Stop 05 · Social Media MarketingTopics · 7/10

Influencer Marketing Basics

In short

People trust creators they follow more than they trust ads. Influencer marketing borrows that trust, but only works if the creator and audience genuinely fit your brand.

Partnering with creators who have an engaged audience to promote a product — ranging from micro-influencers (smaller, highly engaged, cheaper) to macro/celebrity influencers (broad reach, expensive).

The blob listens as a cheerful aunty in a kitchen holds up a masala jar to excited neighbours.

Think of it like this

The aunty whose recipe everyone follows

When the colony's best cook says 'I only use this masala', half the building buys it next week. She didn't need a hoarding. Influencers are that trusted aunty, for a niche online audience.

Watch it happen

Running a small creator campaign

Brief

Shortlist

Agree

Content

Track

1/5Write a brief: goal, audience, key message, deliverables, dos and don'ts, and budget.

The big ideas

What you need to know

Fit over fame

A creator with 20k engaged, relevant followers can beat a celebrity with millions of mismatched ones.

Disclosure is required

In India, ASCI guidelines require paid or gifted posts to carry a clear, upfront label like #ad or #collab.

Track every creator

UTM links and unique discount codes show which creator actually drove sales.

Check for fake reach

Sudden follower jumps and generic comments like 'nice pic' can signal bought engagement.

See it in code

Walk through the code

text

1https://snackbox.in/try2  ?utm_source=instagram3  &utm_medium=influencer4  &utm_campaign=diwali_20265  &utm_content=riya_foodie

1/3Where the click came from and what kind of marketing it was.

One link per creator. utm_content names the creator, so GA4 can show who sent which visits. Use it as one line in real life.

Save yourself the pain

Common mistakes

Oops

Choosing creators only by follower count.

Do this instead

Check audience fit, engagement rate and what their comments actually say.

Oops

Writing a full script and forcing the creator to read it.

Do this instead

Give key messages and facts, then let them speak naturally. Their style is why people trust them.

Your mission

Shortlist three creators

~30 min

Quick check

A creator posts about your product after you paid them, without any label. What's the problem?

Go deeper

1Compare a micro-influencer and a macro-influencer's engagement rate for the same follower tier.
2Learn the basics of a typical influencer partnership brief and deliverables.
3Understand why authenticity/fit often matters more than raw follower count.