James Massey on what sets the best influencer marketers apart: commercial thinking, negotiation, creative strength and stakeholder management.
The best influencer marketers I've worked alongside share four things in common.
- They use commercial and ecommerce knowledge to shape strategy
They can tell you what happened across the whole funnel, why it happened and what to do next, not just what the influencer channel delivered.
- They negotiate well
They can explain exactly how they got to a fee. Because they're in the data every week, renewals and onboarding new creators become more efficient too.
- They're as strong creatively as they are commercially
Most people lean one way or the other. Finding both in one person is rare.
- They manage stakeholders well
That means influencers, agents and internal teams. Building genuine relationships and nurturing them over time drives loyalty and long-term partnerships.
If you work in influencer marketing, focus on developing all four.
Learn more about how we build creator-led acquisition programmes through our influencer marketing service.