Todd and Kelly discuss the often confusing world of influencer and creator marketing, revealing why most brands still get it wrong.

They break down the critical difference between creators (who produce content for your marketing engine) and influencers (who use their audience to drive direct sales), and explain how understanding this distinction can save you thousands of dollars in wasted marketing spend.

Through real-world examples—from a sailing influencer's Friskies sponsorship to the fragmented consumer journey that kills conversions—they expose the broken systems plaguing the industry and share their vision for fixing it with their upcoming platform, Social Fair.

Whether you're a brand struggling to see ROI from influencer partnerships or wondering why your creator campaigns aren't converting, this episode provides the framework you need to finally make influencer marketing work for your business.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) - Introduction: Why Most Influencer Campaigns Fail
(00:01:47) - The Critical Difference Between Creators and Influencers
(00:05:42) - Real-World Example: Sailing with Phoenix and the Friskies Deal
(00:09:14) - Brand Marketing vs. Performance Marketing in the Creator Economy
(00:13:48) - The Authenticity Problem: When Creators Compromise for Paychecks
(00:17:23) - Creator Strategy: Building Content for Your Marketing Engine
(00:19:37) - Influencer Strategy: Leveraging Their Audience for Direct ROI
(00:23:41) - The Fragmented Consumer Journey That Kills Conversions
(00:26:34) - Why Influencer Compensation Should Be Tied to Outcomes
(00:29:47) - Introducing Social Fair: Democratizing the Creator Economy

Links and Resources:

Kelly Maguire on LinkedIn
Todd Juneau on LinkedIn
Vuja Dé Digital

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Your Creator Strategy vs Your Influencer Strategy (They're Not the Same)