Hey y’all,

Do fewer things better.

This was the Modash value that made me want to join the company.

And after a decade of needing to 10x every achievement, whether it made sense or not, it was like a breath of fresh air.

Because, at previous companies, it was “do more things, even if you have to publish something that sucks.”

And that’s everywhere. You have to do everything at scale.

How to scale your influencer marketing program. How to scale your campaigns 10X. How to scale LinkedIn engagement with this simple hack.

So here’s my question: Is scaling really what’s going to make the biggest impact?

The answer is not “yes” all the time.

Because everyone talks about scaling – and the idea is quantity. Do more. Get more published. Hire more influencers. Close more deals. Get more customers. 

But quantity is expensive. And I’m here to make the case for scaling at quality – not quantity. 

So now, in this lazy late-August haze, it’s time to slow it down. Let’s take a beat and think about how we can do what we’re already doing better, without necessarily doing more. 

I've been running the survey program at Modash for over two years now, and a recurring theme I've noticed is that finding new influencers is a constant thorn in marketers' sides. 

This came up again in the most recent survey I ran about affiliates. Half of marketers said they were constantly recruiting new affiliates. 

Worse – marketers said that on average, only 30% of their affiliates were even considered active. A third of marketers said that it was less than 20%. 

And the biggest takeaway from that survey was that many marketers were kinda mailing it in. Automated application processes, no real engagement plan, and programs that were ultimately flat. 

So this begs the question: why are we spending so much time on recruitment when a fraction are active? 

Not to be your mom, but you don’t need new influencers, we’ve got influencers at home. 

And you definitely don’t have “new influencers” money. 

Especially when you’ve got a pool of influencers right there – who know your brand and product, and with whom you’ve already started building brand recognition. 

How much time do you spend on outreach? When you add in the follow-ups, negotiation, hiring, and legal back-and-forth, what does that amount to in your hourly wage? How much is recruitment actually costing you, compared to your average ROI?

Imagine pouring the hours you’d spend recruiting, negotiating, and briefing new influencers into a killer engagement program to keep the ones you’ve got active. 

Meaning: 

And even if you split that time between engaging your current influencers and recruiting new ones – you’d still come out better than if you let your creators go cold. 

I’m gonna give you a hot take that isn’t going to be popular – especially with Q4 looming. 

Maybe you should be doing fewer campaigns. 

Is it possible that the number of campaigns you’re doing is actually stopping you from doing better campaigns?

If you’re already planning and outreaching for the next campaign before the previous one has wrapped, are you really taking the time to: 

Sometimes, more campaigns isn’t always the answer. The answer can also be to sit down and actually think for a bit. 

It can be strategizing with your ads team (unless that’s also you) on the best ways to use repurposed creator content. 

It can be spending a few days going through comments on posts that worked (and didn’t) and figuring out what really matters to your potential customers. 

It can even be building relationships with your best creators. You know – the stuff that got you into this business in the first place. 

But if you’re constantly running behind the ball – none of that is possible. 

And if you’re not able to take the time to think through a campaign, past, present, or future – you’re scaling in name only. Because you’re just doing more of the same. 

The cost? Losing out on the insights, investing into the wrong creators/campaigns/messages, and ultimately wasting a ton of time and budget in the process. 

I am the queen of doing too much and then getting stressed for no reason. And I think as much as this is a letter to you, it’s a letter to myself too. 

We all benefit from taking a step back and asking ourselves: “Is this really the most important thing I could be doing?”

Sometimes it’s not, and you pivot. Sometimes you stay the course because you’re getting something else out of it. 

Both are valid. Just remember that sometimes taking the time to do something better can be more valuable in the long run. <3

Writing this instead of what I’m supposed to be doing, 
Whitney 🦇
Content R&D at Modash. Send hate mail to LinkedIn 

Have you saved your seat for Return on Influence Festival '26? An entire day dedicated to influencer marketing with speakers running some of the best programs in the world. 

If you like this newsletter even a little, you’ll LOVE our festival.

It’s free, it’s online, and you’ll take away something you can apply to your job the very next day. Scout’s honor!

Save your spot now

So Eleni reminded me of this guy during a meeting today, and it got me thinking about how hilarious he is. If you haven’t come across Jordan the Stallion (as some people in that meeting hadn’t), allow me this introduction.

Who they are: Jordan Howlett, aka Jordan the Stallion

Why he’s worth a follow: Jordan is by no means a “small” influencer – the man has amassed a huge following. He went viral with his “Secret Food Club,” where he’d divulge secrets to making famous food at home. 

He’s also known for throwing his glasses when he eats something really good. 

Dream collab: Well, my idea was a glasses company, but it appears that I’m the last person with that idea. Alternatively, a company with a super-secret formula collaborating with him to see if he can recreate their recipe and run a blind taste test would also be really cool.

That said, this guy has run the gamut of food, home appliance, travel, and lifestyle brands – and the one thing they all have in common is that they trust Jordan to be creative in how he presents their products. When you find an influencer known for their creativity, letting them just do their thing will result in better content! 

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