Brands are working with more creators as influencer budgets climb

Brands and agencies across Europe are working with more creators than in previous years, with the vast majority also planning to increase their influencer marketing budgets over the next 12 months.

Just 44% of brands and agencies now work with fewer than 50 creators annually, a marked shift from 60% last year and 65% in 2024, according to Kolsquare's latest Future of Influencer Marketing report.

The report, based on a survey of 1,123 marketing decision-makers across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Nordics and Benelux, found that 89% expect to increase their influencer marketing spend over the next 12 months, compared with 75% of respondents in Kolsquare's 2025 survey.

Where that investment is going is changing too. Paid media used to boost creator content attracted the largest share of marketers planning to increase investment, followed by long-term partnerships and user-generated content.

The platforms being used are also shifting. TikTok saw the sharpest decline among the major platforms, with the share of respondents running campaigns on the app falling across all markets from 79% to 67% over the past year. Instagram remained dominant at 91%, while LinkedIn rose nine percentage points to 40%.

The shift comes as creators continue to grapple with how consistently they can access brand work. In August, a survey of more than 5,000 creators by CreatorIQ found that a lack of consistent brand deals was the biggest challenge to growing their business, followed by low pay or the undervaluation of creator content.