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Influencer Marketing (Post-Launch)

Pay creators to put your product in front of their audience, and measure every deal with its own link or code. Treat each creator like an ad channel you can renew, grow or cut.

Cost
$$
Time to results
Weeks
Difficulty
Medium
Best for
B2C
0/7

Proof first

6 companies already did this.

Six examples, not eight: most influencer results online come from agencies selling the service. These come from filings, the companies or reputable press.

Deep dives

Two case studies, start to finish.

AG1 — buy a run, not a read

AG1 · 2022

Podcast host reads · 700+ shows

What they built: host-read ads with a vanity URL per show

What they didAG1 built its direct-to-consumer business on ads read by podcast hosts. Fortune, citing Podscribe data, reports more than $27M spent on podcast ads since 2022, on almost 11,000 episodes of 700+ podcasts in two years. A small in-house team manages the relationships.

Why it workedEach show gets its own vanity URL with tracking tags, and AG1 adds post-purchase surveys because many listeners buy later. Its revenue chief says live host reads beat inserted ads, and that it takes a couple of reads before an audience recognises the brand — so AG1 favours long relationships over one-off buys.

Copy thisGive every creator a unique link, ask buyers how they heard about you, and judge a creator on a run of reads, not one.

Squarespace — manage every host like an ad

Squarespace · 2015–2021

Creators as direct response

What they built: offer codes and custom URLs for each podcast and YouTuber

What they didSquarespace sponsored podcast hosts and YouTube creators for periods from a month to a full year, and tracked each one with offer codes and custom URLs. By 2015 its podcast budget was growing nearly in step with its total marketing budget.

Why it workedIts creators' audiences — makers and small businesses — were its buyers. Its IPO filing says it manages ad performance "at the individual host and creator level" to sharpen direct-response marketing.

Copy thisPick creators whose audience is your buyer, track each one separately, and move money towards the ones that convert.

The guide

7 steps, each anchored to a real example.

Tick each step off as you go. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Step 1 · ~1 day

Know what a customer is worth first

Before paying anyone, work out how much a new customer is worth to you over a year and what you can afford to pay to get one. That number decides every deal.

SpreadsheetStripe / Shopify data

How Squarespace did this step

Illustration

Squarespace manages creator ads at the level of each host and creator, as direct-response marketing — every deal is judged on what it brings in.

Source [3] ↓

Step 2 · ~1 week

Pick creators whose audience is your buyer

Shortlist creators by who watches them, not how many. Ask for audience data, look at comments, and start with mid-sized creators you can afford to test.

ModashYouTube BrandConnectPodscribe

How Notion did this step

Ambassador
Moderator
Member

Illustration

Notion ran about 150 creator partnerships aimed at one audience segment. Its team credits creators for most of the 1 billion views of #Notion on TikTok.

Source [5] ↓

Step 3 · ~2 hours

Give each creator their own link and code

Every creator gets a unique link with tracking tags and a discount code. Without that, you can't tell which deal worked.

UTM linksUnique codesimpact.com

How AG1 did this step

Illustration

AG1 gives each podcast a vanity URL with UTM tags so it can see what each show brings in.

Source [2] ↓

Step 4 · ~1 hour

Brief the creator, then let them speak

Share the key points and what to avoid — not a script. Audiences trust the creator's own words. Paid posts must be labelled as ads (FTC in the US, ASA in the UK).

Creator briefLoom

How AG1 did this step

"Live host reads outperform inserted ads — and it takes a couple of reads before an audience recognises the brand."

Paraphrased — see source

AG1's revenue chief says ads read live by the host have outperformed ads inserted into shows.

Source [2] ↓

Step 5 · ~1 month

Buy a run, not a single post

One mention rarely works. Book three to five reads or posts over a few weeks, then judge the result.

CalendarContract template

How Squarespace did this step

Illustration

Squarespace's podcast sponsorships ran anywhere from a month to a full year.

Source [4] ↓

Step 6 · ~15 min

Ask every buyer how they heard about you

Links and codes miss people who buy days later or on another device. A one-question survey after purchase fills the gap.

Post-purchase surveyTypeformShopify

How AG1 did this step

Illustration

AG1 treats link tracking as a conservative view and adds post-purchase surveys, because many listeners buy later.

Source [2] ↓

Step 7 · ~Monthly

Renew the winners, cut the rest

Every month, compare cost per customer by creator. Renew and grow the ones that pay back; drop the ones that don't. Watch for tracking you can't trust.

SpreadsheetAffiliate dashboard

How Honey did this step

Illustration

Honey sponsored many YouTubers, then was sued in 2025 over claims its browser extension replaced creators' affiliate links at checkout — a reminder that last-click tracking can be gamed.

Source [7] ↓

Before you start

Pros & cons.

Works in your favour

  • Borrowed trust at scale
  • Measurable with unique links, codes and surveys
  • You can start small with mid-sized creators
  • Creators make the ad — and often make it better
  • Works for B2B too (Notion, Squarespace)

Go in with eyes open

  • Attribution leaks: many people buy later, without the code
  • Good creators are booked up and expensive
  • One read rarely works — you need a run
  • Paid posts must be clearly labelled as ads
  • Affiliate and last-click tracking can be gamed

Make it yours

Three ways to run it.

The AG1 model

Podcast host reads

Long runs of host-read ads across many shows, each with its own URL. Best for products people buy after hearing about them more than once.

The Notion model

Many small creators

Lots of creators in one niche, each with a tagged link. Best for software with a visual, teachable product.

The Squarespace model

Creators as direct response

Treat each creator as a measurable ad unit and shift budget to the ones that convert. Best once you know your customer value.

Copy and paste

Templates & resources.

Creator offer email

clear terms, one ask

Subject: Paid partnership — {product} × {creator}

Hi {name},

Your audience of {who} is exactly who {product} is for. We'd like to sponsor {3 reads / 3 videos} over {weeks}.

Offer: {fee} per {read/video}, plus {x}% on sales through your code.
You keep creative control; we'll send a one-page brief.
All posts labelled as ads.

Interested? Happy to send samples first.
{You}

Creator tracking sheet

one row per deal

Creator | Platform | Dates | Cost | Link clicks | Code uses | Survey mentions | Customers | Cost per customer | Renew?
{name} | Podcast | | $ | | | | | $ | Y / N

Post-purchase survey

modeled on AG1's attribution check

Where did you first hear about {product}?
○ A podcast — which one? ____
○ YouTube — which channel? ____
○ Instagram / TikTok — who? ____
○ A friend
○ Search
○ Other ____

From the showcase

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Discussion

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Receipts

Sources & references.

Last reviewed

  1. 1.
    AG1 spent more than $27 million on podcast ads since 2022 (opens in a new tab)

    Fortune, via Yahoo, 2025

  2. 2.
    Athletic Greens on its podcast advertising strategy (opens in a new tab)

    Marketing Brew, 2022

  3. 3.
    Squarespace registration statement (S-1): podcast hosts and YouTube creators (opens in a new tab)

    US SEC, 2021

  4. 4.
    How Squarespace got into podcast advertising — and why it stuck (opens in a new tab)

    AdExchanger, 2015

  5. 5.
    How Notion does marketing: community, influencers and growth (opens in a new tab)

    First Round Review

  6. 6.
    Upstart registration statement (S-1): host-read podcast ads (opens in a new tab)

    US SEC, 2020

  7. 7.
    YouTuber LegalEagle sues PayPal over Honey extension (opens in a new tab)

    TechCrunch, 2025

  8. 8.
    ZipRecruiter registration statement (S-1): advertising costs (opens in a new tab)

    US SEC, 2021

  9. 9.
    Disclosures 101 for social media influencers (opens in a new tab)

    US Federal Trade Commission

  10. 10.
    Recognising ads: social media and influencer marketing (opens in a new tab)

    UK Advertising Standards Authority

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