Influencer marketing has become a significant part of modern marketing strategies. Yet despite its growth, many marketers still struggle to clearly define its value, especially when it comes to ROI.
Why Influencer ROI Is Often Misunderstood
Influencer marketing is often regarded with a heavy dose of scepticism. Especially when it comes to B2B marketing, the influencer paradox is dominant: marketers know the power influencers hold over their audience - and yet, they are very reluctant to utilize that power. And that probably lies on the fact that influencer ROI is typically evaluated using the same metrics as traditional digital advertising. Marketers tend to focus on indicators such as clicks or direct conversions to determine whether an influencer campaign delivered value.
But influencer marketing doesn’t generate impact in the same way performance ads do. That doesn’t mean influencer campaigns don’t contribute positively to marketing ROI - they just do it through a different means: they influence perception, credibility, and brand trust over a longer timeframe.
While focusing on the last part of the audience journey is the norm, campaign impact starts from the top: which is where influencer marketing operates at its strongest level. Underestimating the impact influencer marketing can have on a marketing campaign, both in B2B and B2C environments, can lead to a weaker campaign - which means lower marketing ROI than expected.
Why Influencer Marketing Belongs in Your Trust Budget
Influencer marketing plays a strong role at the top of the marketing funnel for one critical reason: trust. Audiences are swarmed with advertising. Being at the right place at the right time is paramount, but not enough anymore. You need more than that to establish a connection: you need the audience to trust you, and you only have a very limited window of opportunity to succeed in that. What builds trust faster: a sequence of 10 different ads built through time, or an influencer trusted in their niche by your audience, using your product, even seen just once?
The answer very often is the influencer. And the numbers seem to support it: 63% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase from influencers they trust, showing how creator relationships can directly influence buying decisions. More broadly, studies show that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family above all forms of advertising, reinforcing the power of trusted endorsements in shaping perception and intent.
This dynamic is not limited to consumer brands. In B2B environments, industry experts, analysts, practitioners, and thought leaders often play a similar role. Their recommendations can shape how solutions are perceived long before a buyer ever visits a website or speaks to sales.
How to Make Influencer Marketing Work Strategically
Start by focusing on credibility, not reach. Smaller niche creators or industry experts often have stronger relationships with their audiences than large accounts with broad followings.
It’s also important to think about long-term partnerships instead of one-off campaigns. Keep in mind the goals are trust and credibility. So, long-term partnerships with the right influencers are going to help you build solid trust with your audience.
Finally, since the goal of influencer marketing is to build trust, your marketing team needs to measure it accordingly. Look beyond immediate clicks and conversions and consider indicators such as engagement quality, brand perception, and how influencer voices contribute to awareness and credibility.
The Future of Influencer Spend in Marketing Budgets
With advertising channels becoming more crowded, trust is becoming one of the most important and time-sensitive assets for brands. Traditional media spend can still drive reach, but credibility increasingly comes from voices audiences already trust.
If you haven’t already, this is the time to look into allocating a budget to influencer marketing as part of a broader strategy to strengthen credibility and build trust earlier in the customer journey. That means thinking beyond one-off collaborations and considering how influencer voices can support campaigns more strategically.
