For something that delivers nearly $6 for every $1 spent, influencer marketing still gets treated like a side experiment. 

A test budget. A “social thing.” A box to check.  

But influencer marketing isn’t new, and it isn’t just about content. It’s a trust strategy, and in today’s oversaturated media landscape, trust is what moves people. 

Here are five things I still see brands get wrong when it comes to influencer marketing. 

1. They chase followers instead of credibility and culture

It’s easy to be impressed by a big number. But follower count is no longer the north star of influencer marketing. Social media is transitioning from followership to interest-based algorithms — think your TikTok FYP being customized to your personal interests. All social media platforms are following suit.  

With this evolution, the best influencer campaigns are centered on credible creators or cultural momentum. 

Some of the strongest results we see come from creators whose content is specific. Take our work with the Oklahoma State Department of Health on their Skip the Flu campaign — partnering with local mom Erin Miller Thiessen, who’s a micro influencer with 20.4K followers (you can see her videos here and here), helped us reach other Oklahoma moms, even those not following her.   

As for culture, it happens fast. So, partnerships should be quick and relevant to catch on to the momentum — like when our teammate agency Honeymoon partnered with “Love Is Blind” star Megan Walerius to lean into the protein drama with Honey Bunches of Oats’ new protein cereal.  

Ultimately, the question shouldn’t be “How big is their following?” It should be “Will this partner influence our brand credibility or cultural impact?” 

2. They treat influencer content like it only lives on Instagram 

Influence is not confined to one platform. It lives wherever expertise and audiences intersect.  

Partnerships can, and should be, inclusive of new and emerging platforms. Think: Substack (blog nostalgia!), YouTube long-form videos or “commercial breaks”, LinkedIn, Pinterest and even Reddit. 

And the craziest, most out-of-the-box platform yet… IRL activations to share real, lived experiences.  

The deeper the storytelling across platforms, the higher the trust.   

3. They optimize for impressions instead of behavior 

Awareness matters, but it shouldn’t be the only end goal with influencers.  

Performance measurement has a place in influencer marketing, and rising tech in the space is helping us bridge the gap between a simple brand campaign and performance-powered campaigns.  

For example, Gen Z consumers commonly make purchases directly from influencers. That means influencer marketing is not just about exposure. It’s about influence over real buying decisions, especially in simplified e-commerce landscapes like TikTok shop and live shopping.  

If a campaign is not designed for a final behavior or action, it’s leaving value on the table. Influencer efforts should be tied to clear business objectives, and, where possible, integrated into paid, retail and owned strategies. They shouldn’t operate in isolation. 

4. They over-script the partnership

Trust is powerful. It’s also fragile. 

We can tell when something feels forced, like when every word in a video sounds like it came from a brand deck or when a partnership doesn’t align naturally. 

The strongest programs balance clear guardrails and brand inspiration with creative freedom (check out Honeymoon’s partnership with Post Cereals and viral TikToker Courtney Cook). They’re built on mutual value and long-term thinking, not one-off transactions. 

5. They underestimate its business impact

Influencer marketing can drive launches, support retail sell-in, elevate B2B voices and even help solve content production challenges. 

Smart agreements secure usage rights to creator content, building a library of authentic assets that often outperform traditional creative at a lower development cost. This was the case when we worked with Honeymoon and Kibbles n’ Bits on an influencer campaign, in which the content (examples here and here) outperformed branded ads significantly in terms of click-through and engagement rates. 

In some cases, partnerships evolve beyond campaigns into deeper collaboration, like Whitney Simmons’ collab with Gymshark or Jake Shane becoming the Chief Creative Officer for German candy company Katjes. Influence, when aligned properly, becomes a growth lever, not just a marketing tactic. 

When treated strategically, influencer marketing is not extra. It’s foundational, because growth follows trust, and trust is built through people.