Influencer Marketing Matures: Budgets Rise and TikTok Gains Ground

Influencer marketing has firmly established itself as a core component of brand communication strategies, moving beyond experimentation to turn into a structural element of the marketing mix. According to the Reech 2026 study, 83% of advertisers have undertaken at least one influencer marketing campaign in the past two years, a 9-percentage-point increase since 2022 [1].

Long-Term Integration

The maturity of the market is reflected in the longevity of these practices. Two-thirds of brands have integrated influencer marketing into their strategies for at least three years, with one in five active for over seven years [1]. This shift demonstrates a transformation from a fleeting trend to a sustainable communication tool.

High Perceived Effectiveness

Advertisers overwhelmingly believe in the power of influencer marketing. 94% consider it a high-performing lever, and 98% anticipate its continued growth within brand communication strategies [1].

Key Objectives: Awareness and Brand Building

Even as versatile, influencer marketing is primarily utilized for building brand awareness. Campaigns are highly effective in launching new products or services (97% of respondents), strengthening brand recognition (96%), and fostering brand preference (90%) [1]. Direct sales generation is viewed as less certain, with 64% expressing positive opinions.

TikTok’s Ascendancy

Instagram remains a dominant platform, but TikTok is rapidly gaining prominence in influencer strategies. 86% of agencies and 64% of brands now utilize TikTok for their campaigns, an unprecedented level of adoption for a platform challenging Instagram’s position [1].

This growth comes at the expense of other platforms. Facebook has experienced a significant decline and now ranks fourth, used by only 22% of brands and 14% of agencies. Pinterest and X (formerly Twitter) are too seeing reduced activity in influencer marketing [1]. YouTube maintains its third-place position, while Twitch and Snapchat are showing growth, particularly among agencies.

Professionalization of Collaborations

The market is becoming more professionalized in how collaborations are managed. Brands prioritize creators based on the quality and credibility of their audience. Engagement rate is the top selection criterion (79%), followed by audience demographics (67%) and the absence of fake followers (62%) [1].

Creator alignment with brand values remains crucial, cited by 82% of respondents. 70% also monitor for potential controversies that could damage a collaboration.

Financial Remuneration Becomes Standard

Financial compensation is increasingly standard practice. It’s now part of 86% of campaigns managed by agencies and 68% of those directly handled by brands [1], signaling a decline in the practice of simply providing products in exchange for promotion.

More Detailed Briefs

Collaborations are becoming more structured, with advertisers including an average of 3.4 elements in their briefs, up from 3.1 in the previous study. There’s increased focus on the number of content pieces expected and clear editorial objectives [1].

Rising Budgets and Competitive Landscape

The growth of influencer marketing is reflected in rising budgets, with annual investments exceeding 100,000 euros for companies with over 1,000 employees. For 58% of brands, these budgets are drawn directly from existing marketing or communications funds, indicating that influencer marketing now competes with traditional advertising channels [1].

Nearly seven out of ten companies anticipate further budget increases for influencer marketing in the next two years, solidifying its position as a key communication strategy.