Here's a pattern I see constantly: Brand runs a big influencer campaign for a product launch. Posts go live. Engagement looks decent. Sales spike for a week. Then... nothing. Back to baseline.
Three months later, they do it again. Another burst. Another spike. Another return to baseline.
This is exhausting and expensive. Every campaign starts from zero. There's no compounding. No sustained awareness. No relationship equity being built.
The brands actually winning at influencer marketing have figured out something different: always-on programmes that generate consistent results month after month.
Why Campaign Bursts Underperform
The math on burst campaigns is brutal. According to HubSpot, the average customer needs 7-13 touchpoints before making a purchase decision. A single influencer post is one touchpoint. Then you disappear.
Here's what happens:
- Week 1: Campaign goes live. Audience sees your brand for the first time.
- Week 2-3: Awareness fades. Maybe 10% remember seeing it.
- Week 4+: You're forgotten. The touchpoint is wasted.
Compare this to an always-on approach where the same audience sees your brand mentioned naturally every week or two. After 3 months, you've generated 10+ touchpoints. After 6 months, you're a familiar presence. Trust compounds.
Statista data backs this up: influencer partnerships lasting 6+ months generate 4.2x higher ROI than one-off posts.
What "Always-On" Actually Means
Let me be clear: always-on doesn't mean posting constantly. It means consistent presence with strategic pacing.
A typical always-on structure:
- Core influencer partners: 5-10 creators with ongoing monthly commitments
- Content cadence: 2-4 posts per partner per month (mix of organic mentions and dedicated posts)
- Coordination: Staggered posting so there's never a week without some influencer content live
- Flexibility: Room to add burst activity for launches on top of baseline
The goal is omnipresence without overwhelm. Your target audience should see your brand in their feed regularly, but from different voices and in different contexts.
Building Your Always-On Team
Start Small and Committed
Don't try to sign 50 influencers for an always-on programme. Start with 5-8 who are genuinely aligned with your brand and willing to commit to 6+ month partnerships.
Look for:
- Authentic product enthusiasm (they'd use it anyway)
- Consistent posting habits (they won't ghost you)
- Engaged communities (comments, not just likes)
- Alignment with your brand values
Structure Ongoing Compensation
Always-on partnerships require different economics than one-off posts. Options that work:
Monthly retainers: Fixed fee for a set content commitment. Provides predictability for both sides.
Hybrid model: Lower base fee plus performance bonuses tied to conversions or engagement thresholds.
Affiliate arrangements: Ongoing commission on sales driven through their unique codes/links. Aligns incentives long-term.
Product seeding: Free products on an ongoing basis plus occasional paid posts. Works for brands with frequent new releases.
Avoid pure pay-per-post for always-on partners. It creates transactional dynamics and inconsistent quality.
Create a Content Calendar Together
Always-on only works with coordination. Map out 3 months at a time:
- When will each partner post dedicated content?
- What organic mentions make sense (gift guides, favorites, routines)?
- How do we stagger so there's weekly presence?
- What product focuses shift month to month?
Share the calendar with partners so they can coordinate. Transparency builds trust and improves content quality.
Content Strategy for Sustained Presence
Always-on content needs variety. If every post looks the same, audiences tune out. Mix formats:
High-effort (2-3x per quarter per partner):
- Dedicated review/tutorial posts
- Before/after or transformation content
- Comparison content (your product vs alternatives)
Medium-effort (monthly per partner):
- Product features in routine content
- Story series showing usage
- Q&A responses about your product
Low-effort (ongoing):
- Product visible in background of other content
- Organic mentions when relevant
- Resharing brand content or UGC
The key is authenticity. When a creator consistently features your product in natural contexts, it becomes part of their identity, not just an ad.
Measuring Always-On Performance
Traditional campaign metrics don't capture always-on value. Track these instead:
Baseline awareness lift: Survey brand awareness before and after 6 months of always-on activity. You should see sustained lift, not spikes.
Brand search volume: Monitor branded search trends. Always-on programmes should create steady growth, not peaks and valleys.
Customer acquisition cost trend: CAC should decrease over time as awareness compounds and trust builds.
Referral source stability: Track what percentage of new customers mention influencers as a discovery source. It should remain consistent, not spike during campaigns.
Partner content quality: Are posts getting better over time? Engaged partners create better content as they know your product deeper.
The Flywheel Effect
Here's what happens when always-on works:
Month 1-3: Building relationships. Content quality improves. Audience starts recognizing your brand.
Month 4-6: Trust compounds. Conversions increase. Partners become genuine advocates.
Month 7-12: Flywheel spins. Organic mentions increase beyond contracted content. Partners recommend you unprompted. Their audiences start looking for you.
Month 12+: Defensible advantage. You've built something competitors can't easily replicate—genuine relationships with creators who truly believe in your product.
This is the endgame. Not viral moments that fade. Not campaign spikes that return to baseline. Sustained, compounding presence that makes your brand part of the cultural conversation in your category.
It takes longer. It requires more relationship management. But it's the only approach that builds lasting competitive advantage through influencer marketing.
