Influencer Marketing 101: The 9-Step Guide to Forming Your Strategy (+ Expert Tips)

Looking to get into influencer marketing for the first time? It's become a core marketing channel for many brands — and for good reason:

• It helps your brand appear more authentic and relatable.
• It gives you access to creators' engaged audiences in your niche.
• It's accessible to businesses at any budget.

That's why 69% of brands increased their influencer marketing budgets this year.

As consumers are increasingly skeptical of traditional brand-led advertising, influencer marketing offers something different: authentic recommendations from trusted voices. "We trust reviews and other peoples' opinions more than a brand," explains Amanjit Heer, founder of social media marketing and influencer agency We Heer You.

But as Ryan Prior, Head of Marketing at Modash, an influencer marketing platform, points out, authenticity becomes even more crucial as influencer marketing grows: "We have dozens of influencer endorsements in our newsfeeds every day. Many of them are not authentic, which makes us (consumers) more skeptical and harder to 'influence.'"

So it's important to build genuine partnerships with creators who truly believe in your brand. As Ryan notes, "Truly authentic partnerships are much harder to build, and so are less common, and more effective."

Creating these authentic partnerships might sound challenging if you're new to influencer marketing. But don’t be intimidated — when I started managing partnerships for e-commerce brands, it was a learning process. Trust me: you'll figure it out along the way!

Plus you have this handy guide. Where we’ll walk you through creating a successful influencer marketing strategy step by step, whether you're just starting out or looking to level up your existing program.

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is a strategy brands use to promote themselves by collaborating with content creators who have engaged, loyal audiences. In return, brands pay influencers a flat fee, sales commission, gifted products, or a combination of these.

For example, if you’re a fashion brand, you might collaborate with an influencer who creates content around outfit inspiration, like All Saints has done with Lois Sterling.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LOIS STERLING (@_loissterling)

Influencers come with built-in social proof — when you form a partnership with creators, you borrow the trust they’ve built with their audience for years. That stamp of approval is priceless to gain the reputation of a reliable brand among your potential customers.

But here's the key: an influencer isn't just someone with a large following. It's someone who has genuine influence over their audience's purchasing decisions — their followers trust their recommendations and turn to them for advice.

So, some superfans of gaming YouTuber Ninja might buy a skincare product he mentions, but most of his audience probably won't. So you're not making the most of the exposure to his 24 million fans. You're better off partnering with a beauty influencer who regularly shares details about their skincare routine with a modest but highly engaged following.

Take Lauren Mae, for example. Although she has ‘only’ 37K followers on Instagram, her followers trust her reviews and are confident in her recommendations.

Source: @laurenmaebeauty_

The lesson here? Popularity doesn't always translate to influence. That's great news for brands on a budget — no need to pay hefty celebrity fees to see results from influencer marketing.

Multiple studies have proven the power of influencer marketing:

• 64% of consumers buy based on an influencer's recommendation at least some of the time, according to impact.com.
• 63% of marketers say influencer-generated content performs better than brand-directed content, according to Aspire.
• Influencer posts are the number one way to get consumers to try new products, according to IZEA.

Source: IZEA

Influencer marketing is worth the hype that surrounds it. But getting the best results is no walk in the park. To harness its benefits, create a well-thought-out influencer marketing strategy and find the right influencers that will help you reach and connect with your audience.

Andreea Moise, founder of Hype Maven influencer marketing agency, says, "Many brands keep influencer marketing in a silo or blindly follow tried and tested frameworks without adapting them." So as you develop your strategy, remember that a cookie-cutter plan won't work. Instead, customize it to your target audience, budget, and goals.

Step 1. Get clear on your influencer marketing goals

Before starting your first influencer partnership, define what success looks like for your brand. Your goals will guide everything from the type of influencers you work with to how you structure your campaigns.

Consider these popular influencer marketing goals

To build a strong foundation, align your goals with your overall marketing strategy and business objectives. If growing revenue is mission-critical, your influencer marketing campaigns should be geared toward that, too.

Some common goals you could choose for your influencer campaigns include:

• Brand awareness and reach: Introduce your brand to new audiences and get your products in front of more potential customers
• Engagement: Build brand affinity with potential customers
• Social proof and credibility: Build trust by showing real people using and loving your products
• Content creation: Get high-quality photos and videos of your products in action that you can repurpose in other marketing
• Sales: Drive traffic to your website and generate leads or purchases

Though, as Andreea explains, "All brands have growth as the ultimate goal." So whatever goals you choose, tie it back to how your goal ultimately supports a sustainable business.

Andreea recommends balancing your awareness and conversion goals at a 60-40 ratio. But there's no hard-and-fast rule about it. You might balance your goals across multiple marketing channels.

📚Learn more: 9 Social Media Goals You Can Set for Your Business (and How to Track Them)Set measurable influencer marketing KPIs

Once you've identified your goals, decide what metrics you'll measure to track your influencer program's impact. These are your key performance indicators (KPIs).

For example:

If your goal is to increase brand awareness, consider tracking:

• Reach
• Impressions
• New follower growth

If your goal is engagement, consider:

• Likes, comments, and shares on sponsored content
• Saves and bookmarks
• Interactions and replies on stories

If your goal is sales, measure:

• Referral traffic from influencers
• Conversion rate from influencer traffic
• Revenue generated through affiliate links or discount codes

Turn these into specific, measurable goals. For example, suppose you’re aiming to grow sales by achieving a certain amount of revenue per campaign. In that case, your influencer marketing KPI can be something like: “Achieve $1K in revenue per campaign by the end of June.”

💡Pro tip: Don't try to optimize for everything at once. Pick 2 – 3 primary metrics that align with your main goal. This helps you stay focused and makes it easier to measure success.Step 2. Clarify your budget

Your budget will influence the types of influencer partnerships you can pursue. But don't worry if you're working with limited funds — there are influencer marketing opportunities for every budget.

Factor in total program costs

Start by figuring out how much money you have to work with. Remember to factor in these costs beyond creator compensation:

• Product costs (including shipping) for gifting
• Optional software tools for finding and managing influencers
• Additional promotion, like boosting top-performing influencer content

Get creative to maximize your influencer marketing budget

Working with a tight budget? Try these tips from Ryan to get the most out of the funds you've got:

• Remove any "extras" like exclusivity or usage rights from your deals
• Be flexible on timelines, working around the creator's other priorities
• Negotiate on scope (for example, a simpler or shorter video that's easier to create)
• Be upfront about your max budget and ask what's possible within that range

You can also consider working with micro-influencers (creators with smaller, highly engaged audiences) who often charge less than bigger names while potentially delivering better results. (We'll talk more about choosing the right size influencer in step 5.)

Step 3. Pick your partnership types

Now, figure out the best path toward accomplishing your goals by considering how you might collaborate with creators.

For example, if your influencer marketing KPI is to boost sales by 25% for a new product launch in three months, your action plan might be to find affiliate partners who can encourage sales.

The type of collaboration you choose should align with:

• Your goals
• Your budget
• How much control you want over the content
• How much time you have to manage relationships
• Whether you want one-off posts or ongoing partnerships

Ryan recommends starting with gifting and affiliate partnerships if you're on a tight budget. Both are lower risk financially.

Here are some of the most common types of influencer partnerships and what they're best for, starting with the most affordable.

Pro tip: You don't have to stick to just one type. Many successful brands start with gifting or affiliate partnerships to test relationships, then move into paid sponsorships with creators who perform well.

Product seeding

Influencer gifting (sending free products to creators) is a great way to get started on a low budget. Ideally, you'll get organic mentions or honest reviews in return. This no-strings-attached approach builds goodwill but won't guarantee a brand mention.

Product seeding works for:

• Spreading brand awareness
• Getting authentic product reviews
• Working with many creators on a small budget
• Testing the waters before committing to paid partnerships

For an upcoming book launch, Faber Books gifted an early copy to book-loving creator Jess. This helps build excitement and awareness before the launch.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jess (@idontbookwithyou)

Note: If your product or service has a high price point — think a mattress or website redesign — some influencers may be willing to consider gifted products as substantial compensation. Then you can set agreements around posting requirements.

Affiliate partnerships

With affiliate partnerships, you give creators unique tracking links or discount codes to share with their audience. When their followers purchase using these links or codes, the creator earns a commission — typically a percentage of each sale. This motivates creators to promote your products since they earn income every time their audience buys.

Affiliate partnerships are ideal for:

• Driving direct sales and tracking influencer marketing ROI (return on investment)
• Low-risk partnerships where you only pay for results
• Long-term relationships with creators who love your products
• Encouraging ongoing promotion rather than one-off posts

Affiliates were my focus at Tortuga, a travel backpack company. Several creators we worked with became power affiliates who referred consistent revenue month-over-month. They were motivated to keep talking about us because of the commission they earned. And they genuinely loved our products, which came across in their content.

One such creator that Tortuga continues to work with is Chase Reeves. He reviews gear, like Tortuga's new expandable travel backpack. This ultimately helps potential customers understand the product better and encourages them to buy.

Sponsored posts

For sponsored posts, you pay creators a flat fee to produce specific content featuring your brand. You and the creator will agree on messaging, content type, and timing, so you have much more control than other types of partnerships.

Sponsored posts are great for:

• Guaranteeing coverage with clear deliverables
• Maintaining more control over messaging and timing
• Getting high-quality content you can repurpose

If you go for a sponsored post, let creators maintain their own voice, as too much control can make content feel less authentic.

Resume software Teal partnered with Brianna Doe, founder of marketing agency Verbatim, to promote the brand on LinkedIn. Brianna starts the post with resume tips she's learned personally over the years before weaving in Teal.

Giveaways

Partner with a creator to gift products to their audience by encouraging engagement. For example, participants might gain entries to the giveaway by following your account, signing up for your email newsletter, or tagging a friend.

When partnering with an influencer for a giveaway campaign, you typically offer them a flat fee. This might be higher than a standard sponsored post, as giveaway campaigns get more engagement and reach than other posts.

Giveaways are ideal for:

• Rapidly growing your social media following or email list
• Generating high engagement and visibility for your brand
• Creating excitement around product launches or special occasions
• Getting your products into the hands of consumers

Money expert Tori Dunlap and custom clothing brand Dalya ran a giveaway for a co-created blazer. The requirements to like, follow, and tag to participate helped spread awareness for both accounts.

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A post shared by Tori Dunlap — Money Expert (@herfirst100k)

Brand ambassadorships

Brand ambassadors are creators with whom you form long-term partnerships. This type of partnership is great for building with influencers who are superfans of your brand.

Unlike one-off sponsored posts, ambassadors often get special perks like early access to new products, exclusive discount codes for their audience, and opportunities to give product feedback. This ongoing relationship helps build deeper authenticity with their audience.

Brand ambassadorships are perfect for:

• Building consistent brand awareness over time
• Creating authentic, ongoing relationships with creators
• Getting regular content from creators who truly understand your brand
• Establishing deeper trust with your target audience

For example, Clinique has partnered with dermatologist Dr. Adeline Kikam as an ongoing partner. You'll notice the brand featured in several posts, like this one:

@brownskinderm When it comes to putting together a strong anti-aging routine, it’s important to have the right ingredients to meet your targeted goals. Night is a great time to use them because your skin is in repair mode during sleep. I really like the @Clinique 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 (𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭𝟬/𝟮 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲.𝗰𝗼𝗺) because it has all you need to use in your evening skincare with its wonderful ingredients. #CliniquePartner@Clinique ♬ Canyons - Official Sound Studio Step 4. Research your audience's content preferences and platforms

Before reaching out to influencers, tune into where your target audience spends their time and how they engage with content.

This will help you choose the right social platforms for your campaigns and find influencers who create content your audience enjoys. Ultimately, you'll get better results from your partnerships.

Choose your platforms strategically

You can do influencer marketing on plenty of social media sites today — Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, X, LinkedIn, blogs, and even newsletters.

There’s no one right answer to which platform you should choose. It just depends on where your potential customers hang out and if they would engage with content featuring brands there.

For example, Reforge sells courses taught by tech experts. Their audience will likely take action by reading trusted newsletters like Why We Buy. On sponsoring this newsletter, Reforge found more than 85% of the traffic driven to be qualified and meaningful.

Source: Why We Buy

Scout out the platforms you think your audience might be on and see if you can find creators in your niche by searching for relevant topics.

For example, many B2B audiences are on LinkedIn and X. That said, a surprising number of influencers are creating engaging business content on TikTok and Instagram, too, so don't count those out! A platform you don't normally associate with your particular niche could have untapped potential.

Consider joining niche-specific communities on Slack, Discord, or Facebook groups and ask which creators are worth following online. You might find some hidden gems that way!

And remember: You don’t have to stick to one platform in your influencer marketing efforts. It helps to have a wider presence. But it’s best to start slow. Test influencer campaigns with a few creators on one platform and learn what works. Maximize your efforts there before adding the next platform.

Study what content gets your audience excited

Once you've found the right platform, drill into the content your target audience engages with.

Find out what types of content get the most engagement. Are they humorous posts? Educational? Product-oriented?

And can your brand fit into this type of content? You'll want to incorporate your brand into similar content based on what they're consuming. Otherwise, it could feel like it's coming out of left field, and they won't enjoy it.

Step 5. Find creators who fit your brand

Now that you know what content resonates with your audience, let's find some creators for your first influencer marketing campaign.

How to think about follower size (bigger isn't always better)

There are four main categories of influencers based on their follower count:

• Nano-influencers: 1K – 10K followers
• Micro-influencers: 10K – 100K followers
• Macro-influencers: 100K – 1M followers
• Mega-influencers: 1M+ followers

✏️Note: These are generally accepted ranges, though many sources differ in their exact split. Some also include an additional mid-tier influencer category with a following range of 50K – 500K.

You might think the more followers an influencer has, the more positive results they can get for your brand. Isn’t the best influencer the one with the highest follower count?

Not necessarily. Each category offers its own advantages, and the best choice depends on your goals, budget, and target audience.

Smaller influencers (nano- and micro-influencers) often have highly engaged, niche audiences. They're typically more cost-effective, have less red tape (no agents are usually involved), and their focused audiences can mean higher relevance for your brand. Plus, you can take a low-risk approach by making dozens of small bets instead of a few big investments.

Take cleaning products brand Purdy & Figg, for example. They seeded products to over 2K micro-influencers. The result? An astonishing 7.7x increase in new customer revenue.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michelle Boyd (@mumzyhacks)

Meanwhile, macro- and mega-influencers can offer massive reach, so are good for spreading brand awareness. They're often ideal for brands with large budgets looking to cast a wider net, provided the influencer’s audience (or a segment of them) aligns with the brand’s target audience. 

The water brand Liquid Death regularly partners with megastar musicians like Travis Barker:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Liquid Death (@liquiddeath)

This collab works because the edgy brand aesthetic aligns with Travis and the audience he reaches, even though the products aren't music-related.

Ultimately, consumers tend to value authenticity and relatability the most. A 2023 impact.com survey found that more than 6 in 10 consumers trust influencers they perceive to be like them, and a Morning Consult report confirmed that 88% value authenticity over a large following.

Take what happened with mega-influencer Alisha Marie. When she promoted the skincare brand Clean & Clear in one of her YouTube videos, her followers called her out for inauthenticity. They knew a big influencer like her doesn’t use a cost-effective brand like Clean & Clear. She had previously done a non-sponsored video about her skincare routine, and Clean & Clear was nowhere in sight.

Source: @AlishaMarieVlogs

The takeaway: Influencers of every size have their benefits. Focus on finding creators who would genuinely use your products and fit your goals and budget. Turn to larger influencers if you have a bigger budget to play with and want to spread the word about your brand. Collaborate with smaller influencers for higher engagement or to get results on a budget. In both cases, authenticity should be the goal. 

How to find influencers for your campaign

There are several ways to find relevant creators for your program:

1. Check who's already talking about you: If an influencer already creates user-generated content about your brand, that's an easy win. They like your products and want to share them with the world. Monitor who's tagging you in their posts using social listening and see if they already have an engaged audience.
2. Platform search and hashtags: Use hashtags and keywords to find creators in your niche. They could be product-related, like #skincareroutine, or content types that naturally incorporate products, like #makeuptutorial. X’s advanced search functionality can also help you find influencers who are thought leaders on niche topics.
3. Find influencer lookalikes: Social platforms often recommend similar creators. On Instagram, look for the "Suggested for you" carousel that shows up when you follow an account. TikTok profiles have a downward arrow with suggested accounts. And many creator newsletters promote similar newsletters when you subscribe.
4. Try influencer marketing tools: Streamline your search with an influencer database. Some affordable options include Modash and Heepsy.

When you find influencers you think might be a good fit, add them to a list for consideration.

📚Go deeper: Learn six ways to find influencers for your next campaign.Step 6. Vet influencers to create a shortlist

Once you've found potential partners you're excited about, evaluate them to ensure they're a good fit.

For each creator, consider:

• Audience demographics: Do their followers match your target market? Most influencer marketing platforms provide audience breakdowns. You can also ask the influencer for their media kit, which will include audience insights.
• Engagement rate: A high engagement rate depends on the platform and the size of the influencer. But as a benchmark, aim for at least 2% engagement for any influencer you evaluate. Engagement rate calculators by Modash (for Instagram) and GRIN (for TikTok and YouTube) can help.
• Engagement quality: Review how followers interact with the content, too. Are they leaving thoughtful comments? Generic statements and emoji reactions are red flags for fake followers and bot activity.
• Sponsored content frequency: Review how often a creator posts sponsored content. "Stay away from influencers with ads all over their page from different brands, as it will dilute yours,” Amanjit says. They should have a good balance of sponsored and organic content.
• Sponsored content quality: Look at the quality of these posts, too. Does the content feel authentic? How well do these posts perform compared to their organic content?
• Brand values alignment: Look beyond the metrics to ensure the creator aligns with your brand. For example, an eco-minded influencer would be a good fit if you value sustainability. On the other hand, if you want to promote empathy and kindness, a creator who pranks people might send the wrong brand message.
• Creator engagement: Active engagement with an influencer's community fosters loyalty. So check if they respond to comments on their posts or use features like Instagram Stories Q&As to connect with their audience.

⚡Pro tip: Create a simple scoring system for these criteria to help you evaluate your options. Then it's easier to compare potential partners and validate your choices.Step 7. Connect with your shortlisted influencers

Know who you want to partner with? It's time to reach out.

Email is usually better than DMs since DMs can get buried, especially for popular creators. So start by finding their contact info. It might be in their bio/about section or on a landing page.

If you can't find an email address, DM them and ask how best to discuss potential partnerships.

Make your first message personalized and specific, including:

• Who you are and what your brand does
• Why you want to work with this creator specifically
• How your product or service could benefit their audience

Keep it concise but friendly. Here's a template you can customize:

"Hey [creator name],

I'm [your name], the [your job role] at [your brand]. We love your content about [specific topic/style] and wanted to ask if you'd be interested in a partnership.

We think your audience would resonate with our [describe your product and why it's a good fit for their audience].

Interested in chatting more? Shoot me a reply, and we'll take it from there!"

✏️Note: Don't use words like "free" in your email subject lines. Email providers could send your message to the spam folder. Instead, use something that leverages the curiosity gap, like: "We think [your brand name] and [influencer's name] are an instant swipe right!"

Remember that influencers may receive many brand emails daily, so personalizing your outreach will help you stand out.

If you don't hear back, it's OK to follow up a few times. Creators are busy and might miss your first message. But if you still don't get a response after two or three messages, move on to other potential partners. You can always circle back in a few months.

Step 8. Set your partnerships up for success

A common mistake some brands make when doing influencer marketing for the first time is skimping on the onboarding. But this is a critical step to ensure your partnership runs smoothly and produces the results you want. So create a clear contract and brief with all the necessary information.

Set clear expectations with partnership contracts

Your contract will help make sure you and the creator are on the same page regarding partnership requirements.

In your influencer contracts, include:

• Timelines of submission, approval, and posting
• Content production and distribution process
• Payment terms and method
• Data you require from the influencer for measuring campaign success
• Content ownership and usage rights
• FTC guidelines and other legal requirements
• Campaign goals and KPIs, including minimum view guarantees

✏️Note: Some influencers might charge extra for transferring ownership of their content to your brand — especially if you want it permanently. This cost is worth it because you can repurpose influencer-generated content into paid ads, display it on your website, or reshare it on your brand socials.Craft briefs to align on vision and execution

Your creative brief will ensure you and your partner are aligned on the campaign's goal and any brand requirements you have.

Include these essential elements in your brief:

• An overview of your company and campaign goals (keep it concise)
• Product information and key selling points that can inform their content
• Deliverables the influencer owes you (format, length, etc.) and timelines
• Legal disclosures on how to signify the partnership (FTC guidelines, where in the caption the disclosure should be)
• Do's and don'ts for your brand
• Links or discount codes to include

Just avoid being too prescriptive. "Keep influencer briefs simple and to the point,” Amanjit advises. “Let the influencer put their creative spin on the content using your brand messaging. After all, the influencer knows their audience better than anyone else and what kind of content will resonate."

The more natural and authentic the content feels, the better it will perform.

📚Learn more: How four small businesses repurpose content.Step 9. Get more value by repurposing influencer content

Your job isn't done once influencers are posting about your brand. Take the opportunity to amplify their efforts through your brand's own social media platforms. This helps you:

• Get more value from your influencer partnerships
• Build stronger relationships with your partners
• Surface social proof for potential customers

Consider the following to maximize the impact of your influencer collaborations.

Share influencer content on your brand profiles

When influencers create great content about your brand:

• Repost their content
• Tag them in your posts
• Add their content to your brand highlights or saved collections

This shows potential customers that real people use and love your products while showing appreciation for your partners.

When bedding brand Avocado launched a weighted blanket, they partnered with several creators and populated their feed with authentic reviews like this one from Sophia Toomb:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sophia Toomb (@sophiaxverde)

Pro tip: Buffer is a social media management tool that lets you schedule and track all your social content in one place. This helps you maintain a consistent presence and measure the impact of your content. Try Buffer for free to experience what it can do for your business.

Use influencer content in paid ads

Another way to get more out of your influencer-generated content is to use them in social media ads.

Amanjit says, "Brands do well when they turn influencer content into an ad. This type of content resonates better with consumers than fully-branded, polished ads."

This Facebook ad from haircare brand epres authentically shows the effectiveness of their products: 

Just make sure you've secured the rights to repurpose content for ads in your contract.

It's a long game: Keep refining your influencer marketing strategy

Creating effective influencer partnerships takes time and experimentation. Stay focused on your goals and adjust your approach until you find what works best for your brand.

If a campaign isn't working, try different post types or collaborate with other creators. Andreea advises that you might need to end a partnership if agreed-upon targets aren't being met, a creator becomes flaky, or content quality declines.

And remember what Ryan emphasized about authenticity — it's becoming more crucial as influencer marketing grows. So focus on building relationships with creators who genuinely connect with your brand and audience. These partnerships might take longer to develop, but they'll be more effective in the long run.

Ready to launch your first influencer campaign? Start by:

• Setting clear, measurable goals
• Identifying a few niche influencers who align with your brand
• Testing simple gifting or affiliate partnerships
• Tracking what works so you can scale successful approaches

The best way to learn is to get started. With this framework as your guide, you're ready to take your first steps into influencer marketing.