How to Build Strong Influencer Relationships for Long-Term Success

Most brands get influencer marketing wrong. They treat creators like ad spaces — buying posts, chasing metrics, and hoping for quick wins. But if you want sustainable, compounding growth, you need to flip that mindset. This blog breaks down the problem with transactional influencer marketing and shows you how a relationship-first approach can turn creators into long-term brand advocates — not just temporary promoters.

Understanding Transactional Influencer Marketing

The internet is full of “best practices” for influencer marketing. Most of them written by people with the aim to scale transactions, not relationships. Here’s what the transactional model typically involves:

1. Metrics Over Meaning

This approach treats creators like ad units. It starts and ends with follower count, engagement rate, and demographic filters. If the numbers look good, they’re hired.

But would you hire a candidate just because they got straight A’s, without checking whether they truly understood the material?

This is what you’re doing when you only use metrics and filters to pick influencers. You hire “straight-A” influencers who don’t perform in the real world.

For example, this Instagram creator has an engagement rate of 1.22% which may seem low compared to Median in the same niche, but when you look at their content is when you realize that the content isn't super promotional and the creator documents their day-to-day lifestyle and skincare routines making the creator more authentic & relatable.

2. Hiring From Marketplaces

Influencer marketplaces commodify people. They reduce your potential advocates to a list of stats and rates. Everyone is treated the same — and priced accordingly.

The worst part? The marketplace owns the relationship. If you stop using the platform, your entire network vanishes. That’s not a growth channel. That’s a rented list.

3. Chasing Short-Term ROI

The transactional mindset is obsessed with quick results: “How much revenue did this influencer bring in?” That leads to one-off collabs, uninspired posts, and zero brand love.

It’s not just bad for your results — it’s bad for the influencer too. They become walking ad boards, not passionate advocates. That reflects in their content, and ultimately in your ROI.

For example, this particular video from MKBHD received a lot of criticism for being too promotional and apparently, being paid by Apple to say good things:

The Pitfalls of Transactional Influencer Marketing

Here’s what goes wrong when you treat influencer marketing like paid media:

• You choose poor-fit creators. A creator with high engagement but no alignment with your brand values will never deliver meaningful results.

For example, Snoop Dogg once went super-viral for his "I'm quitting smoke" post, which turned out to be a PR stunt for a pit brand and he received backlash for it. This is why you don't partner up with influencers & creators who don't align with your brand values. False messaging & PR fails will do more damage than good.

• Your content feels lifeless. If influencers don’t genuinely care, their posts feel forced and unpersuasive.
• Your influencer program stalls. Once the campaign is over, there’s no relationship to build on, so you start from scratch every time.
• You don’t own the relationship. Marketplaces often control access to creators. If you leave the platform, you lose all your influencer contacts.

Embracing a Relationship-First Influencer Strategy

The best brands — the ones that don’t rely on paid ads forever — treat influencers like long-term partners. They build real relationships. Here’s how you do it:

Look Beyond the Numbers

Start by evaluating alignment. Does this creator talk about the same values your brand stands for? Do they speak about it consistently and authentically?

For example, Gymshark partners with only fitness enthusiasts and athletes for their ambassador program:

Ask yourself:

• Do I enjoy this creator’s content?
• Would I follow them if I wasn’t doing this for work?
• Do they interact meaningfully with their audience?

Charisma, consistency, and connection > metrics.

Lead With a Give

Most influencers are bombarded with DMs asking for promotions. Don’t be another pitch. Instead, give first.

Send them a free product — no strings attached. Best case, they love it and post organically. Worst case, they don’t post but are open to future paid collabs.

For example, Obvi sent their supplements for free to ideal creators:

This also acts as a filter. If they don’t like the product enough to mention it, why would you want them promoting it?

Giving doesn’t stop there. Offer milestone bonuses, exclusive discounts for their audience, custom giveaways — whatever makes them feel seen and supported.

Build Real Relationships

Don’t ghost creators after the first campaign. If something works, double down. Try different placements, new formats, test content styles.

For example, Sephora creates temporary studios and 'content booths' with different themes so that varied & maximum type of content is created whenever they host a yearly event.

If a paid post underperforms, don’t cut ties. Add them to your affiliate program. Invite them to test new products. Keep nurturing.

This is how you get advocates — not ad slots.

Steps to Implement a Relationship-First Influencer Strategy

Here’s how to put this mindset into action:

Step 1: Identify aligned creators‍

Don’t just chase follower counts or engagement rates. Instead, focus on creators who actually align with your brand’s values and mission. Ask: Do they believe in the same things you do?

Are they speaking to the same kind of audience you're targeting? Go through their content — not just their highlight reels, but past promotions too. This will give you a sense of how they talk about products, how persuasive they are, and whether their tone feels authentic. That alignment is what leads to real influence — not just impressions.

Step 2: Give before you ask‍

Before you ask for a post, show up with a gift. Send your product — no strings attached. This gesture not only sets you apart from the hundreds of brands sliding into their DMs but also gives the creator a chance to genuinely try (and hopefully love) your product.

If they vibe with it, there’s a good chance they’ll share it organically. And if they don’t? That’s useful info too. Either way, it builds goodwill and trust, which you’ll need later.

Step 3: Build genuine relationships‍

Influencers are not vendors. They’re people. Stay in touch the same way you would with any partner — leave thoughtful comments on their posts, reply to their stories, and check in from time to time. Don’t let the relationship fizzle after a single post. A tool like SARAL helps you track all your interactions so you don’t forget who you’ve connected with, when you last reached out, or who might need a follow-up. Think of it like a CRM for influencer relationships.

‍Step 4: Keep giving value‍

Once you’ve worked with a creator and things go well, level up the relationship. Offer higher affiliate commissions once they hit certain milestones. Share custom discounts for their audience. Run fun giveaways together. Make it easy — and rewarding — for them to keep sharing your product.

Obvi offers multiple commission tiers based on influencer performance:

This reinforces the idea that they’re more than a paid billboard — they’re a valued partner helping build your brand.

Step 5: Think long-term‍

Don’t treat each collab like a one-time transaction. Think of it as an ongoing experiment. Try out different content formats (videos, unboxings, reviews), channels (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram), or even campaign angles with the same creator. The goal isn’t just a single post — it’s turning that creator into a genuine brand advocate. The kind who’ll talk about your product at dinner parties, not just in #sponsored content.

Benefits of Relationship-Based Influencer Marketing

Switching to a relationship-first approach gives you real, compounding growth:

1. More organic posts – When creators truly like your product, they’ll post about it without being asked or paid every time. That kind of genuine enthusiasm can’t be bought but can be earned through authentic relationships.

Obvi's TikTok account is filled with creator content:

1. Better content quality – Influencers who believe in what they’re promoting create more authentic content. Their posts don’t feel scripted or forced, which makes them more persuasive and relatable to their audience.
2. Long-term ROI – Instead of paying for one-off posts, you’re investing in creators who become long-term brand advocates. This compounds over time as they continue to mention you across different campaigns and platforms.
3. Scalable program – Relationship-first doesn’t mean slow. Start by focusing on quality, and once your system is working (with tools like SARAL), you can scale without losing the human touch.
4. Stronger brand trust – People trust creators who consistently share things they actually care about. If your product becomes one of those things, your brand earns long-term credibility with their audience.

This is how you build a flywheel that doesn’t require you to constantly trade time and money for reach.

Real-Life Examples Of Brands Focused on Influencer Relationships:

1. Glossier

Glossier didn’t rely on mega-celebrities. Instead, they built relationships with real users, aestheticians, dieticians, and lifestyle creators. These creators believed in the brand, shared it authentically, and built a loyal, cult-like following over time.

‍2. Gymshark

Gymshark turned early fitness YouTubers and athletes into long-term ambassadors. They sent out gear, featured creators on their platforms, and built a true sense of community. Their influencers weren’t just promoters — they were brand family.

‍3. Liquid Death

The water brand worked with quirky creators and bands who aligned with their edgy personality. Rather than blasting one-off ads, Liquid Death nurtured repeat collaborations that kept the brand relevant in subcultures.

These brands didn’t rent attention. They earned it — by building trust, staying consistent, and giving value first.

Final Thoughts:

The best influencer programs aren’t built on one-off posts or endless negotiations — they’re built on real relationships. When you focus on finding aligned creators, giving before asking, and nurturing long-term partnerships, you create a compounding engine for growth. It’s slower at first, but the results last longer and cost less over time. Tools like SARAL help you manage this relationship-first approach at scale — from gifting to follow-ups to tracking content and performance.

Think of it as your Influencer Marketing 101 go-to-toolkit—helping brands like yours:

• Discover high-performing nano influencers in your specific niche
• Track engagement rates and audience authenticity in real-time
• Manage multiple creator relationships from one dashboard
• Measure ROI and sales attribution for each partnership
• Scale your influencer program without scaling complexity

Leading brands like Brez, Obvi, and Branch are already using SARAL to build powerful nano-influencer networks that drive consistent sales and authentic engagement. Don't waste time scrolling through social media or overpaying on marketplaces.

Book a 30-min personalized demo today and join brands that are getting better results with nano influencers.