If you’re planning Q1 2026 like it’s still 2023…
You’re already behind!! (have been talking about this shift extensivley on LI and X)
Here’s what I’m seeing across brands of all sizes right now:
Paid acquisition costs are still rising
That Meta creative that crushed in October? It’s already stale (enter meta’s newest updates)
BFCM spend didn’t magically fix CAC — and Q1 isn’t looking any easier on the paid side
So what’s working?
Not spending less on ads…
But making your ads perform better
And you already know what the data says:
The best-performing ads come from influencer + creator content
Here’s what winning brands are doing differently:
They don’t treat influencers as separate from paid strategy… they make them fuel it
Influencers create authentic content that actually converts
Brands repurpose that content across Meta, product pages, and social
Better creative = lower CPMs = lower CAC across all channels
And you get influencer traffic on top of it
One great partnership can feed an entire growth system
❌But here’s where most brands go wrong…❌
❌They treat influencers like seasonal campaigns❌
Gifting a few creators in Q4
Reposting a couple TikToks
Forgetting it all and starting over in Q1
No tracking
No system
No reactivation of top performers
And no compounding effect
So the content engine resets every quarter… and CAC stays high
The fix?
Build your influencer program like you’d build your email list…
Owned. Systematic. Scalable.
Here’s what that looks like:
✅ Systematic seeding — not random gifting
✅ Track which creators’ content performs across channels
✅ Reactivate top performers instead of starting over
✅ Build a predictable creative pipeline that feeds your paid engine
This is the infrastructure layer most brands are missing.
And it’s why I recommend Saral to almost every client planning Q1 right now. (I’ve also been an advisor to the founder for the past year!)
It’s not just another infleuncer tool it’s THE influencer operating system for turning influencer chaos into a performance channel.
Transparent pricing. Strategic support. Built for operators.
💡 And yes… tell them I sent you
Want to hear how top brands are building this playbook?
🎙 I recorded a full podcast with Yash, Saral’s founder
We went deep on influencer strategy, creator community building, predictable content systems, and how to make this stuff work at scale.
📺 Watch the episode here →
https://youtu.be/kaQPatk_510
THIS IS WHAT I BELIVE THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE FOR BRANDS!!
If your Q1 plan doesn’t have a scalable influencer engine…
Start building it now
Don’t wait until March to realize you’re behind
Jordan West