Is it just me, or is influencer-sponsored content getting boring?

Not all of it, but a lot of it. It’s just become so...predictable. And it's not because creators aren’t creative. They are (it’s in their name). I think it’s us. Marketers.

We’re playing it too safe.

We write briefs that strip out personality, give feedback that removes anything interesting, ask for “authenticity,” and then slowly edit it out in the approval process. 

The result? Content that’s technically “on-brand” but emotionally off. It looks nice. It’s palatable. And totally skippable. 

What’s frustrating is that I know it can be better. You probably know it can be better. 

You’ve seen those posts—the ones that caught you off guard, the ones you sent to a friend or bookmarked for later.

So why is the good stuff so rare? 

I think it’s because we’ve slipped into a few habits that slowly kill creativity.

And these habits reward the wrong metrics and push both creators and marketers to play it safe.

So, let’s talk about these bad habits and how to do better.

But first…

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Bad habit #1: Treating creators like ad slots

You’ve probably seen it. (Maybe you’ve even done it.)

A brand hires a creator, sends over a deliverables list, a prescriptive brief, maybe even a script with timestamps and mandatory phrases. There's no room for the creator’s voice, style, or instincts. Just: “Say this. Show that. Post on Tuesday.”

This is influencer marketing that sees creators as media placements. They are interchangeable, controllable, and easy to swap out when needed.

When that’s your process, don’t be surprised when you’re unhappy with the results. You end up with content no one is proud of—not the brand, not the creator, and not the person watching. The person watching isn’t even watching — they yeeted out so fast it barely counts as a view.

Often, creators aren’t even hired for their creativity. We pick them because they’re cheap, fast, or have a big following. The result? Distribution without connection. A post that reaches people who never asked for it, and doesn’t give them a reason to care.

When I think about the best sponsored content I’ve seen (the stuff I actually save), it looks like the creator was trusted to make something only they could make.

Surfshark is a great example. They consistently let YouTubers build ad reads in their own tone. Sometimes it’s a sketch. Sometimes it’s dry and self-aware. Sometimes it barely even sounds like an ad. And it works because the creator controls how the message shows up.

That kind of content feels like a recommendation. People listen. And performance tends to follow.

So if you want content that connects, try this:

• Stop writing scripts. Start writing goals.
  

• Instead of “say this,” try “make people feel this.”
  

• And if you picked a creator for their audience, trust them to know how to reach it.
  

You don’t need to micromanage creative people to get results. You need to give them enough space to do the work you hired them for.

Bad habit #2: Being “data-driven” — but not looking at all the data

This one’s personal for me. I come from a content marketing background. We were always told to be data-driven. Talking to customers was a no-go. It was faster and easier to just check Google keywords.

So that’s what we did. We optimized for search volume, we ranked, and the numbers looked good.

But we weren’t learning anything. Keywords never told us why people cared. Just what they typed. Eventually, we were writing the same blog posts as everyone else. Slightly different titles. Same shallow answers. It was a race to the bottom, and it felt yucky. 

I see the same thing happening in influencer marketing.

We default to follower count because it’s easy to sort, easy to report, easy to explain. But it ignores the signals that actually matter.

Like:

• Does this creator talk about products like yours already?
  

• Do their followers trust them?
  

• Are they a good storyteller?
  

• Do they even want to promote this, or are they just in it for the paycheck?

That’s data, too. You just have to look for it.

If you want campaigns that people will remember, start with creators who care, who want to make good content, and who are excited to share it.

That’s when the content feels real. That’s when people pay attention. And that’s when the numbers start to look good again.

Bad habit #3: Optimizing the creativity out of the process

Even when a great idea makes it into a brief or a draft. You know, something bold, unexpected, or actually fun — it often doesn’t survive.

Legal wants to change a line. Brand edits out a joke. Someone flags a phrase as “off-tone.” By the time the final version goes live, all the spark is gone.

You know the feeling when you see a sponsored post and think, “hey, gotta pay those bills, I guess.”

That’s how Liam Moroney put it in a recent comment and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Because you can feel it. The audience knows when an influencer is just going through the motions.

And when that’s the vibe, nobody wins. Not the brand, not the creator, and not the person scrolling past.

The best content doesn’t feel like it was made under supervision. It feels like the creator believed in what they were saying, like they had fun making it, and like there was trust in the collaboration.

If you’re in a role where you can protect that trust, do it.

• Push back on edits that don’t matter.

• Make fewer comments.

• Don’t let internal nervousness kill a good idea. (The best ideas will always make someone nervous!)

Creativity is fragile. And if you’re lucky enough to have a creator who’s excited, weird, or brave with their concept, your job is to help that idea survive.

How Bolt expanded to 50+ countries using influencer marketing

Join Piia Õunpuu, Bolt’s Global Influencer Marketing Manager, for a behind-the-scenes look at how her team uses creators to launch in places like Toronto, Tallinn, and everywhere in between.

On Wednesday, June 18, you’ll learn how to:

• Pick creators by market readiness, not vibes

• Launch without losing trust (or money)

• Build tiered campaigns that plug into your full marketing strategy

RSVP here - it’s free! 

Can’t make it live? Register anyway and we’ll send the replay.

The Out of Office Haul

Yes, I read your automatic out-of-office replies. All of them. I love to see what this little community is up to. It's become a weird ritual for me, so I thought I’d share with all of you.

Here’s what ROI readers are up to last week:

• Attending the ABC Expo

• Out sick (3 of you! sending group soup emojis 🥣)

• On vacation — 14 of you. Fourteen!

• Launching something big for press 👀

• 4 left their role (congrats if it was on purpose)

• Client shoot day

• Sailing through the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show

• Attending Texas Frightmare Weekend (👻 incredible vibe shift)

• Giving a talk today (Hope you killed it!)

• Celebrating their son’s high school graduation 🎓(they grow up so fast)

See you all next week (or in your next out-of-office reply).
Eleni Zoe xx
Marketing @ Modash. Say hi on LinkedIn or visit Modash.

📌A NOTE ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST READ

The tips in this newsletter might not be right for your specific case. Use good judgment when deciding whether to take advice from the internet—even mine. My team and I survey & interview influencer marketers whose advice and observations come from their direct experience. ROI is meant for you to connect the dots and be inspired or challenged to think about your influencer marketing in a way you haven’t before.