47% of marketers win big with smaller influencers

Hey, Paige here!

Before we get into today’s best marketing research…

In today’s release: 

• Mega influencers AREN’T the play anymore

• Brand content has a subscriber ceiling… we know how to break it

• The secret to creating content that really converts

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DEEP DIVE

You’re scrolling online. What catches your attention?

A branded clip and jingle —OR— a recognizable face sharing expert insights with charisma? 

Easy answer. No one naturally gravitates toward branded videos.

The creator economy is alive and well with influencer partnerships and sponsored ads. And for many businesses, it’s working. But not with the Kim Kardashians of each industry. 

Most marketers are finding success by partnering with smaller influencers. 

Let’s look at the data: 

• 64% of marketers have worked with micro-influencers (10-99K followers) in the last year

• 22% worked with nano influencers (less than 10K followers)

• 17% worked with mega influencers (1M+ followers)

Of the marketers partnering with creators, 47% report yielding the most success with micro-influencers. Mega influencers just aren’t cutting it anymore. But why? 

Working with mega influencers is almost the equivalent of partnering with a brand — and unless a brand is personality-led, it just doesn’t resonate with audiences in a meaningful way. 

But this data isn’t pointing to traditional partnerships. We’re not saying you should tag the nearest influencer and pay them to talk about your product. 

The most impactful way to leverage the creator economy to build your audience isn’t traditional sponsored ads… it’s authentic personality-led content. 

We’ve done the leg work for you. In our 2025 State of Video Podcasts Report (launching in October, stay tuned 😉) we looked at the subscriber potential based on show type. 

In the top-ranking podcasts, there are three major categories: 

1. Media Brand — a show typically run by a media company that’s driven by the premise of the show more than the host(s). Essentially, the host(s) could be replaced and the show would still work.

2. Personal Brand — shows that could be run by media companies or independent creators, where the show is driven by the unique insights and personality of the host(s).

3. Branded Podcast — a show produced to drive brand awareness for the company producing it. This type of show is driven by a compelling premise and/or host(s) personality.

But something really reveals itself when we look at the subscriber potential for each…

 In the top 150 podcasts (75 in the Business category, 75 in the overall top 100), only a single branded podcast has cracked the 500,000 subscriber mark, while the other categorizations tend to far exceed in audience growth. 

The future of content is personality-led content. 

So how can your business break past the branded subscriber/follower ceiling?

When you lean into personality-led content, your business can start building an engine of connection and continuous growth. 

The takeaway: Personality-led content can take your business to the next level, breaking through the noise of B2B content today.  

That’s it, ya’ll! Happy creating. 

Paige Peterson
Newsletter Aficionado, Sweet Fish