The essential influencer marketing trends for 2026

Updated 31.10.2026

Are you ready for 2026?

It’s that time of year again - the time where it’s time to predict the trends of the coming year and find some way to apply them to your business strategy.

After having conversations internally, with customers, and analyzing the results of thousands of campaigns conducted this past year, we’re happy to share what we believe will be the dominant influencer marketing trends of 2026.

Shoutout to two of our amazing talents who also contributed, @altinbubba and @plantbasedcouple!

1. From campaigns to long-term partnerships

Last year, we saw a shift towards long-term partnerships with influencers instead of running one-off campaigns. And there's good reason for it! It's far easier to get results from a partnership built on trust, alignment, and shared goals.

Short-term campaigns can deliver quick visibility, but they rarely build genuine audience connection. As @plantbasedcouple notes, “One-time partnerships or ads are not the way to go. Long-term campaigns are needed to build trust and sustainable growth.”

Creators who work with a brand repeatedly become authentic ambassadors. They weave your product into their ongoing story rather than treating it as a one-time mention. That consistency deepens audience trust and drives measurable results over time.

So how can you make the most of this trend? Invest in relationships, not transactions. Find creators who truly fit your brand's values and audience, and give them the space to grow alongside you.

2. Authenticity is still everything

If there’s one theme that’s louder than ever, it’s authenticity. Audiences in 2026 are savvier, more selective, and less interested in polished perfection. They want to see real people, relatable moments, and honest opinions.

“Keeping things really down-to-earth and relatable is going to be key,” says @altinbubba. “If you’re real and relatable, you’ve done most of your job.”

For @plantbasedcouple, this means leaning into storytelling and personal insights rather than overly produced content. “Authenticity combined with personal insights and good storytelling will be more relevant than high-polished content,” they explain.

So what does that mean for you? I know it's tempting to put rigid brand guidelines in place and tell influencers to stick to the script. But you should allow creators to stay true to their voice and style and avoid over-scripting. Give them some boundaries instead of rigid guardrails, and I guarantee you'll be amazed by the results.

3. Communication and collaboration are the new superpowers

Our creators agree: the difference between a smooth partnership and a frustrating one often comes down to communication. And it's a fine line to walk.

Sometimes, briefs are too vague or overloaded with bullet points. Other times, they are overly restrictive, leaving no room for creative freedom. (Remember what we just said about boundaries vs guardrails?) In both cases, the results suffer.

“Clearer, simpler briefs would help keep things on track,” says @altinbubba, suggesting that even a short video can be more effective than a long PDF. Meanwhile, @plantbasedcouple encourages brands to involve creators early in campaign planning. “In a perfect world, the brand and the creator would develop together how a successful partnership looks for both sides.”

While you have your business goals, creators know how to inspire action in their audience. So why don't you bring them in earlier in the process? This also gives creators more time to brainstorm ideas and plan their content.

Simplify your briefings, communicate your goals transparently, and invite creators into the process. Collaboration breeds creativity (and performance).

Fredman saved up to 70% by outsourcing influencer marketing - read how they did it here.

4. AI as a tool, not a replacement

Artificial intelligence is reshaping creative workflows, but every creator we spoke with emphasized one truth: AI can assist, but not replace, human creativity.

Both @altinbubba and @plantbasedcouple use AI to speed up repetitive tasks like caption writing or brainstorming ideas, but their creative essence like tone, humor, storytelling - that remains human.

At Boksi, we’ve seen this same balance emerge across our platform. AI tools help brands and creators streamline their workflows, but the best-performing content still comes from real experiences, emotions, and intuition.

AI is an amazing tool to enhance productivity, but not every task is better with AI. The best creative campaigns and efforts come from that human spark and authenticity. Audiences are getting better at sniffing out AI-generated content, whether it be a script or an image. So instead, focus on how AI can do the boring work that's taking you away from your creative work!

5. Consumers trust influencers more than ever... but only the right ones

Influencers have great influence with their audience (crazy, right?). However, not all influencers are made equal.

An estimated 900 million internet users use ad-blockers on some level (about 42.7% of all internet users), and marketers have had to adapt. While digital marketing efforts can go through rough patches and golden highs, influencer marketing continues to grow and is proven to cut through the noise.

However, consumers are still selective about who they trust. We're tired of being sold to everywhere we go (see adblocker usage above). That's why we're drawn to people who have similar interests and provide genuine recommendations about products, companies, and more.

So if you want great results from influencer marketing, you're gonna have to do some homework. Find influencers who share the same values your brand does, is in the same niche, and has an audience who truly cares about what you offer.

This is easier said than done. But luckily, Boksi makes it simple. Our Creator Discovery Tool gives you access to over 250 million profiles on Instagram and TikTok, with powerful filtering options so you can easily find the perfect creators for your next collab.

6. Quality content over quantity

We're entering into a phase where quality and relatability outweigh volume. @altinbubba predicts “a push for higher quality standards and a strong emphasis on authenticity," and we're inclined to agree.

The future isn’t about flooding feeds with posts. It’s about delivering fewer, better stories that people actually remember. Well-crafted narratives, consistent formats, and creative originality are becoming the new markers of excellence.

In the end, it all comes down to telling a story that we can relate to. While others go wide, you can break through the noise with quality that stops the scroll and makes us feel something.

7. Expanding how we measure success

Many brands still evaluate influencer performance based on clicks or conversions. But as @plantbasedcouple points out, “Brands should look beyond just reach, link clicks, and ROAS.”

The most successful campaigns deliver broader outcomes: brand visibility, reputation lift, and community engagement. These can’t always be measured in a single dashboard, but they drive long-term growth.

And just like any other partnership, you can't judge everything on the first results. The best results from influencer marketing take time. But once it gets rolling, oh man, does it roll.

It's the same with every initiative. Does every blog post hit #1 on Google instantly? Does every social media post go viral? Does every deal closed break records?

No, no, and no. But those efforts compound over time to bring results that are greater than the sum of their parts.

So don't focus on conversion metrics from the get-go. Instead, focus on your brand visibility, reputation, and community engagement. Then the conversions will come.

Oh, and we have a great article on influencer marketing ROI here. No matter if you're a veteran of multiple influencer campaigns, or looking to get started, this article will help you out!

Mitsuba Snacks gets cost-effective content for all their social channels - read how they do it here.

8. Building communities, not just audiences

Creators today see themselves as community builders, not broadcasters. They doing more than sitting on the other side of the screen, telling us what's what. They're responding to messages, engaging with comments, and creating regular content formats that strengthen our sense of connection with them.

This two-way relationship gives creators unique insight into what their followers want. And when a creator speaks, you should take notes. When you trust your creators, you gain access not just to their reach, but to their relationship with their audience.

So support creators who prioritize engagement. Their communities will reward that genuine connection with loyalty and advocacy for your brand.

Partnership, authenticity, and trust will define 2026

Influencer marketing in 2026 is about maturity. The tools are smarter, the audiences sharper, and the expectations higher. But the core principles remain timeless: authenticity, collaboration, and trust.

Brands that invest in real partnerships, respect creator creativity, and think long-term will stand out in an increasingly crowded space.

At Boksi, we’re proud to help brands and creators make those connections happen — creating campaigns that not only perform, but truly resonate.