The New Era of Influencer Marketing

Once known for its celebrity endorsements, hazy regulation, and undisclosed sponsorships, a new era is bringing a much more level playing field to the influencer space, making it a no-brainer for advertisers of all sizes.   

Awin’s influencer experts Ellie Davies and Jessica Marshall unpacked the latest developments brands need to know in a live session with Marketing Week’s Amrit Verdi. 

Today, we recap the lessons from the webinar and answer some of the burning questions the audience had for the team. From measurement and rewards, to creator engagement and the power of User Generated Content (UGC) – the team cover it all to explain what the new era of influencer marketing really looks like.  

Four lessons from the new influencer rulebook  

1. Zoom in to stand out  

Some of the world’s biggest celebrities still earn millions from influencer marketing, but as brands increasingly prioritize engagement over reach many are rethinking their choice of creators.  

Many advertisers are turning toward ‘nano’ and ‘micro’ influencers (<10,000 followers), whose deeply invested audiences make it easier to create high-converting content.  

The numbers support this trend: a study shared by the data consultancy firm Magic Numbers shows creators with 5,000 followers delivering an average of 18:1 ROI, far exceeding the 5:1 managed by those with 160,000 followers. 

For their cost-effectiveness, resonance, and authenticity, niche creators are proving there's more to a partner than follower counts.  

2. Recruit locally. Scale globally. 

Part of the same move from mass reach, to meaningful relevance has seen brands rushing to find creators in their target markets who can make an impact where it matters most. 

Global superstars will always have their place. But when it comes to launching in new markets or winning share of voice in existing ones, the trustworthiness of locally recognized influencers can help to build or reposition a brand quicker than most channels. 

Even enterprise brands are following this rule. In fact, a driver of Unilever’s headline-grabbing decision to allocate 50% of its total ad budget to a social-first strategy was to partner with 20x more creators in order to improve its trust in key markets.  

“There are 19,000 zip codes in India. There are 5,764 municipalities in Brazil. I want one influencer in each of them.” 

Fernando Fernandez, CEO, Unilever  

3. Accountability and ROI are essentials 

In addition to becoming more professional, accessible, and scalable, influencer marketing is also becoming a far more measurable pursuit. 

Bloomberg reports that influencer marketing spend is projected to grow by 36% to $33 billion in 2025. But as the budgets expand, so too has the demand for a solid return on investment.  

Brands are under increasing pressure to prove the effectiveness of their influencer partnerships despite 43% reporting difficulties measuring creator ROI.   

“The biggest pushback from CFOs boils down to ‘Show me the ROI’. CFOs have become much more pointed in asking how campaigns translate into revenue.” 

Nick Tran, CMO, Farfetch

Still, as an increasing number of brands have proved, influencer marketing can be measured when it’s run via performance-based platforms like Awin’s. With the right tracking, commissioning models and reporting in place, this type of activity can be anchored to real business results. 

Three of our favorite recent success stories on Awin’s platform tell the same tale of paying creators not on a flat rate, but on performance, and generating tangible outcomes:   

• Home décor brand McGee & Co. increased its influencer revenue by +300% after launching a sales-focused commission model through Awin’s integration with influencer management solution CreatorIQ.  
• Challenger eyewear brand Tomahawk Shades used the cost per acquisition (CPA) model to facilitate a high-performing partnership with golf’s no.1 influencer.  
• Stanley capitalized on the hype surrounding its Quencher cup by using the affiliate channel to recruit and commission influencers, leading to a +105% boost in social revenue.  

These stories are a far cry from the nightmare-inducing accounts of brands ploughing millions of dollars into high profile influencer campaigns with zero attempt to measure ROI beyond a cursory glance at their followers.  

They also reflect growing buy-in from creators. At Awin, we’re seeing more quality creators than ever join the platform, drawn by features we offer like automated payouts, centralized reporting, and attractive commission rates. For influencers, affiliate marketing is becoming a scalable and reliable revenue stream – making Awin an ideal place for brands to find their next collaboration.  

4. Be the brand they believe 

As public trust in institutions ranging from governments to big tech declines, everyday voices on social platforms have become this generation’s source of truth.  

According to Edelman’s annual Trust Barometer, Gen Z (aged 18-27) currently represents 40% of the global consumer market and is more likely to trust a brand based on an influencer recommendation.

To be recommended though, means recruiting the right partners for the right reasons. Alignment between your brand, the influencer and their audience is critical. Authenticity is the currency of this new era and nothing has the potential to undermine an influencer’s credibility than an awkward fitting collaboration with an irrelevant brand. That’s why Awin’s partnership with expert creator platforms like Metapic, CreatorIQ and many others enable brands to find exactly the right influencers for their specific campaigns.  

FAQs about the new era of influencer marketing 

When Awin and Marketing Week presented a view of the new rules for influencer marketing in our webinar, there was no shortage of questions. From the implications for measurement, to creator recruitment, management, and more.  

Below, we run through the best advice and answers from Awin’s influencer experts, Ellie and Jessica. 

“Is there a method to finding nano influencers who represent a demographic you’re trying to target?” 

Ellie: “We [Awin] work with a lot of influencer SaaS platforms as well as our own… We can get really niche… We previously worked on a campaign with a shoe brand that was looking to find micro and nano influencers who had spoken about their star signs. You can get super niche and deep into the types of creators that you want to work with.” 

“What kind of KPIs are the creators measured on? 

Jessica: “We've had advertisers pay upfront fees, use gifting, and also pay a commission. We have worked on other campaigns where it is commission only, so those influencers are only getting commission when they've actually been rewarded for a sale. You're not investing too much with that setup… It ultimately depends on the type of influencers you're working with. Typically, we find bigger creators are looking for fixed fees, whereas nano influencers might be more amenable to a commission-based partnership.” 

Ellie: “We've actually had some brands reach out about having a blended affiliate and tenancy payment. They've set a target of an influencer earning £100 in commission. If they don't earn £100, we will pay them £100, but maybe they've earned £70 and the brand will top them up for £30.” 

Jessica: “A tiered system with commission is really beneficial. It could be as simple as starting influencers off at 10% commission [of price generated by sale]. Once they hit their targets, however, we can move them to 15-20%. The tiered system makes sure that your budget is in the right place. 

“What kind of metrics would you suggest for measuring brand awareness?” 

Jessica: “Impressions are important. Make sure you're targeting a specific amount... Saves as well. People will see an ad or a product a couple of times before they actually make that purchase. Saves are important because they show people are digesting that information; it's maybe something they want to return back to, like a product on their wish list. Comments as well… People asking where that influencer has got a product from, are they asking sizing questions, are they asking their opinion on the material?” 

Ellie: “Another thing we looked at with a specific brand was the amount of followers that they and the influencer had at the start of the campaign and towards the end of the campaign. That's another good metric to have a look at.” 

“Can affiliate platforms like Awin support us if we have existing influencer or PR teams?” 

Jessica: “Definitely. It's super important for us to ensure we're not stepping on anyone else's toes… We can also make sure that we're not double-paying creators and staying clear of specific ones. It's great to have that alignment, to know what your PR, social or influencer teams are already working on.” 

Ellie: “We were on a call recently with a beauty brand and talking to their PR and influencer team. Although they're working with influencers on a PR basis, for example, taking them on a holiday or inviting them to events, they still wanted to see performance… Teams are starting to align more and everyone is more aware that, you're not only going to get likes and followers… You can actually see sales and traffic.” 

“What metrics would you look at outside of ROI and revenue to measure the success of an influencer campaign?” 

Ellie: “There are many. Likes and views, saves and shares. There are other things that you can get within social platforms, like earned media. That’s becoming an important one.” 

Jessica: “Sales and traffic. Average order values as well, and clicks. A lot of influencers are click-centric. They get a lot of click data, but might just be missing the mark for sales. That isn't to say that they're not successful; they just don’t convert.” 

Ellie: “Awin does track ‘commission by assist’, so you can see where an influencer sits [in the purchase journey] and pay them based on the fact that they were involved. It doesn't always have to be the full amount of commission, but it can be a percentage. Your creators should absolutely be paid for the content they make.” 

“What’s the best way to work with content creators on a cost per click (CPC) model?” 

Jessica: “Awin has a couple of partners like Metapic that work on a CPC model. We've also worked on CPL (cost per lead) campaigns in the past.” 

Ellie: “Competitions work well. We did this with a brand where if the influencer drove ‘X’ amount of clicks, they earned a bonus or a gift card… You can also do app downloads… Sign-ups for subscription packages... There are lots of things you can integrate.” 

“How can you encourage user-generated storytelling with small influencers?” 

Jessica: “When we're looking at user-generated content especially through affiliate programs, a lot of the brands work with influencers organically… We're removing the parameters of going ‘we need this, this, this and this’ from an influencer. There's a contract, these deliverables, dates, and deadlines. When we open it up to be a little bit more flexible, that's where user-generated content comes through, because people feel a little bit more relaxed. They've got the creative freedom to post when they want.” 

Ellie: “I think letting the creators decide the type of content that they're posting is the most important thing… Something we've also seen work is to have a link to the affiliate program on your website. Lululemon and Etsy do this, making sure people create content and get paid for it.” 

“How would you recommend scaling programs with nano influencers without losing trust and authenticity, and overwhelming an audience with posts?” 

Jessica: “One of the ways that we've done this is to stagger out the content. We’ll say that we're looking for a specific amount of content from them [the influencer] but over a month or two. When we discuss scaling, the one thing I would always say is quality over quantity, and making sure you’re working with influencers that genuinely align with your brand. Maybe each month you add 5-10 new creators, but you're still nurturing the relationships with the existing ones.”  

Ellie: “Have a campaign planner to plan out your content throughout the year. Sometimes it’s daunting to think what you’re going to be talking about in a year's time, but you already know which products you're launching and in which season… Having it all laid out like that makes it super clear. And it really does help scale your campaign.” 

Jessica: “Tiered commissions as well, to keep them [the influencers] incentivized. Another way we've done this is by offering them goodwill gestures, like no-obligation gift cards… Set them up with an initial gifting amount. From there, allow them to use those items across multiple pieces of content through a certain period of time.”  

How to thrive in the new era of influencer marketing 

As you can see, measurement was an ever-present theme in the questions we received during our webinar with Marketing Week.  

It’s now clear to see how plugging creators into the affiliate channel and platforms like Awin can drive real results while proving ROI.  

In addition to generating links to track every sale, click, and lead in real-time, Awin’s integrations with platforms like CreatorIQ make it easy to find niche influencers for authentic, creative, and engaging content.  

Watch the full webinar to dive deeper. Learn more about building impactful influencer partnerships here.