In our latest Rewardful webinar, Emmet Gibney (CEO, Rewardful) sat down with Stephanie Harris, Founder & CEO of the award-winning partner-marketing agency PartnerCentric, to unpack one of the thorniest topics in modern growth:
Influencer marketing is no longer “just awareness.” It’s PR, performance, and affiliate—converging in a single partner channel.
Below is a concise recap of their 60-minute conversation, including the frameworks, numbers, and tech stack Stephanie’s team uses to turn creators into measurable revenue streams.
Meet the Experts
Emmet Gibney – CEO at Rewardful
Runs the affiliate-tracking platform trusted by 10,000+ SaaS & online brands.
Stephanie Harris – Founder & CEO at PartnerCentric
Leads the largest independent partner-marketing agency in the U.S. Her team manages programs for Him & Hers, Sage, Sideshow, and dozens more.
📺 Watch the full session on YouTube (56 min)
Why Influencer Marketing Feels “Messy” in 2025
1. Three formerly siloed channels are colliding
Bottom line: Today’s creators often do all three jobs (trust, traffic, and conversion) in the same campaign.
2. Last-click attribution hides real value
- Extensions like Honey often “win” last click but contribute little net-new demand.
- Tools such as PartnerCentric Fuse Incrementality score every session touchpoint (introducer, engager, closer) so commissions reward true contribution— not just the final click.
3. Budgets are flat, expectations are not
CMO surveys peg 2025 marketing budgets at ≈ 7% of revenue—yet 70% say they lack funds to hit targets. Smarter partner allocation (not bigger budgets) is the unlock.
The Hybrid Model Brands Actually Want
“Most brands prefer a hybrid deal: a smaller up-front fee plus an affiliate commission. Creators are used to it—and it aligns everyone on outcomes.” – Stephanie Harris
Up-front fee.Covers production cost (especially for video-heavy platforms like YouTube or TikTok).
Commission on tracked link/code. Aligns incentives, lets brands scale winners, and helps creators prove long-term value.
Framework: Full-Funnel Partner Mix
Case Study: Sideshow Collectibles
Goal: Acquire new customers & prove influencer ROI.
Hybrid stack used
- Influencer: @wario64 (1.1 M Instagram followers)
- Extension: Capital One Shopping (scored highly for new-customer activation)
Results (vs. same period last year)
- +100% new-customer share of traffic
- +17% conversion rate
- +250% order volume
- Revenue up 7× year-over-year
B2B Isn’t Exempt, It’s Just Different
- LinkedIn micro-influencers drive high-value leads at lower CPMs.
- Third-party review sites (Clutch, G2) and “best-of” listicles now double as affiliate partners—and surface in ChatGPT results.
- Even PartnerCentric’s own affiliate program is B2B and its top-returning channel.
Tactical Tips & Common Pitfalls
- Stop using last click as your North Star. Session-based or multi-touch weighting exposes hidden winners.
- Benchmark creator fees manually first. A DM + Google Sheet often beats overpriced marketplaces when budgets are tight.
- Prioritise brand/category maturity. New-to-world categories need heavy creator education before pure performance affiliates can convert.
- Micro beats macro for ROI. Smaller, niche-aligned creators usually show higher click-to-purchase rates—and are open to commission-heavy deals.
- Keep compliance tight. Clear #ad disclosures and coupon-code rules avoid channel conflict (e.g., PPC hijacking).
Key Takeaways
- Influence is the transaction. TikTok Shop sees 47% of checkouts start on a creator post—average basket $95.
- Hybrid payouts win hearts (and CFOs). Brands de-risk spend; creators share upside.
- Attribution tech fuels smarter spend. Session scoring lets you pay for introduction, re-engagement, and closure in proportion to real impact.
- B2B can thrive with creators. Decision-makers scroll social too—meet them where they already learn.
- Measure or be marginalized. Without transparent metrics, influencer budgets are first on the chopping block.
Ready to Make Creators Your Best Marketers?
Rewardful’s affiliate-tracking platform already supports hybrid deals, dynamic commissions, and fraud-proof attribution—so you can run influencer, PR, and traditional affiliates in one dashboard.
👉 Start your Rewardful trial and turn partner chaos into predictable revenue.
For deeper learning, explore Rewardful’s free Affiliate Marketing Course for SaaS or binge previous episodes of our Ask an Affiliate Manager series.
