The influence of community managers in 2026 remains a minority practice: 33.8 % of professionals surveyed work with creators, compared with 33.9 % in 2021. According to the Blog du Modérateur’s six annual surveys, this stability does not mean that influencer marketing budgets have decreased. Rather, it reveals an ongoing difficulty in integrating creators into social media organization, measurement, and production.
Why is influencer marketing stagnating among community managers in 2026?
Influencer marketing among community managers in 2026 concerns 33.8 % of respondents, virtually the same proportion as the 33.9 % measured in 2021. The Blog du Modérateur bases this comparison on six annual surveys involving 4,627 employed community managers. Influencer marketing has therefore not expanded its adoption base over five years.
This finding deserves to be interpreted correctly. The 2021 survey had 853 respondents, compared with 471 professionals surveyed from July 6 to August 31, 2026. The Blog du Modérateur rounds both results to 34 %. This is a series of self-reported surveys, not a study tracking the same people year after year.
In the field, the obstacle rarely takes the form of a rejection of creators. It is more often caused by the time required to source profiles, negotiate, obtain content approval, and consolidate results. A standard organic post can be produced within a week; a collaboration involves multiple stakeholders, precise rights, and sometimes a legal review process.
Another explanation is that many teams still treat influencer marketing as a one-off operation. Yet creators have become production and distribution partners. This shift toward creators who function like media outlets requires a method different from a simple editorial calendar.
Do budgets explain the stagnation of influencer marketing?
Available budgets explain only part of the stagnation of influencer marketing among community managers in 2026. Among community managers who use influencer marketing, 79 % have a dedicated budget in 2026. At the same time, 34 % of all respondents have no social ads budget. These two indicators measure separate budget categories.
In 2021, among community managers working with influencers, 23 % had no dedicated budget, 23 % spent between €1,000 and €5,000 per year, and 26 % spent more than €10,000. The median annual budget was €4,169, according to the Blog du Modérateur.
In 2026, 21 % of influencer marketing users have no dedicated budget. Annual spending remains below €1,000 for 18 %, ranges from €1,000 to €10,000 for 33 %, and exceeds €10,000 for 28 %. Because the brackets have changed, a line-by-line comparison would be misleading.
| Indicator | 2021 | 2026 | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community managers working with influencers | 33,9 % | 33,8 % | Stable at -0.1 percentage points |
| Influencer marketing users without a dedicated budget | 23 % | 21 % | Approximately one professional in five |
| Users spending more than €10,000 per year | 26 % | 28 % | Approximately one professional in four |
| Social ads budget holders reporting an increase | 53 % | 34 % | Down 19 percentage points |
| Instagram among the influencer marketing channels used | 96 % | 81 % | Down 15 percentage points |
The analytical pitfall is to directly compare advertising spending with creator budgets. In 2021, 53 % of social ads budget holders reported an increase, compared with 34 % in 2026. This 19-point decrease does not prove that influencer marketing budgets have declined. In 2026, 18 % reported a decrease in social ads, while 66 % reported stagnation or a decline.
Which platforms do community managers use for influencer marketing?
Instagram remains the leading channel for influencer marketing among community managers in 2026, but its use among professionals collaborating with creators fell from 96 % in 2021 to 81 % in 2026. TikTok reached 45 % in 2026, according to the Blog du Modérateur. Campaigns are therefore spread more broadly across multiple platforms.
Instagram retains an operational advantage: posts, Stories, Instagram Reels, and branded partnership content can be integrated into an existing brand schedule. Meta also allows authorized partner content to be promoted. However, creation, usage duration, territories, and paid distribution must still be negotiated separately. The guide on pricing for usage rights for influencer content explains this often-overlooked point in detail.
TikTok requires a more native approach. A video written too much like an advertisement quickly loses the spontaneity expected in the feed. Honestly, TikTok only works with a small budget if the creator retains their filming style, pacing, and vocabulary. The decline in reach observed on some accounts also increases the value of selection based on relevance rather than follower volume; this change in TikTok reach in 2026 should be incorporated into forecasts.
YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitch, and Snapchat can serve more specific objectives, but the data provided by the Blog du Modérateur do not make it possible here to compare their shares in 2021 and 2026. To choose, start with the expected behavior: a long-form demonstration, professional commentary, a community livestream, or daily repetition. The network comes next.
How can you launch an influencer marketing campaign with limited resources?
An influencer marketing campaign with limited resources should focus investment on reusable content, a few well-targeted micro-influencers, or an ongoing partnership. In 2026, these three scenarios reduce sourcing and approval requirements without seeking maximum reach. Rights, deliverables, and metrics must be established before production.
UGC is content produced using the conventions of a user or creator to support a brand’s communications. It does not guarantee publication to the creator’s audience. This distinction changes the price, rights, and way the result is evaluated.
Here are three scenarios that can be implemented directly with a small team:
- Commission reusable UGC. Specify the platforms, duration, territory, and promotion authorization in writing. TikTok One allows brands in 2026 to identify and then promote certain creators’ organic content through Spark Ads; Meta offers promotion of authorized partner content.
- Target a few micro-influencers. Filter profiles by audience, geographic area, content category, engagement, and follower count. TikTok’s official documentation presents micro-influencers in 2026 as a more affordable option for small businesses. In a niche, four consistent profiles are better than a generalist account chosen for its theoretical reach.
- Establish an ongoing partnership. Retain one or two creators aligned with the brand for multiple deliverables. Briefs, learnings, and data become reusable. In 2026, TikTok describes long-term ambassador programs as ongoing partnerships capable of deepening the relationship with the audience.
Each scenario requires appropriate measurement. UGC intended for ads should be evaluated based on video retention, clicks, or conversion; organic activations should also be assessed through comments, shares, and the quality of reactions. To avoid reporting limited to views, apply an influencer marketing measurement method defined before distribution.
How can creators be integrated into the community manager’s daily work?
Integrating creators into a community manager’s work relies on a short process: one objective, an actionable brief, limited approval, and a comparable review. For influencer marketing among community managers in 2026, the priority is not to increase the number of operations. It is to make each collaboration simple enough to repeat without disrupting the editorial calendar.
Start with a single use case. For example, produce three vertical videos addressing a customer objection, then test their organic distribution before any paid amplification. The brief should specify the required message, prohibited elements, delivered format, date, rights, and primary metric. Nothing more.
Then keep a file for each creator: target audience, actual timelines, number of rounds of revisions, organic performance, paid results, and qualitative feedback. After two or three collaborations, this database is often worth more than a long list of profiles that were never activated. The community manager can then make the case for renewal with comparable evidence.
The stability from 33.9 % in 2021 to 33.8 % in 2026 does not signal the disappearance of influence. It shows that discipline is still not standardized across most social media teams. The next gains will come less from a new platform than from shorter briefs, better-defined rights, and renewed partnerships.
ValueYourNetwork supports influencer and social media strategies with a practical understanding of platforms. Whether you are an influencer or an advertiser, contact us to develop your social media presence with a method tailored to your goals.
FAQ about influencer marketing and community managers in 2026
What percentage of community managers work with influencers in 2026?
In 2026, 33.8 % of the community managers surveyed work with influencers, a figure rounded to 34 % by Blog du Modérateur. The 2026 survey covers 471 professionals surveyed from July 6 to August 31, 2026.
What budget are community managers allocating to influencer marketing in 2026?
Among community managers using influencer marketing in 2026, 21 % have no dedicated budget, 18 % spend less than 1,000 euros per year, 33 % spend between 1,000 and 10,000 euros, and 28 % spend more than 10,000 euros.
Is Instagram still the leading influencer platform in 2026?
Instagram remains the leading platform used by community managers running influencer marketing campaigns in 2026, with an 81 % usage rate according to Blog du Modérateur. This share reached 96 % in 2021.
Are social media advertising and influencer budgets the same?
Social ad budgets fund the purchase of advertising space, while influencer budgets primarily cover creators, deliverables, and certain rights. Therefore, a slowdown in increases to social ad budgets does not demonstrate a decline in influencer budgets.