Industry surveyLinqia, 2026

Creative strategy is the top thing marketers want from an influencer partner

Vendor & agency management

Reader Note:: This is a ranked preference, not a measured performance outcome.
Evidence:: Stated intention
Vendor interest:: High — This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
Sample:: Survey of over 200 enterprise marketers; selection method and further sample details not disclosed in the provided source text.

Good for

Reading the mood, and deciding what to test yourself.

Predicting what people will actually do. Intentions and behaviour come apart.
This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
The source says how much it looked at, but not how any of it was chosen.

Hybrid (in-house + agency) was the most common way brands ran creator marketing

How brands manage creator marketing: in-house, agency, or hybrid approaches
Management approach	Share of brands (%)
Hybrid model (mix of in-house and agency)	37%
In house - using creator marketing software	24%
In house - no creator marketing software	11%
Partnering with agencies for ad-hoc activations or campaigns	15%
Full service agency	14%
Other	1%

Brand safety and compliance topped agencies’ creator marketing challenges

Top Challenges for Agencies in Creator Marketing Programs
Challenge	Agencies (%)
Ensuring creator suitability, risk mitigation, or legal compliance	36%
Managing expectations from clients	35%
Finding the right opportunities for clients	32%
Demonstrating measurable impact or ROI	32%
Fueling creative and content supply chain for clients	29%

49%

of marketers plan to use a specialist influencer marketing agency to execute their work in 2026

Our Substack turns the data behind these cards into full breakdowns: what changed, why, and what to do about it.

48%

of enterprise agencies saw increased client demand to integrate influencer content across other paid channels

62%

of CMOs identify finding the right external people as their biggest talent challenge

Clients are increasingly expecting guidance on AI from influencer marketing agencies

Biggest shift in client expectations of influencer marketing agencies vs last year
Expectation	Agencies overall (%)	Enterprise agencies (%)
Strategic guidance on AI, automation, or new platforms	48%	52%
More focus on measurable ROI	40%	44%
Faster campaign turnaround times	40%	41%
Integration with paid media / cross-channel performance	38%	48%
Deeper creator vetting and brand safety protocols	38%	39%