How to Actually Work with Influencers: What Most Brands Get Wrong
Influencer marketing can be a powerful marketing tool when it’s done right. From my experience though, brands too often dive in with high hopes and big budgets, only to walk away disappointed. No return on investment, underwhelming content, or worse no real connection with the audience they were hoping to reach.
As someone who’s worked directly with creators during my time at TikTok, I’ve seen both sides of the equation. The brands who get it right build long-term wins. The ones who don’t? They burn budget and trust in the process. So where do most go wrong—and how can you do better?
1. Choosing the Wrong Influencer
DON’T choose talent based on follower count alone. Reach matters, but engagement and relevance matters significantly more.
What to look for instead:
Audience alignment (Do their followers match your target customer?)
Engagement quality (Are people actually commenting, saving, sharing?)
Content style (Would their content actually suit your product or service?)
Values and tone (Do they feel like a natural fit for your brand?)
2. Over-Controlling the Brief
A strongly believe in a tight brief, but there is such a thing as too much control. I’ve seen it time and time again, brand managers needing to tick internal boxes will basically script out the content and try to control every angle and action in a campaign. The end product being a blatant ad consumers see right through and scroll past. It kills the authenticity that makes creator content work in the first place. Creators know what resonates with their audience. Trust them to deliver it their way—with your input, not your control.
Here’s what a good brief should include:
Clear objective (e.g. “drive awareness,” “show product in use,” “link to website”)
Key messages (not a script—bullet points!)
Creative freedom guidelines (boundaries, not micromanagement)
Must-have brand elements (e.g. tag, link, hashtag, logo placement)
3. No Visibility, No Follow-Up
Too often, brands hand over the product and cross their fingers. But effective influencer partnerships need planning, tracking, and follow-up.
Ask yourself:
How will we measure success?
Do we have tracking links or codes?
Are we reposting and repurposing the content?
Are we engaging with the creator’s post and audience?
Without a plan to support the content once it’s live, you’re leaving value on the table.
What Working at TikTok Taught Me
At TikTok, I worked with brands and creators daily—and the most successful partnerships were the ones built on authenticity, collaboration, and mutual respect.
What worked best?
Giving creators the room to be creative
Choosing the right fit, not the biggest name
Treating creators like partners, not ad space
Tracking the right metrics—not just views, but clicks, saves, and actual conversions
The brands that did this consistently saw better results and stronger relationships with their audiences.
Want Your Influencer Campaigns to Work?
I help small businesses and startups run smart, effective influencer campaigns—from sourcing the right creators to writing the brief, managing the rollout, and measuring the results.
👉 Get in touch to chat about how I can help you make influencer marketing actually work for your brand.
If you want to know where you can find creators here are some suggested links:
