LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES INFLUENCER MARKETING WORK IN 2026.
In this episode, I’m joined by Chelsea Evans, founder and CEO of Momfluence, to break down what brands are getting wrong about influencer marketing, UGC, gifting, and working with creators. We’re talking about why smaller creators can often outperform bigger names, why authenticity matters more than perfectly scripted content, and how to think about influencers as part of your broader marketing ecosystem. Not a magic sales button.
We’re also getting very tactical about what to do with a $10,000 influencer marketing budget, how to structure gifting campaigns, what metrics actually matter, and why the content you get from creators may be far more valuable than the immediate sales it generates.
If you’ve tried influencer marketing and thought “this doesn’t work for my brand,” this conversation might completely change the way you look at it.
In this episode:
- Why influencer marketing isn’t the instant sales machine it used to be
- The reason smaller creators can outperform creators with millions of followers
- How to tell the difference between influencer marketing and UGC
- Why brands need to stop over-controlling creator content
- The gifting strategy that can actually make sense for smaller brands
- How to make the most of a $10K influencer marketing budget
- Why content quality and CPM can matter more than immediate sales
- The role of whitelisting, retargeting, and paid ads in making influencer content work
- What brands should actually be testing before deciding influencer marketing “doesn’t work”
- Where TikTok Shop, affiliate marketing, and creator marketing are headed next
Connect with Chelsea:
Website: https://momfluence.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momfluence.co/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-clark-momfluence
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