The Impact of US Tariffs on Influencer Marketing (and How to Adapt)

The latest round of US tariffs are sending ripples far beyond just manufacturing and supply chains. Now, they’re crashing into the influencer marketing industry and the creator economy is being forced to reckon with the realities of geopolitical policies. Brands, agencies, and creators alike are being pushed to rethink campaigns, budgets, and strategies as tariff-related uncertainty becomes the new normal.

While the full impact is still unfolding, here’s what you need to know about the new trade policies, and more importantly, what you can do to adapt.

Understanding the Impact of Tariffs: What Brands, Agencies & Creators Are Experiencing Right Now

President Trump’s tariff positions are hitting industries that rely on global supply chains — hard. For brands that work with influencers to drive product sales, the increased cost of imported goods is creating real challenges. If a product goes viral on TikTok but can’t be shipped affordably or quickly, the ROI on that campaign tanks.

Beyond that, 94% of advertisers are anticipating budget reductions tied directly to tariffs. And according to eMarketer, US social ad spending is expected to drop nearly $10 billion in 2025. Still, that's nearly $1.5 billion more than what advertisers spent in 2024 — a sign that while growth is slowing, it hasn’t stopped. 

So what does all of this actually look like on the ground? Across the industry, brands, agencies, and creators alike are being forced to adjust on the fly.

Brands

Brands relying on Chinese manufacturing are facing rising costs, planning delays, and paused influencer campaigns. SHEIN and Halara, for example, have reportedly hit pause on US influencer campaigns due to product uncertainty and logistical complications.

Smaller DTC brands are feeling the squeeze too. Chelsey Brown, founder of viral home goods brand Curio Blvd, was blindsided by a tariff hike — jumping from 20% to 54% — on products already in transit. Now, she’s unable to afford importing additional inventory and can’t shift production to the US due to higher costs and lower quality.

New rules eliminating tax exemptions on small Chinese shipments are compounding the pressure, especially for sellers using TikTok Shop or similar platforms. Many brands are now rethinking pricing, delaying launches, or using their challenges to drive authentic engagement online.

Despite the turbulence, brands aren’t abandoning influencer marketing. Instead, they’re prioritizing it. Why?

• It’s cost-effective compared to traditional media
• It offers both performance and brand-building power
• It connects authentically during times when audiences crave comfort and connection
• It’s flexible and measurable, making it easier to justify during budget reviews

Agencies

On the agency side, our team is seeing firsthand how tariffs are creating real friction for our clients this first half, encompassing budget constraints, planning delays, and general uncertainty. But even in the middle of that, there’s still a strong appetite for influencer marketing, especially when it’s grounded in authentic storytelling. 

Our Account Director Nicole Taic, who leads our Consumer team, explains, “That’s where we’ve been able to step in and help clients get scrappy, stretch their budgets, and rethink how we approach campaigns. There’s definitely more pressure now to prove performance, so we’re leaning into hybrid strategies that hit across the funnel — not just awareness, but also finding ways to double down into consideration and conversion.”

She adds, “With social commerce on the rise, it is playing a big supportive role too. Platforms like TikTok Shop are moving the needle in a measurable way, and clients want in. So while the landscape is more complex, the opportunity is bigger than ever as influencer marketing continues to be a recurring cost-effective option within the media mix.”

Other agency leaders echo this sentiment, reporting that influencer marketing budgets remain strong, largely because of the channel’s ability to flex with changing circumstances. Even when other media buys get cut, influencer campaigns often stay in play.

Creators

For content creators, many are rethinking how they make money. As a potential economic recession looms, creators are pulling back from fan-driven income like subscriptions or donations. Instead, they’re leaning into brand partnerships and ad revenue.

According to Digiday, there are a few key trends among creators during this time:

• More long-form content on YouTube to capture reliable ad revenue
• Increased interest in sponsorships, especially long-term, stable deals
• Faster campaign fill rates
• More selectivity about brand alignment, especially avoiding luxury or high-cost products that may seem out of touch. Some creators are even turning down big-money brand deals to protect authenticity. 

At the end of the day, stability matters more than ever for creators (and their audiences).

4 Ways to Future-Proof Your Influencer Strategy

With new tariffs, recession fears, and shifting consumer behavior, marketers can’t rely on old playbooks anymore. To stay ahead, you’ll need to be nimble, strategic, and deeply performance-minded. Here’s how to evolve your influencer approach for 2025 and beyond.

1. Use data to defend your budget

When times are tight, every campaign has to prove its worth. That’s why brands are moving away from vanity metrics like impressions or likes and doubling down on attribution. If an influencer can’t show how their content drives conversions or actual revenue, it’s harder to justify the spend.

So how do you prove performance? 

• Lean into tools (like Aspire) that measure affiliate sales, track UTM links, or integrate with social commerce platforms like TikTok Shop.
• Use A/B testing to understand which types of content or creators actually move the needle.
• Bring creators into the performance conversation. Share your goals, align on KPIs, and make optimization a shared responsibility. 

The bottom line: The more you can quantify value, the harder it is to cut your program. 

2. Reframe your brand message

In a time of economic sensitivity, tone matters. Influencer content that once felt aspirational may now feel tone-deaf or out of touch. Today’s winning narratives revolve around:

• Affordability and value
• Durability and long-term use
• Sustainability and ethical production

Work with creators to craft messaging that reflects the moment. This doesn’t mean you need to go doom-and-gloom: it means tapping into what consumers care about now and using creators as the trusted voice to deliver that message authentically.

3. Explore new formats and models

With traditional campaign budgets under pressure, smart marketers are experimenting with more flexible and scalable ways to work with influencers:

• Performance-based partnerships: Pay creators based on conversions, clicks, or sales — not just flat fees. You can even incorporate tiered commissions to incentivize and reward creators for improved performance.
• Creator licensing deals: Ads powered by UGC are proven to achieve 4x higher click-through rates than traditional brand assets. Secure rights to repurpose influencer content across your own paid, owned, and earned channels, extending shelf life and improving ROI. 
• Community-building campaigns: Partner with niche creators who deeply understand their audience and can spark organic engagement, rather than just surface-level reach.

4. Build long-term partnerships

One-and-done influencer campaigns may deliver a spike in traffic, but they rarely build lasting brand equity. In 2025, more brands are shifting toward longer-term partnerships that offer consistency and compounding value over time.

This is a win-win for both brands and creators. 62% of creators say they prefer long-term partnerships over any other type of campaign, as long-term deals allow creators to tell more authentic, evolving stories about your product. Meanwhile, brands often benefit from influencers offering discounted rates or some added value (i.e. exclusivity, bonus content, etc.) in exchange for stability.

This means you get to build a deeper, trust-based relationship with both the creator and their audience. It’s less transactional, more relational — and that’s where loyalty and sustained growth live.

So, What’s Next?

Historically, those that maintain marketing momentum during economic downturns come out stronger on the other side. The same applies now. 

For marketers in 2025, this is a moment of opportunity: 

• Brands: Don’t ghost your creators. Collaborate on new formats and messaging that speak to what consumers need now. 
• Agencies: Offer packages that balance quick wins with long-term value. 
• Creators: Show that you’re a flexible, ROI-driven partner who can impact every part of the brand’s funnel. 

The economic headwinds are real, but so is the power of influencer marketing to adapt and thrive — especially when every dollar counts. While the landscape is more complex, the opportunity is bigger than ever as influencer marketing continues to be a recurring cost-effective option within the media mix. We just have to be smarter about how we show up.

Get in touch with us if you have any specific questions around this topic.