup artists can be an effective choice, as product longevity is highly valued in this niche.

Micro-influencers

Followers: 10,000–100,000

Advantages:

• Good balance of reach and engagement, making them popular with marketers
• Content is usually more professional than nano-influencers, and rates are more affordable than macro-influencers

Disadvantages: May collaborate with multiple brands simultaneously, so it’s important to evaluate their overall content to ensure it aligns with your company’s values

Examples: Aimee Kelly (59.6K on TikTok), Exe Eve (57.3K on TikTok), Celeste Evans (67.8K on TikTok)

Use case: Aisha Zaza, who runs an Instagram account with 28.1K followers, posts fitness content and often participates in competitions. A hotel chain aiming to attract athletes and fitness enthusiasts could collaborate with her. Fitness-event content can integrate information about the hotel.

Macro-influencers

Followers: 100,000–1,000,000

Advantages:

• Large reach and significant experience collaborating with brands
• Can introduce your product to a large number of new users

Disadvantages: A large follower count can sometimes mean lower engagement compared to nano- or micro-influencers

Examples: India Moon (293K on Instagram), Cinzia Baylis Zullo (551K on Instagram), Danielle Pheloung (553K on TikTok)

Use case: TikTok blogger Audfin (165K followers) owns the popular coffee brand The Nitro Bar with three locations. Collaboration with a brand offering POS systems (e.g., Square Up) could be effective, integrating the product into a “day in the life” format that appeals to other entrepreneurs in her audience.

Mega-influencers

Followers: Over 1,000,000

Advantages:

• “Celebrity-level” reach
• Large, highly loyal audience

Disadvantages:

• High cost of collaboration
• Mega-influencers usually carefully select partnership offers

Examples: Alix Earle (7.5M on TikTok), Jackie Aina (3.2M on TikTok), MrBeast (415M on YouTube)

Use case: For a luxury cosmetics brand, Jackie Aina would be an ideal partner due to her reputation as a beauty expert. Known for honesty and authority, she could serve as a long-term ambassador (e.g., a three-month campaign with “get ready with me” videos and unboxings on YouTube and TikTok).

Virtual and AI influencers

Who they are: Accounts created by artificial intelligence where a fictional character acts as an influencer

Advantages:

• Full personalization and control over messaging
• Stability and constant availability
• Uniqueness that attracts attention

Disadvantages:

• Lack of human emotions and nuances
• Some audience members may react negatively to AI content

Examples: Aitana Lopez (371K followers), Lil Miquela (3.4M on TikTok), Liam Nikuro (11.5K on Instagram)

Use case: Virtual influencer Aitana Lopez is passionate about gaming and fitness. If a brand launches a new mobile gaming app, collaborating with gaming influencers (including virtual ones) can help quickly attract audience attention.

How to Build an Influencer Marketing Strategy

Although collaborating with influencers can provide brands with significant reach, maximizing the benefits of this advertising tool requires a clear strategy.

Use the following steps to create a successful influencer marketing strategy.

Define Goals and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The foundation of an influencer marketing strategy starts the same way as any traditional marketing plan — first, you need to determine what you want to achieve through your collaboration with influencers.

Start by deciding what your priority is — brand awareness or conversions. While these two goals are interconnected, your strategy will differ depending on your choice. This will influence everything: which influencers you collaborate with, which platforms you choose, and how much content you need to create.

Brand Awareness

If your main goal is brand awareness, it’s best to work with influencers who have a large number of followers and share your values. This ensures broader reach. Interactive mechanics such as challenges, giveaways, or long-term ambassador programs are ideal for increasing visibility.

Conversions

If your primary goal is sales and conversions, focus on influencers with high engagement rates. They may have fewer followers, but their audience is more loyal and dedicated. The influencer’s follower base should closely match your target audience.

The second question to consider: do you want a long-term ambassador partnership or a one-time collaboration for a specific product launch?

Ambassador Partnerships

This is ideal if you want to build deeper relationships between your brand and the influencer. In this case, the brand becomes a consistent part of the influencer’s content. These partnerships are usually based on strong value alignment between the brand and the audience, as well as comprehensive use of influencer marketing platforms.

Campaigns

If your goal is to quickly generate buzz and reach before a product launch, a campaign-based approach is more suitable. This is an effective way to create excitement, as the influencer’s audience will see something new and fresh compared to their usual content.

Choosing the Right Platforms

Each social media platform serves different purposes for marketers, and the audience and engagement formats vary across them.

TikTok

If your goal is virality, TikTok is the ideal platform. A significant portion of the audience is Gen Z, though the average age of users has increased over time. In 2022, 35% of users were aged 18–24, while by 2024 the largest group shifted to 25–34 years old (30%), and the 18–24 age group decreased to 25%.

Content on TikTok should feel authentic, genuine, and less polished. Corporate photoshoots tend to perform poorly. Instead, it’s better to engage influencers and UGC creators who can naturally showcase your product through mini-vlogs, “day in the life” videos, or short reviews.

Instagram

Instagram also attracts a young audience (average age 25–34 at the beginning of 2025), though it is generally more polished than TikTok.

Visually appealing content, consistent in style and color scheme, performs well. In addition to Reels and Stories, the “photo dump” format (a carousel of images) has become popular.

• Reels, posts, and carousels remain on the account permanently (unless deleted).
• Stories last only 24 hours before disappearing.

YouTube

YouTube is suitable for more detailed, in-depth, and long-form content. In addition to traditional videos, YouTube actively promotes Shorts (short videos). In both formats, content should be light, dynamic, and not overly corporate.

Long-form content allows for detailed reviews, tutorials, vlogs, and educational materials. A key advantage of YouTube is that videos remain on the platform for years, extending the campaign’s impact as users can discover them even after the campaign ends.

Podcasts

Podcasts offer another form of long-lasting content, useful for mid-funnel marketing. Avoid focusing on direct selling, as excessive advertising may drive listeners away. Instead, brands can provide value through interviews with industry experts, customer stories, myth-busting content, and more.

Listeners come to podcasts for learning or entertainment, not aggressive advertising. In this format, brands should build trust, demonstrate expertise, and strengthen loyalty.

LinkedIn

For B2B businesses, LinkedIn is an excellent channel. The platform hosts a professional audience and decision-makers. Although influencer marketing has existed for over a decade, it is still relatively new on LinkedIn, making it a potential competitive advantage.

Understand Your Audience

Once goals are defined and platforms chosen, it’s essential to analyze your target audience in detail.

If you don’t yet have a user persona, it’s crucial to create one. This helps the team make informed decisions.

Include the following characteristics in your target customer profile:

• Age and gender
• Location
• Income level and spending habits
• Profession or industry
• Interests and hobbies
• Decision-making factors (price, sustainability, influencer recommendations, etc.)
• Preferred brands
• Style and preferences
• Social media usage (platforms and accounts followed)
• Content types consumed

Knowing who your audience already follows and what content they enjoy greatly helps in shaping a strategy.

Example Persona

Target audience: 27-year-old woman living in New York, USA
Demographics: 27-year-old, works in marketing
Psychographics: ambitious, values self-development, curious about new opportunities
Behavior: listens to podcasts and watches self-development and business content on YouTube and LinkedIn
Inspiration: successful female entrepreneurs, e.g., Emma Grede
Preferred brands: Rhode, Canva, Audible, Notion, Glossier, Alo, Good American
Spending habits: willing to invest in premium products, but mostly purchases mid-range items
Social platforms: Spotify, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok

In this case, collaborating with female entrepreneurs is ideal. For example, Aimee Smale, founder of Odd Muse (141k Instagram followers), is a great fit. She built a community around her fashion brand journey and shares entrepreneurial insights.

Example: Aimee Smale

Although Odd Muse was originally founded in the UK, Smale moved to New York to manage the US office. She is active on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and also hosts a podcast.

Odd Muse has experience collaborating with brands: Smale shared videos from a branded trip to the Silverstone Grand Prix organized by the financial service Airwallex, and has also worked with Adobe and Shopify.

A brand wishing to collaborate with her could integrate its product into videos featuring personal experiences or business lessons, or sponsor her podcast, which would also serve as an effective channel.

How to Find the Right Influencers

Even the best influencer marketing strategy will only be effective if you choose the right people for your brand and target audience.

Start with Organic Search

You don’t necessarily need specialized tools — organic search is a great way to learn more about your audience and the content they consume.

1. Choose a platform to research.
2. Enter relevant keywords, hashtags, or the names of influencers you already know in the field.
3. Review the search results — new accounts may appear, and comments may reveal relevant topics worth exploring further.

Tip: On TikTok, it’s easy to filter creators by follower count. Go to search → enter a topic → select “users” → click the three dots in the corner → “filters” → choose the follower range you want.

Use Influencer Discovery Platforms

Once you have a list of influencers found organically, you can systematically explore additional candidates using specialized tools:

• CreatorIQ (Discover) – Uses AI to recommend influencers based on your selected filters. It searches millions of public profiles across platforms and lets you save potential partners. CreatorIQ then suggests additional relevant creators automatically.
• Aspire IO – Uses AI and advanced filters to find high-performing creators. You can filter by platform, age, location, and follower count. Its AI Reverse Image Search lets you upload an example of successful influencer content to find creators with a similar aesthetic.
• Upfluence – Promises “no manual searching.” Offers audience-based filters and AI insights, showing influencers by engagement, audience size, and brand alignment. It also identifies creators who are already fans of your brand — these influencers are 7x more likely to agree to collaborate.

Vet Influencers Before Negotiating Rates

After building a list of potential partners, it’s crucial to verify each influencer:

• Check average engagement and audience authenticity, as some accounts buy followers.
• Platforms like CreatorIQ and Aspire provide key metrics and detailed audience data.

Engagement benchmarks:

• 1–3% = average
• 3–5% = strong
• Above 5% = exceptional

Numbers aren’t everything. Review the influencer’s content to ensure it aligns with your brand values and maintains high visual quality.

Creating Influencer Campaigns That Convert

Influencer marketing can deliver meaningful results with a strategy that captures attention, sparks interest, and drives conversions.

One-Time vs. Long-Term Relationships

• One-time collaborations suit short-term campaigns or product launches. They generate quick spikes in sales and attention.
• Long-term partnerships / ambassadorships build trust and authority. When followers see an influencer consistently using a product, it feels authentic. These partnerships are especially effective in the consideration and decision stages of the funnel.

Best practice: Combine both types for maximum effect.

Timelines, Revisions, and Posting Windows

Influencers should clearly know:

• When they’ll receive the brief or product
• What content is expected (Reels, TikTok, Stories, posts, blogs, podcasts, etc.)
• Deadlines for content submission
• Publication schedule

Contracts should specify number of revision rounds (usually up to 2) and the posting window, as late posts can reduce campaign effectiveness.

Balancing Briefs and Creative Freedom

It’s essential to strike a balance between brand messaging and the influencer’s authentic voice.

• Influencers earned their followers because of their unique voice.
• Forcing them to sound “advertorial” can make content feel fake.
• Provide key points as bullet items rather than a full script so the influencer can adapt the message to their style.

Holly Morris emphasizes:
“The audience always comes first, the brand second. If a video starts with a brand message in the first 3 seconds and a list of 17 features — it won’t work.”

UTM Tags and Affiliate Links for Tracking

Most important rule: Give the influencer a unique UTM link before posting.

• This allows you to track performance in Google Analytics or other dashboards.
• You’ll know exactly which influencers generate the most traffic and conversions.

Legal and Compliance Aspects

Contract and Collaboration Terms

As soon as you start discussing work with an influencer, you should draft a contract detailing the agreements. It should include:

• Rights to use content (and for how long)
• Payment terms
• Content approval process

Whitelisting vs. Paid Boosting

Clarify in the contract whether whitelisting or paid boosting will be used:

• Whitelisting – The influencer grants your brand access to run ads on their behalf through their social media account. Ads appear as if coming from the influencer, making the content feel more authentic to their audience.
• Paid Boosting – The influencer posts content on their channels, and the brand pays to promote that content as an ad on the same platform. This is useful when content already shows high engagement and you want to amplify its reach.

Content Rights and Licensing Agreements

To avoid intellectual property issues, define licensing terms upfront:

• Where and how the content can be used (including reuse rights)
• Duration of content usage
• Rights granted to the brand (e.g., exclusivity, paid usage)

Influencers often include usage fees in their rates (e.g., base fee + 50% for usage beyond 90 days). They may also provide extra content for A/B testing, helping analyze which hooks perform best with your audience.

FTC Rules

Influencers must follow disclosure guidelines for paid partnerships, gifted products, or ambassadorships (e.g., #ad, #sponsored).

• In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires clear disclosure whenever the influencer has financial, work-related, personal, or family connections with the brand.
• Free or discounted products must also be disclosed.
• Disclosure language should be simple and clear (e.g., “Thanks to [brand] for the free product!” or “ad”, “advertisement”, “sponsored”).
• Disclosure is not required if there are no relationships with the brand.

Similar rules are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the U.K.

Measuring ROI from Influencer Marketing

Effective marketing strategies should deliver results, including brand awareness. Measuring campaign performance allows data-driven decisions to scale what works and fix what doesn’t.

Reach and Impressions

• Reach – Number of unique users who saw the content
• Impressions – Total number of times content appeared on screens, including repeats

Engagement Rate

Engagement shows how many people interacted with influencer content.

Formula:
Engagement rate = (Total interactions / Follower count) × 100

Clicks and Conversions

• Clicks – Number of times users clicked a link in content (bio, swipe-up, CTA buttons)
• Conversions – Actions after clicking: purchases, form submissions, downloads, or sign-ups

Tip: Use UTM links and smart-link services to track performance. Each influencer should have a unique UTM link for the campaign period.

Cost per Engagement and Cost per Conversion

Understanding CPE and CPC helps evaluate budget efficiency:

• CPE = Total spend / Number of engagements (likes, comments, shares, saves)
• CPC = Total spend / Number of conversions (purchases, form submissions, downloads)

This helps identify which influencers, niches, or follower segments perform best.

Average CPE benchmarks for nano-influencers:

• TikTok – $0.06
• Instagram – $0.59
• YouTube – $0.25

YouTube generally has the lowest CPE ($0.04), making it the most cost-effective platform for engagement.

Analytics Tools

Manual tracking can be time-consuming. Analytics tools help quickly assess campaign effectiveness:

• Attribution Platforms – Show which marketing channels or content contributed to conversions, helping identify influencers with the highest ROI.
• Rockerbox – Measures influencer-specific ROI, tracking traffic, purchases, revenue, promo codes, URLs, and multiple touchpoints.
• GA4 – Tracks how people find your site, page views, session duration, actions, and audience insights (demographics, interests, devices).
• Shopify – Provides real-time analysis: revenue by channel, visitor-to-customer conversion rates, traffic levels, CAC, and ROAS.

Key Metrics to Track

• Link clicks – How many times users clicked on influencer links
• Reach – Unique users who saw the content
• Engagement rate – Percentage of users who interacted with content
• Landing-page views – Visitors who opened a specific page
• UTM link performance – Tracks traffic source and user behavior
• Conversion rate – Percentage completing the desired action
• New customers – First-time buyers acquired during the campaign
• Discount codes used – Number of times influencer-specific codes were applied
• Affiliate link revenue – Sales generated via influencer affiliate links

Brand Awareness Surveys and Lift Studies

Brand Awareness Surveys

Brand awareness surveys help determine whether an audience remembers a brand or a specific campaign. For example, an online ad might ask:
“Which of these brands have you seen recently on YouTube?”

These surveys evaluate how impactful a campaign was or whether it was easily forgotten, and if the message was communicated effectively. The insights can help refine future marketing activities, making them clearer and more relevant.

Surveys are typically conducted after a campaign ends. They can be implemented via social media polls, email marketing, or pop-ups on a website.

Lift Studies

Lift studies measure the actual impact of a campaign—from changing purchase intent to improving brand perception. They show how people respond to content or campaigns.

Audiences are usually divided into two groups:

• Test group – sees the content or ads
• Control group – does not see the content

Both groups answer brand-oriented questions, and the difference in responses indicates the “lift.”

Value Beyond Clicks

While quantitative metrics help assess influencer marketing effectiveness, the real value of campaigns goes much further.

SEO Benefits

In the age of AI Overviews and constantly evolving algorithms, influencer marketing can significantly impact SEO. Every time an influencer places a backlink to a site, it signals to search engines that the resource is valuable, reliable, and useful to a wider audience.

As a result, like traditional PR, high-quality backlinks earned through influencer marketing can increase domain authority and improve search rankings.

Moreover, in July 2025, Google and Bing announced that Instagram posts are now indexed. This means content can appear in AI Overviews, image packs, and the Discover feed, further connecting SEO and social media.

To maintain rankings, brand content should align with the company message, be relevant, and include keywords in captions and posts.

Positive Brand Sentiment

Traffic generated through recommendations or links increases engagement quality. Audiences who are already interested tend to spend more time on pages, return repeatedly, and convert into customers. These are positive signals for Google and other search engines.

Repurposing Influencer Content

When influencers create high-quality UGC, it is already a benefit. However, the strategy can be strengthened further.

If the contract allows, repurpose influencer content in paid ads, email marketing, or organic posts.

Reposting content across channels extends its value and increases ROI. It boosts reach and visibility without additional content costs and keeps the brand top-of-mind for users who see the message across multiple platforms.

According to the “seven touches” principle, a consumer needs to see a brand roughly seven times before taking meaningful action. Repetition builds familiarity, and familiarity builds trust.

New Trends in Influencer Marketing

Marketing is rapidly evolving, and influencer marketing is no exception. Below are some emerging trends and how brands are adapting them.

AI-Generated Influencers and Deepfakes

More and more influencers are AI-generated rather than human. These AI influencers blur the line between reality and virtuality.

Some consider these technologies innovative and forward-thinking, but the industry has concerns that AI-generated creators may replace human influencers, as they cannot get sick or experience burnout.

One of the first AI influencers was Aitana Lopez, created in 2022 by the Spanish agency The Clueless. Agency founder Ruben Cruz explained in an Euronews interview:

“We began analyzing our work and realized many projects were paused or canceled due to factors beyond our control. We created this to have a more stable income and not depend on people with egos, whims, or those who just want to earn big money by posing.”

This trend isn’t always positively received. In 2024, SheerLuxe, a fashion and lifestyle magazine, announced on Instagram (with half a million followers) that its new editor would be Reem Bot, an AI-created persona.

Initially, the company did not clarify Reem’s ethnicity, leading some users to question why the magazine used AI rather than hiring a real person. SheerLuxe later stated that the bot was created in partnership with a Middle Eastern AI image creator, which was reflected in Reem’s appearance.

“Reem was born purely from our desire to experiment with AI,” the company explained.

B2B Influencer Marketing on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is no longer just about charts or employee announcements. B2B influencers are now actively participating in influencer marketing.

This trend has accelerated with the rise of formats like carousel posts and short videos, which became the fastest-growing content category on LinkedIn in 2025.

The advantage of B2B influencers is their expertise in specific niches and a highly engaged audience.

Examples:

• Amelia Sordell – macro-influencer with 239k followers, sharing personal branding insights
• Kerry Rose – micro-influencer with 90k followers, focusing on content marketing and sharing her agency experience in the US and UK

Influencer-Led Brand Incubators

An influencer-led brand incubator occurs when a known creator becomes the founder or co-founder of a company and represents the brand in marketing materials.

Unlike typical collaborations, here the influencer promotes a business they built themselves. This approach leverages the influencer’s audience, converting it into customers from the start.

Example: Emma Chamberlain, who began as a YouTuber and founded Chamberlain Coffee, now sells in Target, Erewhon, and Whole Foods, and operates her own café in Los Angeles.

Her brand’s success stems from both her huge audience (14.7M Instagram followers) and the distinctive style reflected in packaging, flavors, and marketing.

Community-Focused Influencer Strategies

Focusing on community is increasingly important for building a loyal customer base.

Examples:

• Refy, a UK skincare brand, invited customers instead of influencers on a branded trip to Mallorca. Customers created organic content, spreading brand awareness.
• Fayt the Label, an Australian clothing brand, similarly involved customers in campaigns, as founder Brittany Saunders emphasized on TikTok.

Community-focused strategies help:

• Build loyalty
• Generate UGC
• Test new markets or products
• Reward customers

Combining Influencer and Community Events

Despite the shift to community events, influencer trips remain effective for maximum reach, virality, and ROI.

High-profile influencers (from nano to mega) deliver viral content that builds brand visibility. Trips work best when influencers have genuine interest in the event, making posts authentic and engaging.

Meanwhile, community initiatives complement influencer campaigns by fostering loyalty, creating UGC, and testing strategies.

Influencer Marketing Continues to Evolve

Even amid algorithm changes and debates over platform bans, influencer marketing remains dynamic, with strategies adapting to audience behavior, emerging technologies, and new content formats.

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