How "Influencer Intelligence" is redefining creative strategy
Determining the non-negotiable features to include in your next influencer brief
Headlines on how influencer marketing is booming haven’t gone unnoticed. Last year, ad revenues from social media hit an impressive $88.8 billion, with more mushrooming expected in 2025.
This boom has understandably put the creator economy, projected to be worth $480 billion by 2027, at the forefront of marketing playbooks once again.
But the reality of content creator “success” is a little less rosy.
Despite the massive growth over the past decade, more than 7 out of 10 influencer partnerships are still failing to deliver; underlining that throwing money at a popular creator isn't necessarily a pathway to success.
Today, the real challenge that marketers face isn’t selecting from an overwhelmingly large talent pool, but finding the right fit and crafting a brief that actually works.
The role of predictive analytics, creative optimization and influencer intelligence
“Influencer Intelligence” is SmartAssets' answer to creating effective briefs—an approach that showcases creative know-how, brand alignment, media expertise, and a deep understanding of data.
Whereas last year marketers were focused on influencer discovery and selection, this now only accounts for 10.5% of the demand. What they're looking for now are tools that address broader needs, such as predictive analytics, campaign optimization, and content curation.
This evolution points to a more mature and sophisticated understanding of how technology can empower creative output. Instead of relying on gut feelings, marketers are turning to science—leveraging AI to transform thousands of creator assets into a structured data set and zeroing in on the features that actively drive engagement.
Why the “traditional approaches” aren’t enough to get cut-through
Organic reach on platforms like Instagram and Facebook is in a steep decline, with typical posts reaching a mere fraction of a brand's followers.
On platforms like X, the average organic reach is a measly 3%. This means that to be seen, brands must turn to paid promotion, making the content itself—its quality and effectiveness—more critical than ever.
So, what makes for effective content?
SmartAssets highlights in its 2025 “Keep it brief” report that it’s all about collaboration, clarity and concision, while also making sure that the creator's voice is heard loud, clear and from the get-go.
Offering a framework on how brands can craft more authentic content by allowing greater creative freedom, the report illustrates that it’s now possible to engineer a “data-based” brief that leads to effective, authentic and memorable content.
Download the full report to find out how to pinpoint high-impact features that drive results, while also crafting a digestible brief that creators can follow.
Download started, click here if it hasn't already.
Daniel Purnell Marketing Manager at Smart Assets.
