2026 is The Year of Reckoning for Influencer Marketing, Data Shows

Feb. 03, 2026

New data from global social-first agency SAMY has shown that 2026 will be the year that influencer marketing has to prove its value as a mature, accountable marketing channel.

The findings, taken from the SAMY Marketing Trends 2026 report, reveal that investment is rising in the channel but with a clear caveat from the C-suite - demonstrate clearer performance, integration and return on investment.

According to the report, which surveyed over 100 global CMOs, 87% of marketers are planning on maintaining or increasing their influencer marketing spend in 2026. In a year where many marketing budgets are under pressure or being cut, influencer marketing remains one of the most resilient investment areas - a significant endorsement for a channel that often comes under fire.

However, as budgets grow, marketers are under increasing pressure to prove the value of the influencer discipline. SAMY’s report, which features its proprietary Influencer Marketing Maturing Model, reported that 33% of marketers cite KPIs and reporting as their biggest challenge. Meanwhile, almost the same number, 30%, point to integration and strategic alignment with wider marketing and social media activity, as their biggest concern for the year ahead.

The data also shows that marketers are recognising that there is a need to improve their influencer marketing strategy in the round. Twenty eight percent said that they needed to completely rethink their influencer marketing approach, while 45% said that they need to strengthen collaboration with micro influencers. Only 15% believe their current strategy "doesn’t need changes."

The report also suggests that influencer marketing can no longer be evaluated in isolation from other marketing disciplines. Over half of CMOs believe that data integration needs improvement, with data inconsistencies and unclear ROI being the biggest barriers. There are encouraging signs, however, with 64% of marketers saying that influencer marketing is already aligned with social strategy.

Juliet Howes, Influencer Marketing Director at SAMY, commented:

“These findings are straight from CMO's mouths - influencer marketing is no longer an experimental channel, but one that is a fundamental part of a brand’s marketing strategy.  But to function properly in a brand's ‘social universe’, it cannot work in isolation. As influencer marketing becomes more deeply embedded across social, commerce and culture, it needs to be judged and validated in the same way as more established disciplines. That’s why 2026 is such a pivotal year, because if influencer marketing is to be taken seriously by decision makers, then measurement, integration and accountability should be top of marketers’ priorities.”