How To Build Your Brand’s Marketing Moat with Influencers Ft. Obvi

In today's digital landscape, most brands struggle with influencer marketing because they approach it tactically rather than strategically.

Many companies make the mistake of paying influencers upfront for posts without any guarantee of performance, resulting in disappointing ROIs and wasted budgets.

The fundamental problem? Most brands lack a structured framework that transforms one-off influencer collaborations into an ongoing, sustainable marketing engine that drives awareness, content, and revenue.

We fixed it.

We recently hosted a session featuring Ashvin Melwani (CMO & Co-Founder at Obvi), during which we discussed how eCommerce brands can win at influencer marketing with the “Influencer Illuminati Model.”

If you want to see the full session, check out this video:

The Influencer Illuminati Model: A New Approach

The Influencer Illuminati model offers a comprehensive framework for building your own "army" of influencers who consistently promote your brand. This creates a perception that your brand is everywhere within your target audience's social media feeds.

Why You Need This Model

• Moving Beyond Paid Media: As CAC continues to rise on platforms like Meta and TikTok, you can't solely rely on paid advertising. The moment you stop spending, the traffic dries up. To build sustainable growth, you need to diversify & invest in channels like influencer marketing that compound over time and don’t depend entirely on ad budgets & BigTech algorithms.

“The problem with ads now in 2025 is the ROAS is just dropping. The algorithm's very wonky. Election season, something happens. Competitor comes in, outbids you. Algorithm changes. It's very wonky. You cannot build a business on a wonky marketing channel” - Yash Chavan

• Building an Owned Moat: When you build your own community of influencers, you're creating something your competitors can’t just copy overnight. It becomes a long-term advantage that keeps paying off—and sets you apart in your niche.
• Profit-First Approach: Forget vanity metrics. This isn’t about just getting likes or awareness. It’s about driving real, trackable revenue—so you’re not guessing if it worked, you’ll actually know.

The Benefits You'll Receive:

1. Guaranteed Performance: Say goodbye to paying influencers upfront without results. With performance-based partnerships, you only pay when influencers deliver real value—driving sales, traffic, or engagement.

2. Endless UGC: Get a constant stream of authentic, on-brand content from creators without relying on expensive agencies & content production teams. This influencer content can be repurposed across your marketing channels for added ROI.

3. Reduced Blended CAC: As influencer content boosts your organic reach and credibility, your overall customer acquisition cost across multiple channels goes down. It’s a sustainable way to scale without burning through paid ad budgets.

4. Increased AOV and LTV: Customers acquired through trusted influencer recommendations tend to spend more and stay loyal longer. That means higher average order value and better lifetime value for your brand.

The Illuminati Model Framework:

Step 1: The Seeding Program

The foundation of the model starts with seeding - sending free product to influencers without immediate payment.

Send products to 50-100 influencers monthly as your initial investment. The only risk you take is the cost of your goods, making this a low-risk approach to building relationships. Test different niches and audience segments to identify which ones respond best to your product.

To maximize your reach, aim to contact at least 300 potential influencers every month.

Create a memorable unboxing experience with personalized packaging and handwritten notes to increase the likelihood they'll post about your product. Be upfront about what you're hoping for and how this could develop into a mutually beneficial relationship.

Read this comprehensive guide on how to get started with the seeding process—plus email templates you can use for outreach.

Step 2: The Ambassador Program

For influencers who post about your product and generate meaningful engagement, extend an invitation to join your ambassador program.

Offer performance-based compensation through affiliate commissions that reward results. Create special discount codes for their audience, which helps both track performance and provide value to their followers. Keep brand ambassadors supplied with regular product replenishments and exclusive perks that make them feel valued.

Don't be shy with commission rates - offer 25-50% to make your program stand out. Create incentives that make ambassadors choose your brand over competitors. Remember, you might accept a 1-2x return on ad spend for paid advertising, so apply similar thinking when structuring influencer commissions.

Step 3: Custom Partnerships

For your highest-performing ambassadors (typically the top 20% who drive 80% of your results), develop custom long-term partnerships.

Offer upfront payment in exchange for guaranteed deliverables based on their proven track record. Structure these deals around their demonstrated performance to ensure ROI. Consider half-yearly or annual contracts to secure consistent exposure and build deeper relationships.

Implement whitelisting arrangements that allow you to amplify their content through your paid channels. These relationships eventually become predictable, reliable marketing channels you can count on quarter after quarter.

Building Your Influencer Pyramid

After implementing this model for 6+ months, you should have approximately:

1. 100+ ambassadors in your middle tier
2. 20-30 long-term partners in your top tier
3. A consistent flow of new influencers entering your ecosystem

This creates 2-3 posts about your brand EVERY DAY across social platforms, targeted to your ideal customer profile.

Tips & Tactics from Obvi

As a brand that grew from $10,000 to $100 million in revenue in five years, Obvi has mastered the influencer marketing approach. Here are a few lessons from Ash of Obvi:

On Creating Effective Outreach:

• Personalize your outreach - mention why your product specifically benefits them. Reference their content, aesthetic, or audience demographic to show you've done your homework. This demonstrates genuine interest rather than a mass copy-paste approach.
• Create PR packages worthy of posting about - branded boxes, personalized letters, etc. Invest in quality packaging materials that align with your brand. Consider including thoughtful extras that complement your product and enhance the unboxing experience.
• Start with "no strings attached" to build goodwill, then introduce the ambassador program. Let influencers experience your product authentically before discussing partnerships. This reduces pressure and creates more genuine advocacy when they do post.

On Commission Structures:

• Offer higher commissions than competitors (25-50%). This makes your program stand out and incentivizes influencers to prioritize your brand over others they might work with.
• Give their audience better discounts than standard site offers (25% vs. 20%). This makes the influencer look good to their followers and increases conversion rates from their referrals.
• Consider your margins and LTV when structuring offers. Look beyond the immediate transaction value and factor in the customer lifetime value that these partnerships might generate.
• Use creative incentives like contests during peak seasons. Create friendly competition among your ambassadors with prizes for top performers during holiday periods or product launches.

On Content Strategy:

• Don't micromanage creators - provide brief talking points but let them create authentically. They know their audience best and how to communicate with them effectively.

"We're not telling them what to say or what to post. We want to just tell them, hey, this is what our product does. However you want to push that to your audience or describe that to your audience, do that, but just make sure to mention X, Y, and Z.” - Ash Melwani

• Prioritize raw, authentic content over highly polished videos. Today's consumers respond better to genuine experiences than overly produced content that feels like traditional advertising.
• Use "day in the life" and natural product integration over sales pitches. Show how your product fits naturally into the influencer's lifestyle rather than forcing promotional language.
• Remember: follower count doesn't matter as much as engagement rates. A micro-influencer with highly engaged followers often delivers better results than celebrities with millions of passive followers. Choose influence over popularity.

If you're spending your days manually tracking and collecting influencer UGC, it can be incredibly time-consuming — but don't worry, SARAL can help.

SARAL lets you collect UGC, request rights, and download content — all in one place. No more manual tracking or screenshots. It automatically detects when influencers post and saves their content so you can repurpose it with ease. Try it out for yourself here and save 5 hours weekly.

On Relationship Building:

• Have a dedicated person managing influencer relationships. This ensures consistent communication and allows for building meaningful connections over time.
• Remember personal details (birthdays, family milestones). Track important dates and events to show you value them as people, not just marketing channels.
• Send surprise gifts outside of agreed-upon partnerships. Unexpected gestures build loyalty and goodwill that translate into authentic enthusiasm for your brand.
• Create a community among your influencers through group calls or events. Facilitate connections between your ambassadors to foster a sense of belonging to an exclusive group.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

1. Focusing on follower count instead of engagement rates

Many brands make the mistake of choosing influencers based purely on follower count. But a smaller audience with high engagement often drives better results than a large, passive following. Prioritize quality over quantity.

2. Not setting clear expectations from the beginning

Without clear communication, campaigns can go off track. Make sure influencers know exactly what deliverables are expected, timelines, and any brand guidelines. This avoids confusion and ensures alignment.

3. Underestimating the time required for relationship management

Influencer marketing isn’t set-it-and-forget-it. Building real relationships takes time—responding to messages, coordinating content, and following up. It’s worth the investment, but brands often overlook this effort.

4. Inconsistency in outreach and seeding

Success with influencers requires consistency. Sporadic outreach or sending products only once can stall momentum. A steady, repeatable process for identifying and engaging influencers works best.

5. Abandoning influencers after they post instead of nurturing relationships

Don’t ghost influencers after one post. Treat them like long-term partners, not one-off contractors. Following up, engaging with their content, and keeping them in the loop leads to stronger brand advocacy over time.

Is This Model Right for Your Brand?

This framework can be adapted for virtually any brand, though some modifications may be needed:

For high-cost products

When your product has a higher price tag, you’ll want to be more selective with who you seed. Focus on influencers who are a strong brand fit and have an engaged, niche audience. Also, set clear expectations on the type of content you’d like in return—it helps ensure a stronger ROI and avoids misunderstandings.

For regulated products

If you're in a regulated space like health, finance, or supplements, partner with expert influencers who have credibility in the field. Make sure to educate them on any compliance guidelines they need to follow. Transparency and accuracy are key, and getting this right builds long-term trust with your audience.

For omnichannel brands

Selling both DTC and through retail? Treat them like separate strategies. For DTC, focus on creators who drive traffic to your site and convert. For retail, work with local influencers or content that boosts in-store discovery and awareness. Tailoring your approach ensures each channel gets the support it needs.

The Barbell Strategy

As your program matures, aim to develop what's called a "barbell strategy":

• On one end: 100+ micro/nano-influencers creating authentic content.
• On the other end: 5-10 larger influencers with significant reach.

Start with a 90-10 split between nano and larger creators, and gradually move toward an 80-20 mix. In the early days, focus on onboarding lots of nano-influencers to build momentum. Once you’ve worked with 20–30 creators, you'll refine your outreach, understand what motivates influencers, and be ready to approach the whales in your niche.

Having multiple nano partnerships also boosts your credibility—whale creators are more likely to take you seriously if they see 40 others already vouching for your brand. Plus, nano-influencers can drive steady results, help you test product-market fit, gather feedback, and even generate solid revenue before you invest big.

When you're ready to go after whales, don’t chase vanity shoutouts. Focus on creators—big or small—whose audience actually aligns with your brand. Stay true to your values, and don’t compromise just to chase hype. Relevance > reach, always.

The Barbell Strategy gets its name because all the effort and investment are focused on both ends—just like the weights on a barbell. The goal is to minimize risk while leaving room for big upside. It skips the “middle” — the average micro-influencers who come with average risk and average returns. The key? Don’t play it safe in the middle. Go all-in on the extremes!

Getting Started

The first step is simple: Analyze your current customers. Within any group of 100 customers, approximately 5 are likely micro-creators with 3,000+ followers.

Reach out to your existing customers first, create an application form, and begin building your program from there.

By implementing this strategic framework rather than chasing tactical trends, you'll build a sustainable influencer marketing engine that drives brand awareness, generates authentic content, and ultimately delivers measurable ROI.

But most brands get stuck because of manual, tedious work – tracking posts, finding the right influencers, following up with creators, and tracking results, etc. That's exactly why we built SARAL.

It's an all-in-one influencer marketing platform that can help you:

• Find influencers
• Reach out to them
• Manage relationships
• Ship out your free products
• Create coupon codes and track results

…and do so much more.

It handles all the tedious work so you can focus on building genuine relationships with influencers who love your brand.

Book a free demo here, and let us show you how it can help you build a successful, profitable influencer marketing program.