Hi, I’ve been thinking a lot about influencer marketing lately.
On paper, it looks like one of the safest growth channels for D2C brands.
Commission-based. Performance-driven. Low upfront risk.
And yet, founders keep hearing the same thing:
“It works… but I’m not fully comfortable relying on it.”
Not because it doesn’t drive sales.
Because something feels off.
In my experience, the real issue usually isn’t ROI.
It’s control.
Influencers optimise for short-term conversion.
Brands need consistency, positioning, and repetition of meaning over time.
When your product shows up between discount codes, substitutes, and rotating offers, nothing breaks overnight.
But something slowly softens.
Context gets diluted.
Positioning becomes interchangeable.
Trust stops compounding.
Paid ads give brands something influencers never fully can: control over environment, pacing, and message.
That doesn’t mean influencer marketing has no place.
It just means it should reinforce your narrative, not define it.
I recorded a short video breaking this down in detail, specifically for founders building long-term brands:
If this is something you’ve felt but haven’t been able to articulate, I think it’ll resonate.
And if you ever want me to go deeper on this topic in future emails, just reply and let me know.
See you tomorrow.
♛
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