I do follow influencers, but mostly the ones whose content already lines up with my interests, especially daily pet life, fitness and hiking, outdoor routines, and mental health. What I notice about this type of marketing is that it feels less like a traditional ad and more like a recommendation woven into content I already wanted to watch. That is also why it can be persuasive. Influencer marketing lets brands connect with people who already speak to a specific audience, instead of pushing the same message at everyone through pop-ups or other interruptive ads. At the same time, I don’t think popularity alone proves a campaign is effective. A large following may create visibility, but it does not automatically mean people trust the product, click the link, or buy anything. To me, the strongest influencer marketing starts with relevance, not reach.
The main strategies I notice are personal storytelling, product demonstrations, discount codes, affiliate links, and repeated product use over time. The best influencers do not just say, “Buy this.” A daily pet-life creator might show the same leash, crate, or grooming tool across ordinary walks and cleanup routines, a fitness or hiking creator might demonstrate how a pack or recovery product holds up on actual trails, and a mental health creator might explain how a journal, app, or calming aid fits into a consistent routine rather than presenting it like a random ad. That connection matters because marketing outcomes improve when the influencer’s persona fits the product and when the content style is chosen carefully (Kim et al., 2025). I am much more likely to believe a pet recommendation from someone who regularly documents life with their animal, or an outdoor gear recommendation from someone who is clearly outside every week, than from someone who suddenly promotes it once. Smaller creators can also feel more credible because they seem closer to their audiences. People are often more likely to follow recommendations from micro-influencers than from bigger, more distant accounts (Peng, 2023). For me, that shows influencers play the role of a trusted middle person between company and consumer.
The relationship impact is where I think influencer marketing becomes risky. If a daily pet-life creator partners with a brand that actually fits their routines, or a fitness, hiking, or outdoor creator recommends gear they clearly use, the brand can benefit from trust that is already there. The same is even more true with mental health content, where people are often paying attention in a more personal and vulnerable way. But when any of those posts feel overly commercial, poorly matched, or quietly sponsored, it can create skepticism and damage trust in both the influencer and the brand. I appreciate clear sponsorship disclosures because they let me judge the message honestly. I don’t mind that influencers are paid. I mind when a recommendation feels fake, especially when it shows up in content people usually treat as personal, supportive, or experience-based. In that sense, influencer marketing can strengthen company–consumer relationships, but only if it respects the audience’s ability to recognize authenticity.
References
Kim, D. H., Yun, L. S., & Lee, S.-Y. (2025). The skepticism equation in influencer marketing: the interplay of influencer–product fit and content style in shaping ad skepticism and purchase intention. Asian Journal of Communication, 35(4), 286–305. https://doi.org/10.1080/01292986.2025.2497504
Peng, C. (2023). Influencer Marketing: Statistics and Skepticism. Open Journal of Business and Management, 11(02), 744–754. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojbm.2023.112040
