Pre-launchA practical guide for businesses
Influencer Marketing in Australia
Influencer marketing is one of the most common ways businesses work with creators. This guide explains how it works, how to choose creators and what to think about before your first campaign, and where Collabify fits in.
- Plain-English guide
- For businesses of any size
- Free to join Collabify
The basics
What is influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing is when a business pays or otherwise rewards a creator to feature its product, service or venue in content the creator shares with their audience. The creator keeps their own voice and style; the business gets its brand in front of people who already follow and trust that creator.
It covers everything from a single Instagram Story about a new café to a months-long ambassador partnership with a national brand. What they have in common is a creator, a business and an agreed piece of work.
How it works
How creator collaborations work
Most influencer collaborations follow a similar path, whichever platform they're on.
- 1
Set a goal
Decide what the campaign is for: awareness, sales, bookings, visits or content.
- 2
Find creators
Look for creators whose audience and content style match your customers.
- 3
Agree the brief
Confirm deliverables, timing, disclosure, usage rights and payment in writing.
- 4
Publish and review
The creator posts; you look at the results against the goal you set.
Choosing creators
Choosing creators for a campaign
Follower count is the easiest number to see, but rarely the most important. Consider:
Audience fit
Are the creator's followers the people you want to reach, including where they're located?
Content style
Does their content suit your brand's tone, and would your product look natural in it?
Engagement
Do people comment and respond to them, rather than just scroll past?
Track record
Have they worked with brands before, and do those posts feel genuine?
Values and reputation
Would you be comfortable with your brand appearing next to everything they post?
Professionalism
Are they clear about what they'll deliver, when, and on what terms?
Creator sizes
Micro, mid-size and larger creators
Creators are often grouped by audience size. The exact thresholds vary across the industry, so treat these as rough descriptions rather than fixed categories.
Micro creators
Smaller, often niche or local audiences. They tend to have close relationships with their followers, and are often a practical starting point for small businesses and local campaigns.Mid-size creators
Established audiences in a niche, with more experience working with brands. A balance of reach and specialisation for growing businesses and regional or national campaigns.Larger creators
Broad reach across a large audience, typically with higher fees and more formal agreements. Often used for launches and national awareness campaigns.
Many businesses work with several smaller creators instead of one large one, spreading content across different audiences and styles. The right mix depends on your goal and budget.
Influencer vs UGC
Influencer collaborations vs UGC collaborations
In an influencer collaboration, the creator posts to their own audience, so you're paying for reach and trust as well as content. In a UGC collaboration, the creator makes content that your business publishes on its own channels, website or ads, so the content itself is what you're buying.
If you mainly need content for your own social accounts or ads, UGC may suit you better. Learn how UGC creator collaborations work.
Before you start
What to consider before starting a campaign
A specific goal
Decide how you'll judge success before you start: bookings, sales with a code, visits, or simply content you can use.
A realistic budget
Include the creator's fee, any product you provide, and your own time to brief and review.
Clear disclosure
In Australia, advertising must be clearly distinguishable as advertising (AANA Code of Ethics) and must not be misleading (Australian Consumer Law). Paid or gifted posts should be clearly labelled.
Usage rights
If you want to reuse the creator's content on your own channels or in ads, agree on that and any time limits upfront.
A written agreement
Record deliverables, deadlines, approvals, payment terms and what happens if plans change.
Creative freedom
Give creators a clear brief but room to speak in their own voice; their audience can tell when a post is scripted.
This page is general information, not legal advice. For advice on your obligations, speak with a qualified adviser.
Where Collabify fits
How Collabify fits into the process
Collabify is a marketplace built for these collaborations. Once it launches, you'll be able to post an opportunity with your brief, receive applications from interested creators, compare their profiles and choose who to work with, instead of searching and messaging creators one by one.
It's launching in Australia first, and it's free to create an account during the pre-launch. See how Collabify works for businesses, or, if you're a creator, find out how to get brand collaborations.
How much does influencer marketing cost?
It varies widely with the creator, the platform, the amount of content and the usage rights. Some local collaborations involve a modest fee or product; larger campaigns cost considerably more. On Collabify, you set what you're offering in your brief.
Do influencer posts need to be disclosed in Australia?
Yes. Advertising must be clearly distinguishable as advertising and must not mislead consumers. Paid, gifted or otherwise rewarded posts should be clearly labelled, for example with an obvious 'ad' label or the platform's paid-partnership tool.
Is influencer marketing only for big brands?
No. Small and local businesses often work with micro creators in their area, where the audience is closely matched and collaborations can be modest in size.
Which platform should I use?
Choose the platform where your customers spend time and where your product shows well, whether that's Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or elsewhere. The creator's audience matters more than the platform itself.
Can I run influencer campaigns on Collabify now?
Not yet. Collabify is in pre-launch, so opportunities, applications, messaging and payments aren't available yet. You can create your business account now so it's ready at launch.
Explore more of Collabify
- How Collabify worksThe marketplace for paid collaborations between creators and businesses.
- Brand collaborations for creatorsHow creators and influencers will find paid work with businesses on Collabify.
- Find creators for your brandHow Australian businesses will post opportunities and choose creators.
- Find UGC creators in AustraliaWhat user-generated content is, and how to commission it from creators.