LaToya Shambo of Black Girl Digital on Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is revolutionizing how small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) reach their target audiences. Set to grow to $24 billion by 2024, it’s become a cost-effective way for businesses to boost brand awareness and sales. One key reason for its effectiveness is authenticity. Influencers build trust by sharing personal experiences and recommendations, which feel more genuine than traditional ads, leading to better engagement and conversions​.

SMBs are dedicating larger portions of their budgets to influencer campaigns, especially on platforms like TikTok, where 69% of brands are active. TikTok, with high engagement from nano-influencers, is considered the most profitable platform, outperforming Instagram and YouTube​.

The key to success in influencer-driven marketing lies in selecting the right spokesperson. While many creators can amplify your brand, ROI is not guaranteed without a strategic match. It’s crucial to partner with influencers whose values and content align with your brand, ensuring their messages feel authentic. When companies nail this alignment, they harness influencers’ ability to forge genuine connections, turning those relationships into focused, results-driven marketing strategies that resonate with targeted audiences.

One woman whose advice has become indispensable to organizations seeking to leverage the potential reach and impact of Influencers is LaToya Shambo, CEO of Black Girl Digital. 

LaToya has built a reputation for building partnerships between multimillion-dollar brands and Black female influencers at scale through a demographically focused platform, iLINKR. Her insights into effectively leveraging Black influencers have provided organizations with a competitive edge in reaching the Black demographic. 

Trusted Sources

According to the latest research by Nielsen and Group Black, Black adults are 71% more likely to buy products endorsed by an influencer, and according to LaToya Shambo, the increasing impact of Black influencers is a trend that is only set to grow.

“I work with the brands on their creative and messaging strategies to help their campaigns connect authentically with influencers and the Black audience and the result of these partnerships is a solid return on investment. The market penetration made possible by TikTok, Instagram and YouTube allows organizations to increase brand loyalty and supercharge sales,” says Shambo.

Black influencers wield significant power in shaping consumer choices. Their recommendations, rooted in trust and shared experiences, are highly influential among their followers. By engaging with brands on social media, these influencers foster a sense of community and loyalty.

This engagement also provides brands with valuable insights, allowing them to tailor their offerings and improve their products and services. In essence, Black influencers serve as bridges between brands and their target audience, facilitating meaningful connections and driving consumer behavior.

Many Voices, Little Regulation

The social media influencer industry has rapidly transformed how information and culture are produced and marketed, with sectors like fashion, beauty, and nonprofits leveraging its power. 

Approximately 27 million Americans and 300 million people globally identify as content creators. However, this booming industry operates in a regulatory vacuum, creating a sometimes chaotic environment lacking clear ethical standards.

This lack of oversight has led to widespread exploitation. Platforms control content visibility without transparency, brands offer inconsistent payments, and marketers manipulate metrics. Influencers, too, can misrepresent their qualifications or engage in deceptive practices. Without proper regulation, all parties are vulnerable, underscoring the urgent need for clear guidelines to ensure fairness and trust.

As demand for influencer marketing services grows, the need for skilled professionals to manage campaigns effectively also increases. However, the limited pool of experienced professionals creates challenges in meeting this demand. This shortage diminishes the quality and impact of influencer marketing campaigns, ultimately affecting the market’s growth and sustainability.

According to Shambo, the lack of regulation has some very real consequences for organizations looking to leverage the reach and trustworthiness of influencers.

“Organizations tempted to engage influencers need to be aware that although marketing using these trusted sources can provide an exceptional return on investment, it can also prove a money pit. Regulation is long overdue, and it’s about time the IAB and the FTC come together to provide an effective framework that will allow reputable influencers and marketing companies to enjoy peace of mind.”

Don’t Sweat the Numbers

According to Latoya Shambo, it’s easy for marketers to become too fixated on the numbers when the real key to leveraging influencer reach and messaging lies in focusing on relationships.

“We’ve got a saying at Black Girl Digital, ‘In a world full of noise, we don’t just create content, we create connections.’ That’s our mission, to find the right person for the job. And make sure that they deliver value. With the amount of data available on reach, views and engagement it sometimes becomes a default approach to rely on numbers alone, but numbers aren’t infallible, it’s about knowing who you’re trying to reach and balancing that reach with cost-effectiveness.”

Black Girl Digital’s mission is to help brands look beyond basic partnerships and foster deeper relationships with creators and their audiences. According to LaToya Shambo, it’s not just about an influencer’s follower count.

“It’s all very well choosing an influencer with a million followers, but selection has to be informed by focus and understanding what consumers want. Marketers must identify their audience, and many factors matter beyond just views. A shift is needed to focus on the impact of messaging and the relationship between influencers and consumers.”

Shambo stresses that reaching the right audience is key, with passionate advocates amplifying a brand’s message.

“Find your hundred or thousand; don’t obsess over big numbers. We help companies find trusted influencers and develop strategies tailored to their market. Success depends on building rapport—focused on trust, not just ethnicity. Once you build trust, you’ll have a loyal base of advocates.”

Over the past 10 years, the influencer industry has become a global force, reshaping how culture and information are shared. Leveraging this power effectively requires expert advice.

Find out more about Black Girl Digital and LaToya Shambo’s audience-centric approach on her LinkedIn page.