Partnering with individuals who have engaged audiences to promote products or services.
Influencer Marketing is a form of social media marketing involving partnerships with individuals (influencers) who have established credibility and an engaged following in a specific niche. Influencers create content featuring a brand's product or service in exchange for payment or product gifting. Categories include mega-influencers (1M+ followers), macro (100K–1M), micro (10K–100K), and nano-influencers (1K–10K), with micro and nano influencers often delivering higher engagement rates.
Consumers increasingly trust peer recommendations over brand advertising. Influencer marketing delivers authentic-feeling content at scale. In 2026, the global influencer marketing market is valued at over $21 billion.
A skincare brand partners with 50 beauty micro-influencers on Instagram and TikTok. Each creates one authentic review post. Total cost: $25,000. Result: 500,000 engaged viewers, 2,000 new customers, tracked via custom discount codes.
Use UTM links, promo codes, before/after brand search volume, and pixel tracking. For awareness campaigns, measure reach, earned media value (EMV), and sentiment.