The effectiveness of large-scale influencer marketing is waning as audiences recognize inauthentic paid promotions. A better strategy is to identify smaller creators, or 'trust brokers,' with high engagement and genuine community trust. Focus on building real, long-term, mutually beneficial relationships rather than transactional one-off posts.

True influence in niche communities often lies with respected experts who lack a large social media presence. Building relationships with these 'invisible influencers,' like dedicated ski bums, by providing free products can generate powerful, authentic word-of-mouth credibility.

Forcing brand messaging on an influencer leads to inauthentic content that fails to resonate. A better approach is to educate them on your product and collaborate on an angle that aligns with their established voice and topics. Authenticity drives distribution and engagement, making the partnership more effective than a boilerplate promotion.

Gymshark's initial influencer success wasn't a calculated campaign. It was born from genuine fandom; they sent products to YouTubers they personally admired. This authentic, non-transactional approach built real community trust long before influencer marketing became a formalized, paid industry.

To achieve authentic, word-of-mouth growth, Olipop's social media strategy intentionally relies on real customers. A full 70% of its content creators are first-timers, not professional influencers. This ensures the brand's messaging feels genuine and resonates with its audience, fostering high brand affinity.

To achieve authentic endorsements, brands must simulate a long-term relationship before a big deal. This involves seeding product, buying smaller media like podcast ad reads, and confirming genuine usage first. This manufactured history makes the eventual large-scale partnership believable to the creator's audience, as it doesn't appear out of nowhere.

To achieve genuine endorsements, brands must trust creators. Instead of providing rigid scripts, give them key message points and the freedom to tell the story in their own voice. This creative liberty results in more authentic advertising that resonates with the creator's audience.

Co-founder Sarah Foster reveals that micro-influencers with authentic, engaged audiences have been far more effective at driving sales than celebrities with millions of followers. This highlights the superior ROI of niche creators who have built genuine trust within their communities, proving reach doesn't always equal results.

Digitas CEO Amy Lanzi avoids the term "influencer" because it implies a transactional ad buy that audiences reject. Instead, she advocates treating "creators" as a "brand's best friend." They should be integrated into the marketing org to co-create authentically and use their community to feed the product development pipeline.