More marketers and D2C brands are trying influencer marketing than ever before—and for good reason. The authentic content it provides is the perfect way to generate buzz and drive sales. Not to mention it’s one of the most cost-effective strategies available to modern marketers.
But as more brands enter the influencer marketing space, it’s more challenging than it used to be for brands to keep their influencer campaign ideas fresh and engaging. And depending on how much influencer content your brand produces, you may even feel like the thrill of influencer marketing is sometimes gone.
Whether you run dozens of campaigns a month or are just getting ready to try influencer marketing for the first time, here are some strategies to consider as you strive to keep the fire alive and the brand love flowing for your target audience.
Tips for executing your next successful influencer marketing campaign
1. Hold a contest or giveaway.
Holding a contest or giveaway is a great way to increase engagement with your brand or generate buzz for a new release. The best part is you can easily tailor your contest or giveaway to help you achieve specific goals.
Looking to build your audience? Require participants to give you a follow in order to win. Want to expand your reach? Ask your followers to share the post with a few friends. You get the idea.
Get your influencers involved, too. By asking your content creators to host the giveaway rather than your brand, you can leverage the trust they’ve built with their audience to encourage more participation.
2. Leverage unboxing videos and reviews.
@sarahlynnrain Advent Series CONTINUES with the over $1,400 in value @Cult Beauty 🤩🎁✨ #adventcalendar2024 #adventcalendar #adventcalendaropening #cultbeauty #cultbeautyadventcalendar ♬ original sound – sarah lynn
Everyone loves getting something in the mail. And it turns out that tons of people even love watching people get something in the mail.
Next time you send your creators some products, encourage them to unbox their gift on camera. Bonus points if they’re willing to give their haul a review, as well.
3. Start a brand ambassador program.
Brand ambassadors and influencers share a lot in common but have a few key differences:
- Brand relationship: Brand ambassadors generally have an exclusive relationship with the brands they promote, while traditional influencers might promote multiple brands simultaneously.
- Commitment: Brands usually expect their ambassadors to share the love for the long haul.
- Scope: Brand ambassadors often promote their partners across multiple channels—including in-person events—while influencers tend to stick to social media.
4. Let your influencers ‘take over.’
If you have an influencer who’s up to the job, consider letting them “take over” your brand’s social media account for a bit.
For example, let’s say you’re a fashion brand attending a red carpet event. Having one of your favorite fashionistas go live or post updates from your branded accounts can be a great way to leverage their expertise and provide an engaging and unique experience for your followers while giving your creator some extra exposure.
5. Embrace the holidays (or make up your own).
@heyguysitsmolly HAPPY FREE DONUT DAY AT DUNKIN’🍩 in honor of national donut day you get a FREE donut with any purchase #freedonut #freedonutday #nationaldonutday #dunkin #dunkinfree #dunkindonuts #chocolatefrosted #free #icedcoffee #happyfriday #dunkincoffee #breakfastofchampions ♬ original sound – molly o’donnell
Brands should always take advantage of busy holiday shopping seasons. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and, of course, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the big ones for ecommerce brands.
But there’s nothing stopping you from making up a holiday of your own. National Pizza Day? Yes, please. National Margarita Day? Sign me up.
If you have a product people love, create a special occasion around it. And don’t forget to leverage your influencers to help spread the word.
6. Publish a gift guide.
@emiliekiser Under $25 Gift Guide🎄✨🎀🫧🫶🏻 Have so many of my favorite items in here like the @Summer Fridays Lip Blam and Jet Lag Mist👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 #christmasgiftguide #Ad #summerfridays #lifestyle #christmas #holidaygiftguide #fyp #viral #giftsunder25 #giftexchange #stockingstuffers #momsoftiktok #youngmom #justgirlythings #christmasvibes #giftguides ♬ original sound – Emilie
Speaking of holidays, publishing a gift guide is a great way to get your products in front of people during busy shopping seasons. Don’t feel like you have to limit your guide to December shoppers, though. Quarterly gift guides are also popular for brands to show off their latest seasonal releases.
Try to get your merchandise on creators’ gift guides, too. Many well-known influencers post regular shopping tips that can give you valuable buzz and brand awareness.
7. Commit to a cause.
@girlgangcrazy Come with us & @Parks Project ♬ original sound – GirlGangCrazy— GGC
Consumers like brands that stand for something and feel good when they buy a product that supports a cause. Lucky for you, plenty of brands have already written the blueprint for how to do this successfully.
For example, Warby Parker donates a pair of glasses to someone in need for each pair sold. TOMS and Bambas also leverage a similar business model with great success.
But you don’t have to give away free merchandise to support a cause. Even just bringing awareness to issues you feel passionately about is an effective way to share your brand story and help you seem more relatable.
8. Make it an event.
@zander_whitehurst A supafast day at @figma Config The new features buzz and I’m beyond grateful to meet so many lovely, passionate designers ❤️ #figmaambassador ♬ original sound – Zander Whitehurst • UX/UI
Don’t limit your campaigns to social media. Holding in-person activations or webinars will help provide your audience a fresh experience and help you network with existing fans while building relationships with new ones.
9. Encourage user-generated content (UGC).
@iamcardib #buldaknoodles ♬ original sound – Cardi B
Buldak—the spicy instant noodles from South Korean company Samyang Foods—became widely popular in the US and Europe in 2024.
The company saw a 45% increase in revenue year-over-year, and stores sold out of Buldak’s carbonara flavor because of the high demand. The success was driven in large part by user-generated content on TikTok and YouTube.
Food influencers and celebrities filmed themselves trying the Buldak flavors and doing spicy taste test challenges. Hashtags like #buldaknoodles and #ramenhacks also trended on TikTok showing influencer’s favorite ways to eat ramen.
Keeping a close eye on brand and product-related hashtags can help you find valuable UGC content. Re-purposing UGC content can save money and resources and improve effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. However, make sure to obtain all necessary content rights first.
10. Feature your employees.
@fentybeauty We listen and…we judge 🤭💻✨ We’re asking our #FentyBeauty ♬ original sound – Fenty Beauty
Your own employees can be some of your best content creators. Ideally, they already have a ton of knowledge about your brand and can help you share your story and brand vision. Plus, consumers generally love seeing behind-the-scenes looks at their favorite brands and are interested to see what a day in the life looks like on site.
11. Embrace the latest technology.
AI has transformed influencer marketing. While there are ethical implications to consider when implementing AI, it could increase the productivity and ROI of influencer marketing campaigns.
Here are some of the top ways that marketers are using AI:
- Draft personalized campaign briefs
- Content ideation
- Trend forecasting
12. Leverage multiple platforms.
Don’t limit yourself to a single social media platform. Spend most of your time where your audience spends most of their time, but you should still branch out and take advantage of features unique to each platform.
Snapchat, as we’ve mentioned, has some great AR features. YouTube is most popular for long-form video, while TikTok is the king of short-form, and Instagram has become sort of a jack-of-all-trades. Lean on your influencers to help you determine the best approach for each platform, and don’t be afraid to get creative!
13. ‘Challenge’ your audience.
@meagcolburn 66 days to form a habit, 66 days to transform your life #Gymshark #Gymshark66 #ad ♬ original sound – Meagan Colburn
It seems like there’s a new TikTok challenge going viral almost every day. So, why not take advantage?
Create a hashtag and see if your audience is “up to the challenge.” If done correctly, you’ll generate plenty of valuable UGC and put your brand at the center of the latest trend.
14. Ask an expert.
Think beyond your typical creator profile and consider pulling in an “expert” for your next sponsored campaign. If you’re a fitness/nutrition brand, you might pull in a sports scientist to explain how your brand helps improve performance. On the other hand, beauty brands could partner with dermatologists, cosmetic chemists, or biophysicists to help illustrate the effects of your products.
The expert you choose doesn’t have to have a large following as long as they are respected in their field and can prove that your product does what you say it does.
15. Partner with a like-minded brand.
@kimkardashian Introducing NikeSKIMS. A new brand coming this spring for the body obsessed. Designed to sculpt and engineered to perform.
♬ original sound – Kim Kardashian
Also known as co-branding, brand partnerships involve two or more brands playing on each other’s strengths to promote their products in a single campaign.
Nike and SKIMS recently teamed up to launch a line of women’s activewear in spring 2025. The line will be called “NikeSKIMS”. Both brands have already been promoting it with posts from popular TikTok influencers.
But you don’t have to be an industry giant to take advantage. Just find a brand that compliments you nicely and devise a strategy that benefits both parties.
16. Collaborate with influencers on new products.
Influencers know what works with their audience and what doesn’t. They also have a direct feedback line with their followers, making them ideal partners to help design your next product.
YouTube superstar James Charles pulled off a hugely successful product launch with Morphe to launch a range of eyeshadow palettes. The release was a hit with his tens of millions of followers who are still pining for the next collab.
17. Create a series.
@shhhhimeating What you guys think about this week? #crumbl #cookies #cookie #crumblcookiesoftheweek #eating #foodreview #mukbang #fyp ♬ original sound – ShhhhImEating
Creating a “series” of related social media content is a good way to help build brand recognition, create an emotional connection, and encourage followers to engage with your content over longer periods.
Every week, Crumbl Cookies changes its menu. Adding new and seasonal flavors keeps its customers excited. It also amplifies the brand’s marketing reach, because many food influencers create weekly review videos of Crumbl’s menu. To keep customers engaged the store ties this to its rewards app. Customers who sign up for the “Taste Weekly Subscription” can pick up or get the new cookies delivered.
18. Build lasting relationships with your influencers.
Long-term relationships with high-performing influencers are essential if you want to pump out fresh marketing campaigns consistently. Keep an open line of communication with each one, and be sure to listen when they offer constructive feedback. Treat your influencers well, and they will return the favor, leading to a long and fruitful relationship.
19. Allow for plenty of creative freedom.
Remember, your influencers know their audience better than you do. So, don’t stifle their creativity. Give your partners room to do what they do best and encourage them to think outside the box. If you trust your influencers, you’ll help give them the confidence they need to create unique content that resonates perfectly with your target audience.
20. Be authentic.
Authenticity is at the core of every successful marketing campaign. We’ve given you some examples of brands that have used these tips with great success (and more to come), but don’t try to mimic them exactly. Use these tips as inspiration and use your own voice to bring them to life.
21. Use trending sounds.
@duolingo charli said “talk to me in french” and we listened 🗣️ #brat #sweattour credit: @Julia 💚 #charlixcx #troyesivan ♬ DUOLINGO RIGHT THERE BABY – Duolingo
TikTok’s algorithm tends to favor videos with trending sounds. You could increase reach by appearing on the “For You” feed and tapping into current social trends.
When Charli XCX released her Brat album in 2024, #bratsummer soon became the trend of the season. People danced to songs like Apple and shared posts that embraced brat summer—a carefree, fun, and messy party-girl lifestyle.
Known for its unhinged marketing, Duolingo matched the brat summer energy perfectly. The app jumped onto the trend with viral videos featuring Duo the Owl mascot dancing to songs on the album.
22. Feature behind-the-scenes content.
@beis Behind the scenes. Bringing the Airport Dad to life with @GirlBossTown @Isaac Rochell @Michael Justin #airportdad ♬ original sound – Beis Travel
Behind-the-scenes content is one of the best ways to build trust. It helps humanize your brand by showing what goes into building products and experiences.
The travel brand Beis frequently posts behind-the-scenes content featuring employees and upcoming products. Its summer men’s collection focused on ‘Airport Dads’. The brand filmed a series of behind-the-scenes videos with TikToker GirlBossTown to promote it.
23. Add in-app shopping features.
Social shopping is becoming more common. People discover products through social media every day, and they like the convenience of buying directly from the apps.
In the US, over 47 million made a purchase on TikTok in 2024. A similar number shopped through Instagram. When partnering with influencers, include content with in-app shopping features like Instagram’s shoppable posts or TikTok Live shopping.
Innovative influencer campaign examples to inspire your strategy
Gymshark
@mdjfitness I’M THE NEWEST @Gymshark ATHLETE!!!!🦈🥹 I can’t even begin to describe how much this means to me. I used to look up to all the gymshark athletes when I was younger and it was always my dream to be up there with the big dogs🦈. I never thought that it would actually become my reality🥺.. I remember buying my first ever pair of GS leggings in February 2017 when I just started working out. I remember lining up at 6am outside a Gymshark pop-up event to meet the athletes when they came to Toronto in 2018. I remember it all like it was yesterday🤍. I am so honoured and beyond grateful to be working for such an incredible and inspiring company and I’m looking forward to all the opportunities that this partnership will bring. Thank you to the Gymshark team for recognizing my accomplishments thus far and for putting your trust in me as your newest Gymshark Athlete🩵🦈. A very special thank you to all of you who have followed and supported me on this journey. Your love and support mean the world to me and I would not be here without you guys❤️. you can now use code “MDJ” saves 10% off all your gymshark orders😈🦈 (paid sponsorship with gymshark) #gymshark #gyminspiration #fitnessmotivation #gymsharkwomen ♬ suara asli – abdulbasirbasir80 – ABAZ
From the beginning, Gymshark built its brand through influencer marketing. The activewear brand’s influencer program Gymshark Athletes recruits athletes and fitness influencers.
This year, Gymshark rolled out its #Gymshark66 fitness challenge with a twist. During the 66-day challenge, customers must download the Gymshark app and log three daily healthy habits like working out for 30 minutes or skipping caffeine.
Participants may also become one of two new Gymshark Athletes if they share their challenge progress on social media.
Airbnb
@hannahstocking The UP house in real life 🏠🎈 @. ♬ original sound – Hannah Stocking
Airbnb upped its influencer marketing game in 2024 by launching a new category called Icons. Although the rental company has partnered with travel influencers and bloggers before, Icons offers exclusive, one-of-a-kind stays and experiences.
For example, customers get the chance to sleep in Pixar’s Up house or spend a night gaming with TikToker Khaby Lame. By partnering with cultural icons like celebrities, artists, and influencers, Airbnb created buzz and brand engagement.
Notion
LinkedIn isn’t typically the platform people think of when it comes to influencer marketing. However, for some brands, it makes sense. It was a definite success for Notion at the start of 2025.
The company partnered with over 50 LinkedIn influencers to launch Notion Faces, a feature that allows Notion users to create a custom avatar. To promote it, influencers like Corporate Natalie posted on LinkedIn with their Notion Faces profile picture.
Notion overtook the networking platform with people posting their avatars. Overall, the campaign reached its core audience of professionals and raised awareness for the productivity tool.
Key takeaway: Innovative influencer campaign ideas start with trust and communication.
If your influencer content is fresh and authentic, there is almost no marketing KPI you can’t achieve. Social media engagement can accelerate business growth for single-product line companies just as well as it can for brands with massive product selection.
No matter your business, your influencer’s authenticity and creativity will be key to keeping your content fresh. Investing energy into quality influencer relationships will nurture the kind of collaborative spirit and engaging content that delivers any place, anytime.
