WFA sees 54% of multinational brands boosting influencer spending — with more relying on agencies to find creators

“Budgets will reflect this as will the increased usage of partners with expertise in influencer marketing,” said Will Gilroy, director of communications and strategy at WFA. “But this opportunity is a double-edged sword unless we get it right through responsible practices.”

To navigate the creator ecosystem, brands are increasingly partnering with influencer agencies to manage their influencer marketing and to identify influencers, rising in usage from nearly 54% in 2019 to almost 74% currently, or a 20% increase, according to WFA research. Most of the work is going to influencer-focused agencies (79%), while social media agencies saw 54% increase in usage and PR agencies saw 51%.

Digital marketing agency Wpromote, meanwhile, reported seeing clients increasing influencer spend between 33% to 54% from 2024 to 2025, according to Ana Arnet, head of influencer and affiliate at the agency.

As budgets have grown, though, brands are also coming to agencies with higher expectations, looking for more measurements and strategic input. “Brands now expect a strategic approach backed by insights, not just creativity, which has pushed us to continually innovate,” said Joe Gagliese, cofounder and co-CEO at Viral Nation.

Agencies are also seeing more work come in as clients have to keep pace with content creation. Wes Whitener, co-founder and creative director of creative shop Guesthouse, said that clients working with influencers are asking for more creative ideas for their “clients who desperately need daily social content from every source possible to keep social feeds flowing.”

The types of opportunities and budget allocations are also shifting as the creator space grows. Eva Wasko, senior vp of public relations and influencer at independent agency Allen & Gerritsen, finds more brands want to consider long-term partnerships, like ambassador programs. Wasko did not provide figures, but influencer agency Billion Dollar Boy’s research last year found that 73% of marketers planned to invest in more ambassador programs in the next 12 months.

Client conversations are also not always about increasing the size of the budget but where the money comes from for them. “Before, it would either be [out-of-pocket] dollars supplementing a PR retainer or carving out a percentage of funds from a paid media budget,” Wasko said. “Now these lines are blurring.”

As a result, partnerships aren’t just focused on delivering a paid asset, but also extending to support a creative concept, drive traffic, increase trust or build community for the brand’s audience, Wasko explained.

Sarah Gerrish, senior director of influencer and creator marketing at creative agency Movers+Shakers, also said that with influencer budgets going up, this means some marketers have to consider their scale and the tier of influencers they partner with for campaigns.

“We’re seeing brands approach influencer marketing with increasing sophistication, moving away from a reliance on mega-influencers towards more nuanced strategies,” Gerrish added. “Most brands are now focused on maximizing their investment by working with more mid-tier and micro-influencers vs. just a few macro-influencers.”

Aside from growth of the industry, the WFA research also emphasizes that the industry needs to develop more standards around disclosures of commercial relationships, like labeling posts as an ad, content accuracy that includes verified claims and ethical considerations, such as avoiding discriminatory content.

The WFA guidance includes strategies and compliance checklists on influencer campaigns, with a focus on five principles: transparent, authentic, responsible, tailored and compliant. For instance, in order to be authentic, claims and endorsements should be honest and supported by evidence. Tailored content means brands and their influencer content should steer clear of advertising to young audiences if their products are not age-appropriate.

“I encourage all influencers and creators to thoroughly research and understand the products, services and brands they promote before promoting them,” said Movers+Shakers’ Gerrish. “Prioritize audience trust over quick deals.”