Dearest Gentle Reader, I’m so done with the word “influencer.” It’s outdated.
“Macro” and “Micro” is an oversimplification. “Influencer” VS “creator” doesn’t communicate much. Size doesn’t always matter. With my partnership with Modash, I’ve been exploring the platform looking for creators outside my usual niche (it’s actually so fun to peep around) and trying to wrap my mind around how we can redefine Influencer Marketing strategy in 2026. [ad]
One thing we can’t deny: It’s evolving fast. So it’s time the language should evolve. And we should take notes from how China categorizes influencer marketing.
Ever heard of a KOL?
I first heard of it when I led Global social at Crocs and collabed with the team in China and well… I think you’re gonna love it.
So with that…
Let me break down my new Influencer Marketing Funnel:
Top of Funnel [Awareness]
Celebrity Ambassador: Traditional celebs, from non-social media origins. Think Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson, athletes (like Messi who recently partnered with Lego), even Natalie Portman in Dior perfume ads.
📈 Results: High awareness, high-ish engagement, perhaps lower conversion compared to the $$
🚩Red flags: Possible cancellations or creative is forgettable or inauthentic
Attention Architect: A large creator that can impressively gain a lot of reach and impressions, but may not have deep trust with consumers especially when it comes to purchasing influence. Think Mr. Beast or massive content creators like Brittani Broski and Amelia Dimoldenberg.
📈 Results: High visibility, high reach, high cost. Most likely lower conversions since consumer purchasing trust is not always present.
🚩Red Flags: Teams must be brutally honest on how this benefits the campaign and if the cost is worth it.
Mid-Funnel [Interest and Desire]
Key Opinion Leader aka KOL’s: Online personalities, experts or even professionals with large audiences in a mainstream niche that have purchasing power influence. Alix Earle (lifestyle), Mikayla Jane Nogueira (beauty), Marques Brownlee (tech), etc.
📈 Results: High awareness, high engagement, solid conversion
🚩Red flags: Can be pretty high cost. Possibility of over saturation of the KOL (re: They’ve been booked by so many brands).
Low Funnel [Conversion]
Key Opinion Consumers aka KOC’s: Creators (that can range in any size), with a specific niche that prioritize honest reviews and have built credibility and trust with their audience. Review creators, UGC and affiliate marketing fall under this. Keith Lee, food review guy, fits this as a large creator in the KOC space.
📈 Results: Lower costs, higher ROI because their audience actually converts
🚩 Red flags: Affiliate and UGC programs can be very manual, so find tools to scale. Modash allows you to authentically manage affiliates in one place while also scaling! Teams should also be aware that the most honest reviews of products happen at this level! So a must? Actually having a good product!
Bonus: Storyfit (Coined by Modash and I love it!): Think brand lay up moments or co-created creator collabs that break through the noise. How? Through innovatively telling a human story that isn’t an obvious fit at first (through data and niche), but is already a brand fan.
Examples: @romeoshow’s Dr. Pepper jingle being elevated to a campaign or Anthony Po’s Kid with Crocs co-created stunt campaign or on a smaller scale: A momfluencer packing her skincare for a girls trip. (Plug: Modash’s search helps with searching for finding creators based on what they post VS data alone.)
📈 Results: May vary depending how the campaign “yes ands” the story. Potentially high earned media, high reach, building brand equity or not much at all. Or something in the middle!
🚩 Red flags: Unknown ROI. (But I am convinced this is the present and future of influencer marketing and is worth shooting the shots!)
More about Storyfit here: https://www.modash.io/blog/story-fit-influencers
So… What do we think? Would you add this to your next strategy deck or nah? Orrrr is it too late, will “influencer” always be the word to describe all these levels of strategic marketing?
*sips tea*
XOXO Lady Socialdown