The Definitive Business Guide to Effective Influencer Marketing in 2025
Author: Vickie Remoe, Communications & Digital Marketing Strategist
In 2005, while my friends played beer pong with Jägermeister, I was starting my first blog in my dorm room. Twenty years of content creation later, here’s your definitive guide to influencer marketing from an early adopter who built an authentic and engaging global brand on social media.
The Myth of the Single Viral Social Media Post
Last week, Mohamed reached out to me on WhatsApp. He was looking for support with marketing his event. He wanted to pay me to post the flyer for the event on my Facebook page. He was willing to pay my $350 per post rate, but I said no. It was the third time this month that I had turned down similar offers.
It’s not that I don't want to increase my revenue. I do, but I won’t accept commissions from clients who believe in the myth of a single-viral-social-media post. If you can get an influencer with a large following to do one post about your business, everyone who follows them will see it and buy from you.
During a 30-minute free consultation, I told Mohamed that only strategy guarantees success in influencer marketing, not follower count.
Influencer marketing has its benefits, but it also has limitations.
Mohamed’s business goal was to promote his event and sell tickets. I knew a flyer wouldn't do either. He needed a tentpole marketing strategy, so taking his money to post a flyer that I knew wouldn't yield results would have been dishonest.
I'm writing this definitive guide to influencer marketing to help you avoid wasting money on paid posts and get better results. If you ever thought a blogger or influencer's post could help you spread your message or sell something, this is for you.
My name is Vickie Remoe. I’ve trained over 1,000 content creators in West Africa and developed content marketing strategies for governments, corporate institutions, and startups. I am a multimedia journalist (Columbia Journalism School, ‘12) and director of digital marketing at VRCMarketing. When I consult, I can engage influencers for my clients, but more often than not, the shoe’s on the other foot—I’m the influencer.
I’ve delivered influencer campaigns for Aramex, Ezipay, Save the Children, the United Nations, Jobomax, Changan, Hajara’s Kitchen, and many others. My influencer contracts last three to six months. I also get paid to do one-off sponsored posts but often turn them down. Marketing requires repetition.
When clients hire me, they receive more than just a bulletin board; they gain a comprehensive influencer marketing package that includes a content marketing strategy, copywriting, photography, videos, and graphic design.
Understanding Influencer Marketing
The people who hire me rarely have the digital expertise to guide the campaign. They come to me because they don't know how to achieve their goals beyond posting. I use my content marketing expertise to create a strategy and set goals, objectives, and metrics for measuring success.
In the U.S., where brands have big marketing budgets and talented executives, influencers are used primarily for content creation, niche, and reach. They integrate the client’s product or message into their usual content. For example, a beauty influencer does a product review video, a dancer creates new choreography for a new song, or a comedian makes a skit that ends with a plug for a new money transfer app.
What I often see in emerging markets like Sierra Leone or brands targeting the African diaspora is that they take a bulletin board approach instead of integration. They hire “micro-bloggers” to post flyers or videos to promote the brand—the results often fall below expectations. Posting on social media is not a strategy. Even the best flyer or video loses utility after the first post. So you paid an influencer to post your content and didn't get the results you hoped for; now what?
A social media influencer is a digital spokesperson or brand ambassador, not a bulletin board
Before partnering with an influencer, you have to assess whether they are the right fit for your brand. Many of us have made the mistake of focusing on follower count. We assume they’re the right fit if a person has many followers. Others look at engagement and reach. These numbers are helpful but don’t tell you everything you need to know.
Before you look at the numbers, look at their content. Content is to an influencer what products are in a shop. What kind of content do they create? Is it helpful, entertaining, uplifting, or educational? Would you want your brand there?
Once you've assessed the entertainment or educational value of the person’s content, the next step is determining the person. Are they trustworthy? Outside of the internet, would you hire this influencer as a spokesperson? Would you send them to represent you to potential customers? Can they express and articulate the message that you want to share? Lastly, is this person believable as a messenger for your brand?
Another thing is to assess fit. Does their lifestyle or brand fit yours? Last year, a company that imports diapers to Sierra Leone hired a young content creator to be the spokesperson for their brand. There was only one problem: He was a single male with no children. What mother would take diaper advice from someone who doesn't use them?
Choose Your Influencer for Their Niche
Influencers can help brands gain visibility, increase product discovery, and convert leads to sales. One thing to remember is that influencers are effective because their content doesn't feel like advertising. Influencers are trusted for their niche, expertise, and talent. We follow and engage with influencers because they teach, have insights, and entertain.
As an influencer, I reach millions of people online each month across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, two blogs, YouTube, LinkedIn, WhatsApp communities, newsletters, and TikTok. Whether I’m collaborating on a women’s rights campaign or marketing a concert, everyone knows me as a primary source of information for Sierra Leoneans online. My niche is Sierra Leone. My primary audience is Sierra Leoneans (half of my followers are in Sierra Leone). Another 30% are in the US, Ghana, and Nigeria. My secondary audience is West Africans in the diaspora.
Other content I'm known for includes humorous takes on culture, lifestyle (motherhood, travel, African diaspora, fitness, and relationships), and women’s rights.
Signing an Influencer Contract: What to Do, What to Ask For, and How to Measure Success
Before signing an influencer contract, clearly define your goals and expectations. What are you hoping to gain from influencer marketing? Is it brand or product awareness? Is it sales, or is it advocacy? How will you measure success?
Over the years, I've partnered with brands and organizations and allowed them to increase brand recall and awareness by using content I created and posted on my social media channels and blogs to increase discoverability.
Influencer Marketing for Brand and Product Awareness
Awareness or discoverability is a realistic goal if you’re launching a new product or service or feel you’re not reaching enough people. After assessing the influencer's content and fit and ensuring that the people you want to connect with follow your chosen influencer, you can engage.
You may raise a brief for your influencer marketing campaign highlighting your goals.
Here is a sample:
Make Sierra Leone Famous LLC Influencer Marketing Campaign Goals:- Increase MSLF LLC brand awareness
- Create content to promote product awareness
Goal 1: Increase MSLF LLC Brand Awareness
Objectives:
- Post MSLF LLC content on Vickie Remoe’s social media platforms to reach her fans and followers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
- Include MSLF LLC Campaign Banner in Vickie Remoe’s Monthly Newsletter.
- Distribute MSLF content via WhatsApp broadcasts and Community Announcements.
Key Performance Index (KPI): Number of people reached monthly (impressions + engagement).
Goal 2: Create a Content Marketing Campaign for MSLF LLC
Objectives:
- Develop content strategy and calendar.
- Produce photos, microblogs, blogs, and videos to promote MSLF services and products.
- Write a copy for social media captions and posts.
KPI: Content and calendar created as agreed (volume, frequency, and publish).
Influencer Marketing for Sales
While you can advertise everything online, you can’t sell everything online. Choose “sales” as your influencer marketing goal only if the entire user purchasing journey is digital. If Fatmata can discover your product on social media, click a link to access it, and purchase it online, that’s a digital product.
I’ve done influencer marketing campaigns to sell concert tickets, fashion retail, and money transfers.
In 2021, EzipaySL hired me to help them increase downloads of their new money transfer app. The campaign’s goal was sales. I developed an influencer marketing campaign that used my reputation with the diaspora to build trust and increase downloads and sales (money transfers on the app). We launched a promotional campaign in which ten lucky winners who saw my posts and used the app could win the equivalent of $100. To enter to win, users had to post a screenshot with their EziPay transaction ID and use the phrase, “I just sent money with #EzipaySL.”
The three-month campaign was measurable and successful. It helped EzipaySL reach its goal of increasing app downloads and transactions.
Similar campaigns you might have seen with other influencers' marketing sales campaigns use a promo code. The promo code promotes sales, but it’s also used to measure the reach and impact of the influencer-led sales campaign.
These kinds of campaigns are great for lead-generation activities or online sales. For example, a bank in Sierra Leone could hire an influencer to produce personal finance and business content and use it to generate new leads for savings or CD accounts. The bank could issue a promo code to track which leads come from the influencer campaign.
Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Set “Sales” as Your Digital Marketing Goal:
1. Is the sales transaction digital?
2. If the transaction is not digital, can I capture the lead generated by the campaign to be nurtured and converted into a sale?
If the answer to either of these questions is no, then your influencer marketing campaign goal should be awareness, not sales.
Influencer Marketing for Advocacy, Social Good, and Impact
Influencer marketing is a powerful resource for NGOs looking to amplify a message, roll out a behavioral marketing campaign, or increase social good impact.
In Sierra Leone, the development sector spends thousands of dollars yearly launching reports that no one ever reads. The report is launched, messaging is developed, and content creators are hired to share the information to reach their audiences.
Many nonprofits fear partnering with influencers because of social media audiences' perceived risks and unpredictability, but the quickest way to gain public feedback is online. Before you roll out a national campaign, test it with influencer marketing.
Over the years, I’ve been commissioned by nonprofits, including the UN, Save the Children in Sierra Leone, and the African Network of Health Education (Réseau Africain de l’Éducation pour la Santé—RAES) in Sénégal, to create multimedia content to amplify and engage audiences.
The UN in Sierra Leone hired me to host a series of five webinars to engage youth and women on the SDGs during #UN75. The campaign aimed to create dialogue and get people talking about issues affecting the local and global communities.
Similarly, I worked with Save the Children to amplify its educational impact. They had successfully implemented interventions to increase teen mom re-enrollment and retention in school. Over three months, I created content that included a mix of blogs, a podcast, and posts on Facebook and Twitter.
Advocacy thrives with skillful conversation. If NGOs want to spread their messaging and advocate for better policies and funding, launching reports alone won’t cut it. When the goal is advocacy, you need a hybrid approach that leverages influencers’ reach and trust to get the attention of policymakers and stakeholders eager for public approval.
Artificial Intelligence in Influencer Marketing
If Siri and Alexa are mainstays in our lives, surely you know that advertising agencies and companies are forging ahead with AI influencers. Some bot influencers have amassed millions of followers, and brands are paying them to sell their products online.
Companies want cheaper ways to market their goods. If social media bots can make this happen, then we expect to see an increase in AI influencers in the same way that bots have replaced customer service representatives. Companies with a distinct niche target audience will benefit the most from bots on social media.
Beyond the bots on social media, there’s already a plethora of AI-generated content on our feeds. AI-generated photos and videos of celebrities and cute babies are racking millions of views and impressions.
Human influencers are also using AI assistance to generate templates and content ideas. Magazines are using AI to draft expert articles, while thought leaders are doing the same to find the proper captions to boost LinkedIn engagement.
This is happening in more advanced digital economies; the AI lag is evident in developing countries where electricity and internet access are still challenging.
Businesses will still need human influencers to drive meaningful engagement. The more human and AI-generated content there is, the more authenticity and engagement will be in demand.
Companies must be more selective with the influencers they work with if they hope to meet their goals. It’s not just about how much content an influencer can create; it’s about how long people stay engaged, whether the audience returns to those channels, and whether the influencer’s content makes a real, measurable impact online and offline.
Six Things to Remember from Influencer Marketing Guide
1. Prioritize Strategy Over Tactics: Understand that influencer marketing is not merely about posting content; it requires a well-thought-out strategy that aligns with your goals—brand awareness, sales, or advocacy. Avoid the temptation to settle for one-off posts, as effective marketing thrives on consistency and integration.
2. Assess the Right Fit: Choose influencers based on their content, trustworthiness, and alignment with your brand values rather than just their follower count. This assessment ensures the influencer can authentically represent your message and engage your target audience.
3. Define Clear Objectives: Before entering into contracts, clearly outline your goals and establish metrics for success. Whether you aim to drive sales or increase awareness, having specific objectives will guide your campaign and provide measurable outcomes.
4. Leverage the Power of Niche Influencers: Influencers are most effective when they create content that resonates with their specific audience. Collaborate with those who strongly connect to your target demographic to maximize impact and reach.
5. Embrace Innovation: As AI evolves, recognize its potential benefits and challenges to influencer marketing. While AI influencers may offer cost-effective solutions, the authenticity and engagement provided by human influencers remain invaluable.
6. Take Action Now: Evaluate your current marketing strategies and identify potential influencers who align with your brand. Don't wait for the perfect moment—start building relationships and crafting campaigns that will resonate with your audience.
Implementing these strategies can elevate your influencer marketing efforts and achieve meaningful results that resonate with your brand's mission and objectives.
If you still need help figuring out where to start, contact me. I can help you take the first step today towards a more effective and impactful influencer marketing strategy!
About the author of this Definitive Guide to Influencer Marketing
Vickie Remoe is an experienced digital communications and content marketing professional with two decades of experience, having worked for various companies and projects in West Africa and the US. A multimedia journalist who graduated from Columbia Journalism School in 2012, she currently serves as the director of digital marketing at VRCMarketing. As an influential content creator and social media personality, Remoe has two blogs and several social media platforms that can reach over two million users monthly across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and TikTok. Known as a "primary source of information for Sierra Leoneans online," her content focuses on her niche of Sierra Leone and broader topics like culture, lifestyle, women's rights, and the African diaspora. Additionally, Remoe is an experienced influencer marketing practitioner, having trained over 1,000 content creators in West Africa, developed content marketing strategies for governments, corporate institutions, and startups, and delivered influencer marketing campaigns for clients like Aramex, Ezipay, Save the Children, and the United Nations. She often serves as an influencer, with 3-6 month-long influencer contracts.
