Influencer Marketing for Businesses: How to Start (Without Wasting Money)

Influencer marketing is kind of the Wild Wild West right now. I was speaking with a business owner recently who said that they wanted to start, but it all felt overwhelming, and they didn’t even know what questions to ask first.

Who do you work with? Do you pay or comp? What deliverables should you request? How do you avoid hosting someone and getting little to nothing in return?

If you’ve felt that way, you’re not alone. (And know I've been there as well!) The good news is: you don’t need a huge budget or a massive team; you just need a simple framework. Below is the exact starting point I use to help businesses launch influencer marketing in a way that’s organized, on brand, and actually effective.

Step 1: Define what “success” actually means

Before you reach out to a single creator, pick one primary goal:

• Bookings or sales (most common for hospitality and experiences)

• Awareness (getting in front of new, relevant audiences)

• UGC content library (photos and videos you can repurpose)
  

Tip: If you try to do all three at once, it gets messy. Start with one.

Step 2: Decide what you’re offering (and why)

There’s no one-size-fits-all. A comped experience can absolutely be valuable, but it needs to match the deliverables and expectations.

Ask:

• What is the true value of what we’re providing?

• What deliverables would make this worthwhile?

• Are we prioritizing content we can reuse, bookings, or visibility?
  

A common structure for smaller brands is:

• A hosted experience (or product) plus a clear set of deliverables

• Optional: a paid add-on for extra deliverables or usage rights
  

Step 3: Create “creator criteria” so you don’t guess

This is where most brands go wrong. You want creators who align with:

• Your audience (location matters more than you think)

• Your vibe and values

• Their actual content quality and consistency

• Engagement that feels real (not just big numbers)
  

For example, if your business serves the Northeast, a creator with an engaged Northeast audience will often outperform a larger creator with followers scattered everywhere.

Step 4: Make the collaboration easy to say yes to

Businesses lose great creators by being vague.

A strong invite includes:

• The experience details and dates (or flexibility)

• Deliverables and timeline

• What’s included (and what’s not)

• A simple next step
  

If it takes eight back-and-forth messages to figure out basics, the best creators move on.

Step 5: Track results like a grown-up (without making it complicated)

You do not need a fancy dashboard to start. You do need a system.

Track:

• Creator handle + links to content

• Deliverables received

• Reach, saves, shares, taps (if available)

• Website traffic spikes or booking inquiries

• Content you can reuse
  

Over time, this becomes your playbook. You’ll start to see patterns in what actually drives interest.

Step 6: Start with a pilot campaign

Instead of doing one random collaboration, run a mini “pilot”:

• 3 to 5 creators

• Similar deliverables

• Same time window

• Clear theme (family getaway, wellness reset, girls weekend, etc.)
  

This makes it easier to compare what worked and refine quickly.

If you want help, this is what I do

I've built my career around partnerships, PR, and influencer strategy, and I’m now offering boutique support for businesses that want to launch influencer marketing without wasting time or budget.

If you’re a business owner or marketing lead and want a clear plan, you can:

• DM me START on Instagram, or

• Reach out through my contact page and tell me your business, location, and goal.
  

I’m a big believer that the best partnerships start with the right fit. If you’re exploring influencer marketing and want it to feel aligned (not random), reach out and tell me a little about your brand. I’d love to learn what you’re building and see if I can help.