Influencer marketing and user-generated content (UGC) are pillars of killer growth marketing for any emerging CPG brand in 2024. However, it’s not as simple as getting a few popular influencers to promote your product, and you get to watch the sales roll in.

Far too many brands, especially in the crowded CPG space, assume that throwing products at influencers or reposting a few customer photos is enough to move the needle. It’s not. The reality is that influencer marketing, when done well is a powerful growth lever helping to make the brand more personable, engaging and hitting on the most important “why” customers choose your brand over others. 

To do this requires a deep understanding of audience alignment, the psychology of influence, and long-term relationship-building. It can be a slow grind, but your brand is awesome so it’s just a matter of structuring incentives to create a powerful and lasting brand identity.

So, how do you cut through the hype, avoid the common pitfalls, and turn influencer marketing into a sustainable growth engine? Let’s dive in.

What is Influencer Marketing and Why it Matters for CPG Brands

At its core, influencer marketing involves collaborating with individuals who have an engaged following, whether that’s a few thousand or several million people, to promote your products in a way that feels authentic. In exchange, your brand gains the trust, credibility, and relevancy of the influencer’s audience.

Simply put: consumers demand authenticity, and they want to see real people, especially those they admire, using and enjoying a product before they buy into it themselves. That’s where influencers come in.

What makes influencer marketing so powerful for CPG brands is the human connection. This becomes especially crucial in the early stages when new or smaller CPG brands are fighting to build awareness and credibility in a market filled with established competitors.

Why does it matter so much? Because shoppers, no matter how rational they think they are, make highly emotional purchasing decisions. Whether you’re selling a snack, a beauty product, or a household item, people want to feel a connection to your brand. Influencers are the most direct path to creating real connection between your product and what customers are doing in their everyday lives. The genuine endorsement of a great product immediately conveys relevance and shows consumers exactly how it fits into their lifestyle.

But here’s the thing: it’s not enough just to throw money at the biggest names. For CPG brands, alignment matters more than reach. You need influencers who can tell your brand story in a way that resonates with their specific audience, even if their audience is small. This is especially true with niche CPG products, where a well-targeted influencer can have more impact than a celebrity with millions of followers.

Choosing the Right Influencers for Maximum Impact

Influcener marketing and UGC It’s not about reaching everyone; it’s about engaging the right customers. And that’s where many brands go wrong. They chase influencers based on numbers, not thinking about whether the influencer’s audience is actually the one buying their product.

Micro-Influencers vs. Macro-Influencers: Which is Right for Your Brand?

These are influencers with smaller, more targeted followings (think 10k-100k followers), and for CPG brands, they can be absolute gold. Why? Because their audiences are typically hyper-engaged. They’ve built tight-knit communities of followers who trust them implicitly. If a micro-influencer recommends your product, their audience is more likely to act on that recommendation because the relationship is built on authenticity and connection.

Now, that doesn’t mean macro-influencers are irrelevant—far from it. If your product has broad appeal, like a snack that fits into any household or a beauty product that works for a wide range of customers, then a macro-influencer can help you cast a wider net. But even then, relevancy is key. I’ve seen CPG brands blow their budgets on big-name influencers only to realize the influencer’s audience wasn’t remotely interested in their product. Just because someone has a huge following doesn’t mean that following is aligned with your brand values or customer base.

Engagement Over Follower Count

Another trap I see brands fall into is ignoring engagement metrics. An influencer may have 500,000 followers, but if only a tiny fraction of them are engaging with the content, you’re not going to see the return you’re hoping for. Engagement tells you how much the audience actually cares about what the influencer is saying. Metrics like likes, comments, shares, and click-through rates are far more important than raw follower count.

When assessing potential influencers, always ask for their engagement rates. A good rule of thumb is that anything above 3-4% is solid engagement for larger influencers, while smaller micro-influencers might hit 7-10% or more. It’s not just about who’s following them—it’s about who’s actively paying attention and participating in the conversation.

Relevance is the Key to Authenticity

The goal when partnering with influencers is to find those who are essentially your target market. That’s when influencer marketing shifts from being just another marketing tactic to becoming a powerful authentic endorsement. Whether it’s a fitness influencer with a health-conscious following or a sustainable living blogger for your eco-friendly product line, the goal is to find influencers whose audience already shares your values and needs.

For example, let’s say you’re a new CPG brand with a vegan snack product. You might be tempted to go after a big wellness influencer. But unless they’ve built their brand specifically around plant-based living, their audience might not be as receptive to your product as you think. On the other hand, a micro-influencer whose entire following is vegan—even if it’s smaller—could deliver far better results. It’s about quality over quantity.

Don’t Be Afraid to Build Long-Term Relationships

One-off influencer posts might get you some traction, but the real value lies in long-term partnerships. A one-time post might not be enough to fully convert their audience into loyal customers. But when an influencer consistently incorporates your product into their daily life, their audience takes notice. Over time, that builds brand familiarity and trust—two crucial components in the path to purchase.

Remember, influencer marketing isn’t just about a quick hit of visibility; it’s about building brand credibility and customer loyalty. Influencers who are genuine advocates for your product over the long term can drive sustainable growth far beyond the lifespan of a single campaign.

It’s Not Just About the Numbers

At the end of the day, choosing the right influencers is about more than just numbers. It’s about relevance, engagement, and authenticity. The most effective influencer marketing campaigns are those where the influencer’s audience naturally overlaps with your target market. When you focus on alignment rather than sheer reach, and when you build long-term partnerships instead of one-off collaborations, influencer marketing becomes a powerful engine for growth and brand equity.