The Biggest Influencer Marketing Mistakes Brands Make in the New Year

Jan 20

As brands kick off a new year, influencer marketing is often top of mind. Budgets reset, goals are refreshed, and teams are eager to launch new campaigns quickly. But moving fast without a clear strategy can lead to costly missteps.

Every year, we see brands repeat the same influencer marketing mistakes — mistakes that hurt performance, waste budget, and strain relationships with creators. The good news? These are avoidable.

Below, we break down the biggest influencer marketing mistakes brands make in the new year — and how to fix them for stronger results, better content, and measurable ROI.

1. Prioritizing Follower Count Over Influence

One of the most common influencer marketing mistakes is assuming that bigger always means better. While large creators can offer reach, they don’t always deliver engagement, trust, or conversions.

Many brands overlook micro- and mid-tier influencers, even though these creators often have:

Higher engagement rates
Stronger audience trust
More niche, purchase-ready communities

2. Launching Campaigns Without Clear Goals

A new year often brings excitement and rushed campaigns. Brands jump into influencer partnerships without defining what success actually looks like.

Are you aiming for:

Brand awareness?
Content creation (UGC)?
Website traffic?
Sales and conversions?
Reviews and social proof?

Without clear goals, it becomes nearly impossible to measure performance or optimize future campaigns.

3. Treating Influencer Marketing as a One-Off Tactic

Many brands treat influencer marketing as a “test” every January running a single campaign and then disappearing.

The reality? Influencer marketing performs best when it’s consistent. One-off posts rarely build enough frequency or trust to move the needle.

4. Over-Scripting Creators

Another major mistake brands make is controlling influencer content too tightly. While brand guidelines are important, overly scripted content often feels inauthentic and audiences can tell.

Creators know their audience best. When they’re forced to read from a script, engagement drops.

5. Ignoring Usage Rights and Content Repurposing

Brands often fail to think beyond the initial post. They forget to negotiate usage rights or plan how influencer content can be repurposed.

This leads to missed opportunities across:

Paid ads
Email marketing
Product pages
Social media
Website testimonials

6. Not Tracking Performance Properly

Too many brands rely on vanity metrics like likes and views without tracking meaningful data.

Without performance tracking, brands can’t:

Identify top-performing creators
Understand ROI
Optimize future campaigns
Justify influencer spend

7. Underestimating the Value of Gifting Campaigns

At the start of the year, some brands shy away from influencer gifting, assuming it’s less impactful than paid partnerships.

In reality, well-managed gifting campaigns can:

Generate authentic content
Seed long-term relationships
Identify creators worth paying later
Drive organic awareness

8. Poor Communication With Influencers

Slow replies, unclear briefs, and last-minute changes can quickly sour influencer relationships. Creators remember how brands treat them and that reputation spreads.

9. Failing to Re-Engage Top Performers

Many brands move on after a campaign ends without revisiting the data. As a result, they miss the opportunity to double down on creators who actually performed.

10. Not Adapting to Platform Changes

Influencer marketing evolves fast. Algorithms, formats, and creator trends shift constantly — especially at the start of a new year.

Brands that rely on outdated strategies (static posts only, no short-form video, no TikTok or Reels) fall behind quickly.

Final Thoughts: Start the Year Smarter

The new year is the perfect time to refine your influencer marketing strategy not repeat last year’s mistakes.

Brands that win in influencer marketing focus on relationships, consistency, data, and authenticity. By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can turn influencer partnerships into a scalable, results-driven growth channel.

If you’re looking to build a smarter influencer strategy this year whether through gifting, paid partnerships, or long-term creator programs investing in the right structure and tools makes all the difference.

Influencer marketing isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing it better.

Gabriela Cuautle