Influencers Want Fair Pay and Creative Control, Not Brand Fame

Last week we looked at Sprout Social’s findings on Gen Z being open to AI influencers and caring less about authenticity. Now the same research reveals what human influencers actually want from brand partnerships.

Spoiler alert: it’s not what most marketers think.

Values Beat Popularity Every Time

Here’s what shocked us most. When picking brand partners, 61% of influencers prioritise value alignment over everything else. Meanwhile, only 7% care about the brand’s popularity or reach.

Budget transparency comes second at 59%. Influencers want brands to be upfront about payment instead of playing guessing games. Makes sense – nobody likes wondering if they’ll get paid fairly.

Audience alignment ranks third at 41%. Creative control sits at 21%. But get this – ease of working with brands only matters to 8% of influencers. They’ll deal with difficult partners if the other stuff aligns.

Let’s Talk Money

Nearly half of influencers charge $250-$1,000 per post. The breakdown looks like this:

• 24% charge $251-$500
• 23% charge $501-$1,000
• only 15% charge over $1,000
• 32% work for under $250

Volume deals make things interesting. 71% of influencers offer discounts for multiple posts, with another 25% considering it. Long-term relationships benefit everyone – brands get better rates, influencers get steady income.

Short Videos Rule Everything

Influencers love creating short-form content.

• 53% prefer 15-30 second videos
• 50% like 31-60 second videos
• 43% want content under 15 seconds.
• static image posts still matter to 48%, while 42% enjoy live video

Long-form content over 60 seconds? Only 27% are interested. And here’s what they really avoid: interviews (19%), content takeovers (14%), and evergreen activations (5%). These formats take more time and resources, making them riskier bets.

The Creative Input Problem

This is where brands mess up big time. 65% of influencers wish they could join creative or product development conversations earlier, instead of just following rigid briefs.

When asked how to improve partnerships, 35% want earlier involvement in creative brainstorming. Another 30% want input on product development before promotions even start.

Think about it – influencers live and breathe internet culture. They understand audiences deeply. But most brands treat them like hired content creators rather than strategic partners. This represents a significant lost opportunity.

Everyone Agrees on Success Metrics

At least brands and influencers align in measuring success. Both focus on social media engagement (likes, shares, comments) and link traffic. Influencers also track follower growth and website traffic during campaigns.

Good news: 45% of brands always share performance results with influencers, while 48% sometimes do. This transparency helps influencers understand what works and improve future content.

Quality Content Matters First

93% of influencers check a brand’s existing social content before agreeing to partnerships. Poor organic content signals the brand doesn’t understand social media, making collaborations less appealing.

Brands with weak social presence need influencer help most, but influencers prefer working with brands already creating good content.

The Partnership Disconnect

The research exposes a fundamental gap. Brands often approach influencers as hired content creators, but influencers want to be strategic partners.

Only 16% of influencers want brands to embrace more lo-fi content instead of polished work. Most are willing to create quality content – they just want input on strategy and creative direction.

What Smart Brands Actually Do

The data points to clear fixes:

• Pay transparently: clear budget structures matter more than brand popularity. Stop making influencers guess about compensation.
• Involve influencers in strategy: their audience insights could boost campaign performance. Bring them into creative conversations earlier.
• Focus on values alignment: shared values beat follower counts every time. Authentic partnerships outperform forced collaborations.
• Build long-term relationships: multi-post deals benefit both sides. Influencers offer discounts; brands get consistent content.
• Fix your own content first: influencers judge brands by their existing social presence. Strengthen your organic strategy before seeking partnerships.

The Reality Check

Successful influencer partnerships require treating creators as strategic partners, not just content producers. Brands prioritising fair compensation, creative input, and values alignment will build stronger relationships and better results.

The influencer economy is maturing fast. Creators know their worth and want partnerships that respect their expertise, not just their follower counts.