What You Need to Know About Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has gone from a trendy experiment to a multi-billion dollar industry. And while the ROI can be incredible, plenty of brands have burned cash on influencer partnerships that delivered nothing but vanity metrics.

The difference between success and failure comes down to strategy. Here's what you actually need to know before diving into influencer marketing.

It's Not Just About Follower Count

The biggest mistake brands make is choosing influencers based purely on their follower count. A creator with 500,000 followers and 0.5% engagement is worth far less than one with 10,000 followers and 8% engagement.

Micro-influencers (10K-100K followers) and nano-influencers (1K-10K) often deliver better results because their audiences are more niche, more engaged, and more trusting. Their recommendations feel like advice from a friend, not a billboard.

Choose Partners Who Align with Your Brand

The influencer's audience should overlap with your target audience. Their content style, values, and aesthetic should complement your brand—not clash with it.

Do your homework before reaching out. Scroll through their content. Read the comments. Check if their audience is real and engaged. A partnership only works when it feels natural to the influencer's audience, not forced.

Set Clear Goals and KPIs

What do you want from this partnership? Brand awareness? Website traffic? Sales? Email signups? Define your goals upfront and agree on how success will be measured.

Give influencers trackable links, discount codes, or UTM parameters so you can measure actual results—not just impressions. If you can't measure it, you can't improve it.

Give Creative Freedom

This is where a lot of brands stumble. You hired an influencer because their content resonates with their audience. Don't then hand them a script that strips away everything that makes their content work.

Provide clear guidelines about your messaging and any must-include elements, but let the influencer bring it to life in their voice and style. The content will perform better, and the partnership will feel more authentic.

Think Long-Term, Not One-Off

One sponsored post rarely moves the needle. The real power of influencer marketing comes from ongoing partnerships where the influencer becomes a genuine advocate for your brand over time.

Their audience sees them using your product or talking about your service repeatedly, which builds trust and familiarity. Consider ambassador programs or multi-month partnerships rather than single-post deals.

Understand the Legal Side

FTC guidelines require influencers to clearly disclose paid partnerships. Make sure your influencer partners are using proper disclosure (#ad, #sponsored, or the platform's built-in partnership labels). Non-compliance can result in fines and damage to both your reputations.

Have a clear contract that outlines deliverables, timelines, usage rights, payment terms, and disclosure requirements. Protect both parties with a solid agreement.

Ready to Partner with the Right Influencers?

Influencer marketing works—when it's done strategically. The key is choosing the right partners, setting clear expectations, and measuring real results.

Need help building an influencer marketing strategy that actually delivers? We help brands find the right partnerships and create campaigns that convert. Let's build something great together.