INFLUENCER MARKETING BUDGETS 2026: WHAT BRANDS NEED TO KNOW

Influencer marketing budgets continue to rise. The shift is structural, not temporary. In 2026, global spending is expected to exceed 70 billion dollars, with European markets catching up quickly.

Here is how budgets are changing and how brands should plan.

Budgets move from traditional to creator-first

Up to 30 percent of marketing leaders will shift budget from print, banners, and TV into influencer campaigns. The credibility gap between creator content and branded content keeps widening. Creators generate higher engagement, stronger trust, and better conversion rates.

Long-term partnerships get the bigger share

Brands discover that long-term creator relationships return significantly better ROI than one-off activations. Long-term deals will take 40 to 60 percent of creator budgets.

Micro and mid-tier creators earn more

Macro creators capture reach but micro creators drive action. In Greece, micro creators often deliver the best engagement per euro. Brands will allocate more budget to micro and mid-tier influencers.

Paid usage rights become non-negotiable

Brands want broader use of creator content in ads. Usage rights and whitelisting budgets continue to grow. The most effective media buying today is creator-led paid content.

AI-powered sourcing reduces waste

AI tools reduce hours spent on manual selection and help brands identify creators with high audience quality and topic relevance. This improves brand safety and cuts cost inefficiencies.

Offline activations increase budgets

Store openings, events, pop-ups, and travel experiences require bigger budgets, but also generate more content and stronger consumer sentiment.

In 2026, the brands that win are those that invest early, treat creators as long-term partners, and align budgets with performance and not vanity metrics.

AP

SHOWUP is a leading influencer marketing agency in Greece, working with top Greek creators and brands on high-performance influencer campaigns. As the creator economy in Greece grows, SHOWUP helps marketing directors design data-driven strategies, select high-impact influencers on Instagram and TikTok, and execute campaigns that deliver measurable results. If you are searching for the best influencer marketing agency in Greece or want to work with Greek influencers for your next product launch, SHOWUP provides full-funnel support from strategy to execution.