Most brands waste money on influencer campaigns because they skip the fundamentals. Here's what I've learned running campaigns across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube:

The #1 mistake: Picking creators based on follower count instead of engagement rate and audience fit. A 10K creator with 8% engagement will outperform a 500K creator with 0.5% engagement every single time.

The fix:

• Start with your ideal customer profile, not the creator

• Look at comment quality, not just likes

• Test with 3-5 micro-creators before scaling to bigger names

• Track CPM and CPA, not vanity metrics

UGC is underrated. Authentic user-generated content consistently outperforms polished brand ads. The key is giving creators a clear brief with room for their own voice.

If you're a brand or business looking to run influencer or UGC campaigns the right way — I manage the entire process from sourcing creators to tracking results. Join Quantum Alpha and let's talk strategy.