Partnering with Influencers for Referral Growth

Last month, Storylane drove over 700,000+ impressions through influencer marketing. And at the start of the year, I had no idea how to make this channel perform consistently. I had no playbook, no proven process, and no ideas. So, I experimented. A lot. And while we’re still figuring it out, here’s what I’ve learned so far: 1. Smaller creators are outperforming larger ones for us Smaller creators often produce better, more authentic content. They’re typically more affordable, work harder, and deliver results with a hyper-focused audience. Larger influencers charge a premium, and the content often feels average. Exceptions exist, but they’re rare. 2. Build a curated influencer portfolio. There are more great influencers out there than your budget can handle. Start small, experiment, and refine a curated portfolio of creators who align with your goals, budget, and audience. This takes trial and error, so don’t rush it. Your “go-to” influencers will emerge over time. 3. Three months is enough to evaluate an influencer. In three months, you’ll know if the partnership is worth continuing. It’s enough time to assess content quality, audience engagement, and impact. 4. Set up clear contracts with influencers Include everything in writing: - Who owns the content? - Can you run ads with it? - Will they engage with your posts? - How many posts will they deliver? Clarity now saves confusion later. 5. Influencer costs vary... a lot. Pricing is all over the place, but here's a starting point. For this platform, expect $500–$2,000 per post for influencers with fewer than 100K followers. Bigger names might quote $5K or more. The highest I’ve seen is $650k per post (no joke). Decide what’s worth it based on your goals and their audience quality. 6. Influencer onboarding matters. Hop on a 1:1 call to align. Share your knowledge, past successes, and internal data. Learn their creative process and set expectations. The better you collaborate upfront, the smoother the partnership. 7. Influencer program management is a full-time job. I tried juggling this alongside my other responsibilities, and it’s a lot. Between sourcing, contracts, payments, content review, and feedback, the workload multiplies with every creator. Bring in outside help if you can afford it or upskill someone internally. 8. Give creators creative freedom. Over-controlling a creator’s content kills authenticity. Work closely on the brief to give them all the context they need, but let their voice shine through. The results are far better when they feel trusted. 9. Ethics build trust (with influencers and your buyers) Always disclose influencer partnerships (FTC compliance isn’t optional). I see a lot of brands and creators not disclose these partnerships (on LinkedIn, in private communities, Slack groups etc.) and it's WRONG. Don't trick your buyers. Be honest. We’re still learning, but this channel is showing promise, and I plan to scale it further in 2025.

Here's the new rule of GTM for 2025: it's about about TRUST not DISTRACTION. In 2024 and earlier, most companies were STILL playing the volume game: More cold emails More ads More noise But here's what I learned building partner programs at WeWork and Amex: 1. Identify Trusted Advocates Customers are more likely to trust recommendations from voices they already know and respect. Who influences our target audience? Who already has their attention and trust? These could be industry leaders, complementary solution providers, or niche communities. Build partnerships with those who already have a strong connection to your ideal customers. 2. Collaborate to Add Value, Not Noise Instead of interrupting your audience with another cold email or ad, collaborate with partners to create meaningful, value-driven touch points. - Co-host a webinar addressing a shared customer pain point. - Develop a joint white paper showcasing both brands’ expertise. - Offer bundled solutions that make life easier for the customer. 3. Leverage Existing Trust to Open Doors Partners are amplifiers AND bridges. They help you cross the “river of distraction” and reach customers without the noise. A well-placed introduction or co-branded recommendation carries far more weight than another outbound message. 4. Measure the Shift from Interruption to Influence If trust-building is your new GTM focus, your success metrics need to change too. Track things like: - Partner-Sourced Leads: Leads generated through trusted partner referrals. - Engagement Rates: How customers interact with co-created content or campaigns. - Pipeline Velocity: How quickly partner-driven deals progress compared to direct sales efforts. Breaking through the noise requires genuine relationships. It's no longer about whose voice is the loudest, it’s whose voice your audience already trusts. The future isn't about interruption and distraction. It's about trust.

The most expensive startup mistake: “Let’s double our ad budget.” AKA startup suicide. I've seen SaaS brands find an ad channel that works, scale budget aggressively, see a spike in signups… …and THINK they’ve cracked GTM & PMF! Until: 🔴 CAC creeps up 📉 Conversion rates drop 💣 Churn spikes They’re burning cash to buy growth - rather than earning it. Don’t build your revenue engine on paid ads. Because the cost of your fuel will increase (OR burn faster than you can replenish!!) Here’s a BETTER strategy: 1/ Borrow trust, don’t buy attention Ads give you reach. But reach ≠ trust. That’s why I’d pay B2B creators - not FB or Google - to talk about my product. When a trusted voice recommends you, you skip the cold-start problem: - You attract high-intent buyers, not just clicks - You drive pipeline, not just impressions - You tap into pre-built credibility B2B buyers trust industry "thought leaders" more than: - Company-branded social posts - 57-page research reports - Whitepapers no one reads PROOF: B2B influencer campaigns drive 11x higher ROI than traditional ads (TapInfluence). 2/ Turn customers into brand champions Your happiest users are your best sales team. Activate them. - Make it effortless to share testimonials & case studies - Spotlight power users on LinkedIn, podcasts & events - Offer referral incentives worth talking about 92% of buyers trust peer recommendations over ads (Nielsen). So why spend millions on CAC when you could turn customers into a self-sustaining growth engine? 3/ Use paid ads to accelerate, not replace demand Paid ads aren’t bad. But they should amplify what’s working: - Boost high-performing influencer content - Validate messaging + positioning - Retarget warm traffic, not cold If paid is your primary growth lever, you’re not scaling - you’re renting. 4/ Build a growth engine, not an acquisition treadmill The real play? Own demand, don’t just buy it. Instead of spending $100K/month on ads that stop working the second you cut budget… → Invest in content that compounds → Build a trust-driven social selling ecosystem → Partner with creators who influence your ICP Most startups throw money at ads to fix weak GTM fundamentals. Smart ones use them to accelerate what’s working! BOTTOM LINE: If your growth plan is “let’s double ad spend”, you don’t have a growth plan. You have a capital tax. The #1 sign of success? Scaling revenue without scaling burn. The magic number matters! P.S. Where do you think paid ads fit into a healthy GTM strategy?

I’m currently building out an influencer program at EasyLlama And I wanted to share a five key takeaways that can help if you’re doing the same. 1. Prioritize audience quality over quantity. It’s not just about the number of followers or newsletter subscribers. Instead, ask: How new is the audience? Acquired in the last theee months vs the last 4-12 months? What’s the growth rate of the audience? Are they still actively engaged? Is the influencer still relevant to that audience? And how does your ICP definition align to their audience? How many business emails vs. personal emails make up their newsletter for example. 2. Understand the engagement profile. Dig deeper than vanity metrics. Evaluate: Engagement rates by cohort (new vs. long-time followers) Types of engagement: Likes vs. Comments, Opens vs. Clicks, Registrations vs. Attendees 3. Think in campaigns, not one-off posts. Don't just "test" influencers. Give them a theme that aligns with their voice and your story. A simple framework: - A series of LinkedIn posts - A webinar - Newsletter placements 4. Extend beyond their channels. Once you’ve proven impact, bring them into your ecosystem: Have them speak at events Feature them in your content strategy Invite them to co-host your podcast or webinars 5. Aim for the sweet spot: Entertainment + Education + Value. The best influencers deliver all three every time they talk about your brand, your product, or your point of view. Influencer marketing isn't just a growth tactic. It’s a strategy of using networks and pre-existing trust to grow an audience.

B2B Influencer Marketing That Actually Drives Revenue 💫 Influencer marketing has huge potential, but many brands miss the mark by focusing on one-off posts and vanity metrics instead of real partnerships. In this video, Tom Whatley shares what actually works in B2B influencer marketing. Here are key takeaways from his insights, plus a few perspectives I believe can make a real difference: ✅ Relevance > Reach: I’d take a niche expert with 10K engaged decision-makers over a generalist with 1M followers any day. Your buyers follow trusted voices, not random big names. ✅ Partnerships > Paid Posts: One-and-done promos? investment without real impact. The best results come from influencers who actually believe in your product and integrate it into their content consistently. ✅ Create WITH, Not Just FOR Them: Influencer webinars, co-authored reports, LinkedIn Lives, when you collaborate, they’re invested in making it succeed. ✅ Amplify Smartly: Don’t just post and pray. Retarget influencer content in ads, newsletters, and ABM plays. Get it in front of the right people. ✅ Track Business Impact, Not Vanity Metrics: Engagement is nice, but does it drive pipeline? Does it shorten deal cycles? B2B influence isn’t just about visibility, it’s about credibility and conversions. If you’re not leveraging influencers strategically, you’re leaving opportunities on the table. What’s been your biggest challenge with B2B influencer marketing? Let’s discuss.👇 #B2BMarketing #InfluencerMarketing #ContentMarketing #Partnerships #Growth