Jun 23, 2025
12 MIN Read
INFLUENCER MARKETING
INFLUENCER MARKETING
Is Influencer Marketing Dying? The Stats, Experts, and Real Story
Is Influencer Marketing Dying? The Stats, Experts, and Real Story
Is Influencer Marketing Dying? The Stats, Experts, and Real Story
Nandini Tripathi
Nandini Tripathi
Nandini Tripathi
Nandini Tripathi
Content Marketer @impulze.ai
Sections
A few weeks ago, I reached out to several influencer marketing experts and DTC founders for a blog about what went wrong or went great with their campaigns.
What started as a discussion about growth campaigns quickly turned into something else — story after story about influencer collaborations that completely flopped.
One founder shared how they partnered with what seemed like a perfect fit — a lifestyle creator with over 600K followers, clean engagement, beautiful content, and an audience that seemed aligned.
They paid a solid fee, shipped out products, and waited.
The post went live.
And… nothing happened.
Not a spike in traffic. Not a single sale.
Just a handful of likes and some generic comments like “So cute 😍” and “Need this!”
They were left wondering:
Is influencer marketing even worth it anymore?
And honestly, I’ve heard/read variations of this story multiple times, from bootstrapped ecom founders to seven-figure brands.
So in this article, I won’t give you a yes-or-no answer right away.
What I will do is break down:
What are the myths and facts around influencer marketing being dead?
Is it really dying or just evolving?
What are the experts saying online?
And what the smartest DTC brands should do differently in 2025?
At the end, I’ll tell you what really went wrong with that influencer marketing campaign and what it taught me.
Let’s start from the top.
Myth vs. Reality: Is Influencer Marketing Actually Dying?
It’s not hard to find people declaring the death of influencer marketing. You see it everywhere – LinkedIn, Reddit, and YouTube:
And frankly, these doubts aren’t coming out of nowhere.
So why are people questioning it?
There are a few real reasons why influencer marketing is starting to look broken, especially to DTC brands:
Oversaturation of influencers.
Everyone’s an “influencer” now — from the girl next door to your Uber driver. It’s harder than ever to stand out or seem authentic when feeds are flooded with product promos.Mega influencers are losing power.
Celebrity creators once guaranteed reach. But now? Their content often feels like polished ads, and their engagement has dropped as audiences crave something more real.The Instagram algorithm has changed (again).
Even great content is struggling to reach followers organically. Unless it’s Reels or trending audio, static posts and stories rarely get the visibility they used to.Some campaigns are just poorly matched.
Brands keep partnering with creators based on vanity metrics — follower count, aesthetics — rather than audience quality, past performance, or buyer intent. The result? Nice posts, zero ROI.Audiences are tougher to impress:
People scroll past anything that feels too polished or pushy. Authenticity is everything now, and audiences can smell a forced plug from a mile away.Attribution is still a mess:
Many teams still lack the tools or setup to track results effectively. So even when a campaign works, it’s hard to prove.
So yes, the skepticism is real — and in some cases, totally valid.
But here’s the other side of the story.
What the data actually says
Despite the noise, influencer marketing is still very much alive — it’s just evolving.
1. Over 80% of marketers still find influencer marketing effective.
Over 80% of marketers still find influencer marketing effective, especially for brand awareness, engagement, and content creation.
Here’s why:
People trust people, not ads: Recommendations from real creators feel more personal and believable than brand promotions.
Engagement still beats traditional channels: Influencer posts often outperform display ads, brand content, and even email in terms of likes, shares, and saves.
Small budgets can still drive big ROI: Micro and nano influencers deliver strong results without the mega price tag, making influencer marketing one of the most cost-efficient strategies for DTC brands.
In fact, 67% of brands plan to increase their influencer budgets in 2025, not decrease them.
2. The ROI tells a different story.
On average, brands earn $6.50 for every $1 spent, with some campaigns reaching up to 11x ROI, outperforming almost every other digital channel.
That puts influencer marketing ahead of most digital channels in terms of return on investment, especially when you factor in the additional value of the content itself.
Here’s what many brands overlook:
You’re not just paying for reach, you’re getting reusable content: Influencer posts can be repurposed across paid ads, email, product pages, and landing pages. That alone increases their long-term value far beyond the initial campaign.
ROI compounds when paired with the right strategy: Brands that combine influencer campaigns with UGC ads, affiliate tracking, and retargeting strategies often see significantly better performance than when running standalone posts.
It’s a full-funnel asset: Influencer content drives awareness at the top, but also boosts mid-funnel consideration (via reviews and demos) and conversion (with discount codes and affiliate links). That layered impact is hard to replicate with paid ads alone.
3. The global influencer marketing market has more than tripled since 2020.
And this is not a hidden fact! Almost every industry expert knows this. Moreover, the industry in 2025 is expected to hit a record $33 billion in value.
That kind of growth doesn’t happen in a dying channel.
It’s a clear signal that brands — from startups to enterprises — are still betting big on influencer marketing. The difference?
They’re evolving how they approach it.
Even the places where we saw the discussion of influencer marketing’s death, people are sharing their experiences and noticing this shift.
What Do the Experts Say?
We’ve seen the Reddit threads, we’ve seen the LinkedIn hot takes, and we’ve also seen the hard numbers — 80%+ of marketers still backing it, billions being invested, and real ROI when done right.
But what about the people inside the industry?
The ones running campaigns, managing creators, allocating budgets, and actually seeing results (or failures) in real time?
To get a clearer picture, I looked at what founders, brand strategists, and growth marketers are saying across interviews, newsletters, conference panels, and candid posts.
Here’s what stood out.
Seasoned marketers aren’t panicking, they’re evolving. Many believe we’re not witnessing the death of influencer marketing, but a much-needed rebirth.
Sophie Miller, founder of Pretty Little Marketer and a well-known LinkedIn influencer, put it perfectly in a recent Instagram post:
“Posing with a BooTea box you’re never going to drink, and hauling 100 fast fashion items once a week doesn’t cut it anymore,” says Sophie.
Some believe influencer marketing may not work because brands don’t know how to utilize it well. They are still working with the wrong influencers or using the wrong tool.
One of our clients, Patrick McMullen, Founder of Inclusify Studio, The First Deaf Influencer Marketing Agency, recently wrote on LinkedIn why influencer marketing isn’t just surviving, it’s becoming more strategic than ever.
His take? It’s not the channel, it’s how you use it.
Manzoor Samad, co-founder of impulze.ai, also resonated with this fact and shared how DTC brands are moving to micro and nano-influencers to stay in the lead.
Lucy Birchel, Influencer Director, also said on a podcast with The Social Shepherd, “It’s not dead, but it’s bigger now as it has changed a lot in the way we work with creators now.”
The Verdict
At this point, you’ve seen both sides of the story. The skepticism, the stats, and the expert opinions. You’ve heard why people are questioning influencer marketing, and you’ve also seen the numbers that suggest something very different.
So here’s where I land on it.
Influencer marketing isn’t dying. But the old way is definitely not working anymore.
This isn’t the end of the channel. It’s just changing.
Think about what happened to SEO. When AI tools exploded, people started claiming SEO was over. But instead of disappearing, it evolved. It became smarter. It adapted to new tools, new habits, and new platforms. Influencer marketing is going through the same shift.
It’s no longer about celebrities holding products and reading from a script. It’s about creators who genuinely connect with their audience. It’s about real trust, not just reach.
The brands that are still winning with influencer marketing are the ones who’ve changed how they play the game. They work with creators whose audience actually cares about their product. They track real engagement, not just likes. And they give creators room to be themselves, because that’s what people respond to.
When all of that clicks together — the right audience, the right story, the right platform — influencer content drives growth, builds credibility, and it converts.
And for DTC brands, where trust and community are everything, that kind of impact is hard to beat.
But here’s the thing. You can’t rely on what worked two years ago. The landscape is different now.
So the question isn’t whether influencer marketing still works. It’s how you make it work for you in 2025.
Let’s look at that next.
What’s Working in 2025?
The brands that still see consistent results with influencer marketing aren’t following old playbooks. They’ve shifted how they approach creators, content, and campaigns — and the payoff is clear.
Here’s what’s actually working right now:
1. Micro and Nano-Influencers Are Doing the Heavy Lifting
This is last year’s strategy, but it is still working great. In fact, micro-influencers account for 47.3% of all creators, making them the largest and most influential group in the content creation space.
Micro and nano creators are delivering better results than most celebrity names. On TikTok, micro-influencers average 18% engagement, compared to just 5% for larger accounts. It’s not even close.
Why does it work? These creators feel like peers, not celebrities. Their recommendations come across as genuine, not transactional.
A great example: Glow Recipe, the skincare brand, scaled their awareness in Gen Z circles by partnering with TikTok creators under 30K followers.
Instead of polished tutorials, the content was raw, funny, and relatable; and it drove a measurable lift in TikTok Shop sales.
For DTC brands especially, this type of creator offers the best mix of affordability, trust, and reach.
2. Authenticity and "Deinfluencing" Are Turning Heads
Consumers have gotten smarter. They can spot a forced promotion or templated #ad in seconds.
In 2025, what’s winning attention is honesty even when it’s not perfect.
We’ve entered the deinfluencing era, where creators now tell you what not to buy. And surprisingly, that honesty builds even more trust for the brands they do recommend.
One creator, @skincarebyhyram, gained massive traction by calling out unnecessary skincare trends but also spotlighted products that actually worked. When he recommended brands like CeraVe and The Ordinary, users listened.
For brands, this means letting go of tight scripts and letting creators speak honestly. When influencers act like humans, not billboards, the results follow.
3. Creators Are Becoming Collaborators, Not Just Megaphones
A paid post once felt like the finish line. Today, it's just the beginning.
More brands are now involving creators in exclusive drops, product development, and long-term content series. This goes beyond one-off promotions and into true collaboration.
One standout example? Oreo partnered with fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni to launch a limited-edition cookie featuring her signature eye logo and pastel aesthetic. It wasn’t just a repackaged product — it felt like a real crossover moment between pop culture and snacking. The collab quickly sold out, sparked a wave of UGC on Instagram, and earned Oreo both media buzz and cultural cachet far beyond the grocery aisle.
These kinds of partnerships feel less like ads and more like community movements.
4. Community-First, Not Campaign-First
Influence is no longer just about numbers. It’s about who those followers are and where they hang out. DTC brands are moving away from chasing reach and instead focusing on creator-led communities.
Think:
Niche newsletters with 10K high-intent subscribers
Private Discord groups built around specific interests (e.g., fitness routines, journaling, skincare)
Slack communities or Notion-based memberships with loyal contributors
Example: Notion grew its audience not through top-tier influencers, but by empowering micro-creators and template-makers within productivity communities. These creators didn’t just promote the tool, they built with it.
Instead of hiring for attention, brands are now hiring for trust inside communities that already exist.
5. Tech and Tools Are Making Campaigns Smarter
This year, we're seeing an uptick in how DTC brands use automation and AI to improve performance, not replace creativity, but scale it better.
Let’s break it down:
Influencer search tools now go beyond follower counts. They scan bios, captions, audience locations, and even tone of voice.
Brief generators help brands create aligned campaign docs based on goals, not guesswork.
Performance tracking through UTM links and auto-generated reports means you know what’s working in real time, not weeks later.
Some brands are even experimenting with CGI influencers or AI avatars like TikTok’s Symphony project for product demos and multi-language content. While still early-stage, it’s gaining traction in fashion, tech, and skincare sectors targeting Gen Z.
At the same time, tools like Impulze help brands automate outreach and manage creator relationships without spreadsheets or manual follow-ups.
The future isn’t creator or AI. It’s both — used strategically.
6. UGC and Creator Content Are Fueling Retargeting Funnels
One of the smartest things DTC marketers are doing in 2025?
Using influencer content beyond the feed.
They’re taking UGC, turning it into TikTok-style Spark Ads, adding it to product pages as social proof, and embedding short videos in their email flows.
A brand like Jones Road Beauty does this flawlessly. Their founder Bobbi Brown reposts real customer reactions and creator reviews across all channels and retargets shoppers with this content instead of traditional ad creatives.
It keeps CAC lower, lifts conversion, and gives campaigns a longer life.
7. B2B and Creator-Led Distribution Are Merging
Influencer marketing isn’t just for consumer goods anymore. We’re seeing B2B and SaaS companies tap into LinkedIn creators, podcast hosts, and newsletter operators to build credibility with niche audiences.
Example: Beehiiv partnered with newsletter creators to promote their platform. These weren’t generic promos. They included detailed tutorials, behind-the-scenes reviews, and personalized onboarding experiences. This gave potential users both education and social proof.
As the line between content creator and expert blurs, brands that treat creators as educators and community leaders will stay ahead.
What Smart DTC Brands Are Doing in 2025 — And What You Should Too
A quick cheat sheet to help you stop wasting budget and start building campaigns that actually convert:
What Not to Do (If You Actually Want Influencer Marketing to Work)
Remember that DTC brand I mentioned at the start — the one that partnered with the “perfect” influencer and still saw zero impact?
Here’s what really went wrong: they never looked into who was actually following that creator.
The influencer had clean engagement, stunning content, and a solid following. But the audience? Mostly teenagers and beauty enthusiasts. The brand was selling wellness supplements for working moms. It was a total mismatch.
The creator wasn’t the problem. The targeting was.
Mistakes like this are painfully common but also completely avoidable.
So, before you spend another dollar and say influencer marketing doesn’t work, here’s what not to do when running influencer campaigns in 2025:
1. Don’t chase vanity metrics
Follower count is not a strategy.
A creator with 30,000 engaged followers can drive way more results than one with 3 million passive scrollers. Avoid judging based on numbers alone — dig into audience demographics, past brand work, and comment quality.
✅ Instead: Prioritize engagement rate, audience relevance, and authenticity over inflated reach.
2. Don’t skip audience alignment
Even the most beautiful content will flop if it lands in front of the wrong crowd.
Just because a creator fits your aesthetic doesn’t mean their audience cares about your product category.
✅ Instead: Always ask — does this creator’s audience actually buy products like mine?
3. Don’t treat influencer marketing like a one-off ad
Influencers aren’t billboards. If you’re handing them a fixed script or creative brief that strips away their voice, it shows and audiences scroll past.
✅ Instead: Give creators the freedom to share your brand in their own tone and style. That’s where trust lives.
4. Don’t ignore platform nuances
What works on Instagram won’t necessarily work on TikTok. A static image on Threads won’t carry the same impact as a short, high-energy video on Reels. Treating all platforms the same is a missed opportunity.
✅ Instead: Tailor campaigns to platform strengths. Use Reels and TikTok for virality. Leverage LinkedIn for B2B. Go live for deeper engagement.
5. Don’t forget attribution and tracking
One of the biggest mistakes? Running a campaign and then having no idea whether it actually worked. Without UTM codes, affiliate links, discount codes, or analytics in place, you’re flying blind.
✅ Instead: Always plan for measurement. Set clear KPIs and equip creators with the tools to help you track performance.
6. Don’t assume more money = better results
Big budgets don’t guarantee impact. Some of the most effective campaigns come from micro-influencers with niche audiences and strong product fit.
✅ Instead: Test small, iterate fast, and scale what works.
Want to see more real-life influencer marketing mistakes and how to avoid them? Check this blog.
Ready to Do Influencer Marketing the Right Way?
After writing this piece, I’ve realized the problem isn’t influencer marketing. It’s how brands are approaching it.
The strategies that worked even a year ago aren’t always holding up today. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up on creators. It means it’s time to adapt.
If you’re a DTC brand trying to figure out what “works” now, my honest advice? Start small. Work with creators whose audience actually overlaps with your buyers. Test content, track results, and treat creators like partners, not ad slots.
And if you need a tool to simplify that process — discovery, outreach, tracking — use Impulze for that. It’s not the only way to get results, but it helps avoid the usual campaign chaos. Create a free account now to see if it's a good fit for you.
Remember, influencer marketing still works. But only when it’s done with care, not copy-paste playbooks.
A few weeks ago, I reached out to several influencer marketing experts and DTC founders for a blog about what went wrong or went great with their campaigns.
What started as a discussion about growth campaigns quickly turned into something else — story after story about influencer collaborations that completely flopped.
One founder shared how they partnered with what seemed like a perfect fit — a lifestyle creator with over 600K followers, clean engagement, beautiful content, and an audience that seemed aligned.
They paid a solid fee, shipped out products, and waited.
The post went live.
And… nothing happened.
Not a spike in traffic. Not a single sale.
Just a handful of likes and some generic comments like “So cute 😍” and “Need this!”
They were left wondering:
Is influencer marketing even worth it anymore?
And honestly, I’ve heard/read variations of this story multiple times, from bootstrapped ecom founders to seven-figure brands.
So in this article, I won’t give you a yes-or-no answer right away.
What I will do is break down:
What are the myths and facts around influencer marketing being dead?
Is it really dying or just evolving?
What are the experts saying online?
And what the smartest DTC brands should do differently in 2025?
At the end, I’ll tell you what really went wrong with that influencer marketing campaign and what it taught me.
Let’s start from the top.
Myth vs. Reality: Is Influencer Marketing Actually Dying?
It’s not hard to find people declaring the death of influencer marketing. You see it everywhere – LinkedIn, Reddit, and YouTube:
And frankly, these doubts aren’t coming out of nowhere.
So why are people questioning it?
There are a few real reasons why influencer marketing is starting to look broken, especially to DTC brands:
Oversaturation of influencers.
Everyone’s an “influencer” now — from the girl next door to your Uber driver. It’s harder than ever to stand out or seem authentic when feeds are flooded with product promos.Mega influencers are losing power.
Celebrity creators once guaranteed reach. But now? Their content often feels like polished ads, and their engagement has dropped as audiences crave something more real.The Instagram algorithm has changed (again).
Even great content is struggling to reach followers organically. Unless it’s Reels or trending audio, static posts and stories rarely get the visibility they used to.Some campaigns are just poorly matched.
Brands keep partnering with creators based on vanity metrics — follower count, aesthetics — rather than audience quality, past performance, or buyer intent. The result? Nice posts, zero ROI.Audiences are tougher to impress:
People scroll past anything that feels too polished or pushy. Authenticity is everything now, and audiences can smell a forced plug from a mile away.Attribution is still a mess:
Many teams still lack the tools or setup to track results effectively. So even when a campaign works, it’s hard to prove.
So yes, the skepticism is real — and in some cases, totally valid.
But here’s the other side of the story.
What the data actually says
Despite the noise, influencer marketing is still very much alive — it’s just evolving.
1. Over 80% of marketers still find influencer marketing effective.
Over 80% of marketers still find influencer marketing effective, especially for brand awareness, engagement, and content creation.
Here’s why:
People trust people, not ads: Recommendations from real creators feel more personal and believable than brand promotions.
Engagement still beats traditional channels: Influencer posts often outperform display ads, brand content, and even email in terms of likes, shares, and saves.
Small budgets can still drive big ROI: Micro and nano influencers deliver strong results without the mega price tag, making influencer marketing one of the most cost-efficient strategies for DTC brands.
In fact, 67% of brands plan to increase their influencer budgets in 2025, not decrease them.
2. The ROI tells a different story.
On average, brands earn $6.50 for every $1 spent, with some campaigns reaching up to 11x ROI, outperforming almost every other digital channel.
That puts influencer marketing ahead of most digital channels in terms of return on investment, especially when you factor in the additional value of the content itself.
Here’s what many brands overlook:
You’re not just paying for reach, you’re getting reusable content: Influencer posts can be repurposed across paid ads, email, product pages, and landing pages. That alone increases their long-term value far beyond the initial campaign.
ROI compounds when paired with the right strategy: Brands that combine influencer campaigns with UGC ads, affiliate tracking, and retargeting strategies often see significantly better performance than when running standalone posts.
It’s a full-funnel asset: Influencer content drives awareness at the top, but also boosts mid-funnel consideration (via reviews and demos) and conversion (with discount codes and affiliate links). That layered impact is hard to replicate with paid ads alone.
3. The global influencer marketing market has more than tripled since 2020.
And this is not a hidden fact! Almost every industry expert knows this. Moreover, the industry in 2025 is expected to hit a record $33 billion in value.
That kind of growth doesn’t happen in a dying channel.
It’s a clear signal that brands — from startups to enterprises — are still betting big on influencer marketing. The difference?
They’re evolving how they approach it.
Even the places where we saw the discussion of influencer marketing’s death, people are sharing their experiences and noticing this shift.
What Do the Experts Say?
We’ve seen the Reddit threads, we’ve seen the LinkedIn hot takes, and we’ve also seen the hard numbers — 80%+ of marketers still backing it, billions being invested, and real ROI when done right.
But what about the people inside the industry?
The ones running campaigns, managing creators, allocating budgets, and actually seeing results (or failures) in real time?
To get a clearer picture, I looked at what founders, brand strategists, and growth marketers are saying across interviews, newsletters, conference panels, and candid posts.
Here’s what stood out.
Seasoned marketers aren’t panicking, they’re evolving. Many believe we’re not witnessing the death of influencer marketing, but a much-needed rebirth.
Sophie Miller, founder of Pretty Little Marketer and a well-known LinkedIn influencer, put it perfectly in a recent Instagram post:
“Posing with a BooTea box you’re never going to drink, and hauling 100 fast fashion items once a week doesn’t cut it anymore,” says Sophie.
Some believe influencer marketing may not work because brands don’t know how to utilize it well. They are still working with the wrong influencers or using the wrong tool.
One of our clients, Patrick McMullen, Founder of Inclusify Studio, The First Deaf Influencer Marketing Agency, recently wrote on LinkedIn why influencer marketing isn’t just surviving, it’s becoming more strategic than ever.
His take? It’s not the channel, it’s how you use it.
Manzoor Samad, co-founder of impulze.ai, also resonated with this fact and shared how DTC brands are moving to micro and nano-influencers to stay in the lead.
Lucy Birchel, Influencer Director, also said on a podcast with The Social Shepherd, “It’s not dead, but it’s bigger now as it has changed a lot in the way we work with creators now.”
The Verdict
At this point, you’ve seen both sides of the story. The skepticism, the stats, and the expert opinions. You’ve heard why people are questioning influencer marketing, and you’ve also seen the numbers that suggest something very different.
So here’s where I land on it.
Influencer marketing isn’t dying. But the old way is definitely not working anymore.
This isn’t the end of the channel. It’s just changing.
Think about what happened to SEO. When AI tools exploded, people started claiming SEO was over. But instead of disappearing, it evolved. It became smarter. It adapted to new tools, new habits, and new platforms. Influencer marketing is going through the same shift.
It’s no longer about celebrities holding products and reading from a script. It’s about creators who genuinely connect with their audience. It’s about real trust, not just reach.
The brands that are still winning with influencer marketing are the ones who’ve changed how they play the game. They work with creators whose audience actually cares about their product. They track real engagement, not just likes. And they give creators room to be themselves, because that’s what people respond to.
When all of that clicks together — the right audience, the right story, the right platform — influencer content drives growth, builds credibility, and it converts.
And for DTC brands, where trust and community are everything, that kind of impact is hard to beat.
But here’s the thing. You can’t rely on what worked two years ago. The landscape is different now.
So the question isn’t whether influencer marketing still works. It’s how you make it work for you in 2025.
Let’s look at that next.
What’s Working in 2025?
The brands that still see consistent results with influencer marketing aren’t following old playbooks. They’ve shifted how they approach creators, content, and campaigns — and the payoff is clear.
Here’s what’s actually working right now:
1. Micro and Nano-Influencers Are Doing the Heavy Lifting
This is last year’s strategy, but it is still working great. In fact, micro-influencers account for 47.3% of all creators, making them the largest and most influential group in the content creation space.
Micro and nano creators are delivering better results than most celebrity names. On TikTok, micro-influencers average 18% engagement, compared to just 5% for larger accounts. It’s not even close.
Why does it work? These creators feel like peers, not celebrities. Their recommendations come across as genuine, not transactional.
A great example: Glow Recipe, the skincare brand, scaled their awareness in Gen Z circles by partnering with TikTok creators under 30K followers.
Instead of polished tutorials, the content was raw, funny, and relatable; and it drove a measurable lift in TikTok Shop sales.
For DTC brands especially, this type of creator offers the best mix of affordability, trust, and reach.
2. Authenticity and "Deinfluencing" Are Turning Heads
Consumers have gotten smarter. They can spot a forced promotion or templated #ad in seconds.
In 2025, what’s winning attention is honesty even when it’s not perfect.
We’ve entered the deinfluencing era, where creators now tell you what not to buy. And surprisingly, that honesty builds even more trust for the brands they do recommend.
One creator, @skincarebyhyram, gained massive traction by calling out unnecessary skincare trends but also spotlighted products that actually worked. When he recommended brands like CeraVe and The Ordinary, users listened.
For brands, this means letting go of tight scripts and letting creators speak honestly. When influencers act like humans, not billboards, the results follow.
3. Creators Are Becoming Collaborators, Not Just Megaphones
A paid post once felt like the finish line. Today, it's just the beginning.
More brands are now involving creators in exclusive drops, product development, and long-term content series. This goes beyond one-off promotions and into true collaboration.
One standout example? Oreo partnered with fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni to launch a limited-edition cookie featuring her signature eye logo and pastel aesthetic. It wasn’t just a repackaged product — it felt like a real crossover moment between pop culture and snacking. The collab quickly sold out, sparked a wave of UGC on Instagram, and earned Oreo both media buzz and cultural cachet far beyond the grocery aisle.
These kinds of partnerships feel less like ads and more like community movements.
4. Community-First, Not Campaign-First
Influence is no longer just about numbers. It’s about who those followers are and where they hang out. DTC brands are moving away from chasing reach and instead focusing on creator-led communities.
Think:
Niche newsletters with 10K high-intent subscribers
Private Discord groups built around specific interests (e.g., fitness routines, journaling, skincare)
Slack communities or Notion-based memberships with loyal contributors
Example: Notion grew its audience not through top-tier influencers, but by empowering micro-creators and template-makers within productivity communities. These creators didn’t just promote the tool, they built with it.
Instead of hiring for attention, brands are now hiring for trust inside communities that already exist.
5. Tech and Tools Are Making Campaigns Smarter
This year, we're seeing an uptick in how DTC brands use automation and AI to improve performance, not replace creativity, but scale it better.
Let’s break it down:
Influencer search tools now go beyond follower counts. They scan bios, captions, audience locations, and even tone of voice.
Brief generators help brands create aligned campaign docs based on goals, not guesswork.
Performance tracking through UTM links and auto-generated reports means you know what’s working in real time, not weeks later.
Some brands are even experimenting with CGI influencers or AI avatars like TikTok’s Symphony project for product demos and multi-language content. While still early-stage, it’s gaining traction in fashion, tech, and skincare sectors targeting Gen Z.
At the same time, tools like Impulze help brands automate outreach and manage creator relationships without spreadsheets or manual follow-ups.
The future isn’t creator or AI. It’s both — used strategically.
6. UGC and Creator Content Are Fueling Retargeting Funnels
One of the smartest things DTC marketers are doing in 2025?
Using influencer content beyond the feed.
They’re taking UGC, turning it into TikTok-style Spark Ads, adding it to product pages as social proof, and embedding short videos in their email flows.
A brand like Jones Road Beauty does this flawlessly. Their founder Bobbi Brown reposts real customer reactions and creator reviews across all channels and retargets shoppers with this content instead of traditional ad creatives.
It keeps CAC lower, lifts conversion, and gives campaigns a longer life.
7. B2B and Creator-Led Distribution Are Merging
Influencer marketing isn’t just for consumer goods anymore. We’re seeing B2B and SaaS companies tap into LinkedIn creators, podcast hosts, and newsletter operators to build credibility with niche audiences.
Example: Beehiiv partnered with newsletter creators to promote their platform. These weren’t generic promos. They included detailed tutorials, behind-the-scenes reviews, and personalized onboarding experiences. This gave potential users both education and social proof.
As the line between content creator and expert blurs, brands that treat creators as educators and community leaders will stay ahead.
What Smart DTC Brands Are Doing in 2025 — And What You Should Too
A quick cheat sheet to help you stop wasting budget and start building campaigns that actually convert:
What Not to Do (If You Actually Want Influencer Marketing to Work)
Remember that DTC brand I mentioned at the start — the one that partnered with the “perfect” influencer and still saw zero impact?
Here’s what really went wrong: they never looked into who was actually following that creator.
The influencer had clean engagement, stunning content, and a solid following. But the audience? Mostly teenagers and beauty enthusiasts. The brand was selling wellness supplements for working moms. It was a total mismatch.
The creator wasn’t the problem. The targeting was.
Mistakes like this are painfully common but also completely avoidable.
So, before you spend another dollar and say influencer marketing doesn’t work, here’s what not to do when running influencer campaigns in 2025:
1. Don’t chase vanity metrics
Follower count is not a strategy.
A creator with 30,000 engaged followers can drive way more results than one with 3 million passive scrollers. Avoid judging based on numbers alone — dig into audience demographics, past brand work, and comment quality.
✅ Instead: Prioritize engagement rate, audience relevance, and authenticity over inflated reach.
2. Don’t skip audience alignment
Even the most beautiful content will flop if it lands in front of the wrong crowd.
Just because a creator fits your aesthetic doesn’t mean their audience cares about your product category.
✅ Instead: Always ask — does this creator’s audience actually buy products like mine?
3. Don’t treat influencer marketing like a one-off ad
Influencers aren’t billboards. If you’re handing them a fixed script or creative brief that strips away their voice, it shows and audiences scroll past.
✅ Instead: Give creators the freedom to share your brand in their own tone and style. That’s where trust lives.
4. Don’t ignore platform nuances
What works on Instagram won’t necessarily work on TikTok. A static image on Threads won’t carry the same impact as a short, high-energy video on Reels. Treating all platforms the same is a missed opportunity.
✅ Instead: Tailor campaigns to platform strengths. Use Reels and TikTok for virality. Leverage LinkedIn for B2B. Go live for deeper engagement.
5. Don’t forget attribution and tracking
One of the biggest mistakes? Running a campaign and then having no idea whether it actually worked. Without UTM codes, affiliate links, discount codes, or analytics in place, you’re flying blind.
✅ Instead: Always plan for measurement. Set clear KPIs and equip creators with the tools to help you track performance.
6. Don’t assume more money = better results
Big budgets don’t guarantee impact. Some of the most effective campaigns come from micro-influencers with niche audiences and strong product fit.
✅ Instead: Test small, iterate fast, and scale what works.
Want to see more real-life influencer marketing mistakes and how to avoid them? Check this blog.
Ready to Do Influencer Marketing the Right Way?
After writing this piece, I’ve realized the problem isn’t influencer marketing. It’s how brands are approaching it.
The strategies that worked even a year ago aren’t always holding up today. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up on creators. It means it’s time to adapt.
If you’re a DTC brand trying to figure out what “works” now, my honest advice? Start small. Work with creators whose audience actually overlaps with your buyers. Test content, track results, and treat creators like partners, not ad slots.
And if you need a tool to simplify that process — discovery, outreach, tracking — use Impulze for that. It’s not the only way to get results, but it helps avoid the usual campaign chaos. Create a free account now to see if it's a good fit for you.
Remember, influencer marketing still works. But only when it’s done with care, not copy-paste playbooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the influencer era dead?
Is the influencer era dead?
Is the influencer era dead?
Are there free influencer marketing tools?
Are there free influencer marketing tools?
Are there free influencer marketing tools?
Is influencer marketing effective?
Is influencer marketing effective?
Is influencer marketing effective?
Is influencer marketing still worth it for small DTC brands?
Is influencer marketing still worth it for small DTC brands?
Is influencer marketing still worth it for small DTC brands?
How do I know if an influencer's audience actually matches my product?
How do I know if an influencer's audience actually matches my product?
How do I know if an influencer's audience actually matches my product?
Why do some influencer campaigns get zero results?
Why do some influencer campaigns get zero results?
Why do some influencer campaigns get zero results?
Are Instagram influencers still effective in 2025?
Are Instagram influencers still effective in 2025?
Are Instagram influencers still effective in 2025?
What’s the difference between influencer content and user-generated content?
What’s the difference between influencer content and user-generated content?
What’s the difference between influencer content and user-generated content?
Author Bio
Author Bio
Nandini Tripathi
Nandini Tripathi
Hey! I’m Nandini, a content writer who turns brand blah into brand ta-da! I write words that work and turn ideas into content that sounds good, feels right, and actually gets read.
Hey! I’m Nandini, a content writer who turns brand blah into brand ta-da! I write words that work and turn ideas into content that sounds good, feels right, and actually gets read.
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Join over 15000+ SocialiQ users who have installed this free Chrome extension to search, analyze, save, and contact influencers directly on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
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Join over 15000+ SocialiQ users who have installed this free Chrome extension to search, analyze, save, and contact influencers directly on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
20K+ Active Users
May be Later
Join over 15000+ SocialiQ users who have installed this free Chrome extension to search, analyze, save, and contact influencers directly on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
20K+ Active Users
May be Later