As the nights get darker and the days get colder, it’s been nice to cast my mind back to memories of being nestled between the Californian mountains and waking up to beaches each morning, while attending CJU this year.
Santa Barbara’s a paradise – and CJU24 was a haven for ideas and insights.
I recently reflected on a standout session that focused on Media Mix Modelling (MMM) and its impact on affiliate marketing. Use of MMM is on the rise and, generally, it has a negative effect on affiliate budgets. The presentation opened my eyes to a growing problem I was previously unfamiliar with.
Similarly, I found another session around niche influencers to be thought-provoking.
It was titled: Building Brand Loyalty with Niche Influencers. It featured CJ’s own Joseph Yi, Director of Influencer Partnerships, as the moderator, with a great panel alongside him: Amy Seder-Burkley, Influencer & Travel Photographer at Awaylands.com; Casey McNulty, Partnerships Director at Bankrate/The Points Guy; and Sara Lim, Senior Marketing Manager at KiwiCo.
For any affiliate marketers building influencers into their strategies next year, I have some tips for you, based on what I learned here.
Niche influencers are still strong
The idea that smaller, niche creators are more powerful than larger creators has been around for a while, and it seems to have stuck.
This year has certainly seen a resurgence in interest around those big, celebrity influencers – just look at the viral Sabrina Carpenter campaigns, or the Michael CeraVe phenomenon, which won two gold trophies at the Global Influencer Marketing Awards.
However, when it comes to affiliate strategies, niche influencers have an edge.
These creators are experts in their field. They’re passionate about what they do and they attract smaller, highly-engaged audiences with a shared interest. This is why they’re so effective for concentrated performance-driven campaigns.
So, how do you work with them?
Make sure you’re aligned
First of all, when selecting a niche partner, ensure that your targets align with their own goals.
“Understanding what the influencer wants to achieve and aligning it with your brand’s goals is critical to establishing trust,” said McNulty.
Thoroughly research the creator and their audience beforehand. Some niches or micro-niches have what appear on the surface to be very indistinct differences from one another, but these can actually be a big deal to the creator and audience.
Let’s say they review books. Ok, great, you’re selling books, they have a big following – let’s just send over a meeting invite and get it rolling.
Before you do that, take a moment to dig a little deeper into just what it is they’re doing. Is it all kinds of books, non-fiction, or fiction, strictly horror, or just romance, new books or old books? Who does their content seem to be aimed at? Scroll through their content. Which posts does the audience engage with the most? Does that kind of content align with what you’re selling?
With micro-influencers, the devil is in the detail. Not only is it pointless for you to promote something their audience isn’t interested in, but it looks bad on the creator too. Work together to understand each other’s goals and make sure you’re on the same page.
It’s a collaboration
The big difference between a niche influencer and a big celebrity is the focus on one very specific topic and type of content. “Niche influencers are subject-matter experts who deliver both credibility and impact,” said McNulty.
It could even just be a vibe they’re putting across, but their audience understands and resonates with it. It’s not a universal language.
For that reason, it’s critical to let the creator re-work the messaging into their own voice, in order to communicate it effectively with their audience.
Keep the brief fairly open as far as content is concerned – just make sure the essential message is in there. “When there are too many restrictions in the campaign brief, it feels inauthentic. Less is often more,” said Seder-Burkley.
Lim added, “When influencers feel trusted to create, the results are far more impactful.”
Remember the ‘always-on’ approach
Perhaps the true power of working with niche influencers is the longevity.
As Seder-Burkley observed, blog posts can remain at the top of Google searches for years (so long as the algorithm updates aren’t too intense).
From her own experience, Lim shared that a well-optimised YouTube video can prove to have “incredible longevity.”
With affiliate marketing, you’re often playing the long game, planting seeds that will grow bountiful harvests over months or years. Ensure your content is suited to the audience but also optimised to stay relevant over time.
Working with niche influencers isn’t about chasing quick wins—it’s about cultivating meaningful, long-term partnerships that deliver authentic connections with engaged audiences. By aligning your goals, embracing collaboration, and focusing on content that stands the test of time, you’ll not only see stronger performance but also build trust and credibility for your brand. In a crowded digital landscape, it’s the thoughtful steps that often leave the biggest footprints.
