LinkedIn recently named corporate influencers one of its big ideas for 2025 and predicted that more companies will bring content creators in-house as full-time employees rather than working with external partners. This shift marks a new era in how brands connect with audiences, bringing authentic voices to traditionally faceless companies.
Bringing an influencer in-house can be a powerful strategy to tap into new audiences and create a deeper connection with existing customers. But it takes the right strategy to do correctly—and it’s not necessarily the best move for every business. Going in-house also can have benefits for influencers, so it needs to be a win-win all around.
Let’s take a closer look at why bringing on a corporate influencer may be a good choice for your business.
What is a corporate influencer?
Unlike traditional social media managers who focus on analytics and scheduling, corporate influencers create content while working as full-time employees.
According to Kaelyn Grace Apple, YouTube content creator and head of product development for Ali Abdaal, by engaging with corporate influencers, consumers are “putting their trust and their money into an individual rather than seeing the organization that’s behind the individual.” This additional trust can be beneficial for boosting sales, and it also allows companies to leverage social media to reach new engaged audiences.
How does a company benefit from a corporate influencer?
Mike Peditto, who joined AI job search platform Teal as an in-house creator after building his own following on TikTok, says that companies need to focus on the benefits of corporate influencers rather than potential risks. “When most companies consider going down this path, they think about everything that could go wrong… and not all of the benefits that can come from it.”
While influencers could potentially offend a company’s audience or create misaligned content, if a company finds the right influencer who understands its brand voice, the benefits can be significant.
For Teal, one of the primary benefits has been recruitment. “There are people who want to work at Teal because of bringing someone like me on,” Peditto says. In fact, the thought leadership influencer strategy has worked so well for Teal that it’s expanded its in-house talent roster.
Aphra Kennedy Fletcher, a former Netflix producer and the founder of Modem Studios, also suggests that businesses should consider how the strategy aligns with their product type. “If you have a product that’s got very specific functionality, [an influencer’s role will be] more about showcasing [that] functionality in a relatable way,” she says. “You’ve got to really put yourself in the shoes of the consumer.”
Ultimately, putting the consumer first will help companies make the right influencer choice for them.
How to find a corporate influencer
Companies’ selection process should focus on finding creators who understand corporate environments.
Apple recommends looking for influencers who have “actual experience with bigger businesses.… A lot of content and brand deals… at the moment [are] for smaller businesses. We want to make sure that the person has experience working with a brand that is… bigger in size.” A larger corporation has different needs than a small startup, so an influencer needs to be able to work within the bureaucracy of a large organization.
Peditto also emphasizes authenticity in the selection process. “You have to find someone who is making content that you can feel proud of and stand behind, but you also have to be willing to let them [do so],” he says. ”Don’t control that content.” It’s important to give the influencer autonomy over content creation since they have a direct relationship with the audience, so they know what content will resonate and will be more aware of social trends.
Experience with various content types is crucial as well. Because of this, Apple advises bringing on an in-house influencer who has strategy in mind, “has a regular cadence of posting and has experienced creating a variety of types of content that reacts to the market.” That way, the influencer can be a one-stop shop for creation.
Finally, bringing creators in-house requires careful consideration of contracts and rights. “These kinds of employment contracts are going to… be somewhat of a hybrid,” Kennedy Fletcher says. As employees, these influencers would be entitled to traditional benefits, but because they have an outsized influence over the audience, they’d also fall under a talent contract with image rights and other caveats to be worked into the deal.
What to know as an influencer signing with a company
For creators who are considering this path, Apple emphasizes protecting current and future opportunities. “You need to… remain autonomous in the ability to create content for yourself and monetize your own content,” she advises. This could be dicey with larger corporations, but especially if an influencer is considering working five days a week in the office, they need to be able to pursue deals outside their corporate audience.
Additionally, Apple suggests negotiating compensation beyond base salary. “I would also consider requesting an affiliate rate for the content that you are directly responsible for producing [as an influencer],” she adds.
Because their faces will be helping a company make money, Kennedy Fletcher advises that these influencers consult “with people like talent managers who would be able to… advocate for really clear boundaries around… their employment.”
She adds that influencers should consider laying out the terms of their image rights and usage terms. “How many years is the company going to be allowed to use that image? [Under what] parameters… would [an influencer] be allowed to withdraw the use of their image?” It’s important for an influencer to protect their image if a company’s reputation should take a nosedive. “If the company was to be found doing something criminal,” Kennedy Fletcher says, then the influencer’s public reputation could be at risk if they don’t have a clear out and are bound by a contract.
The future of corporate influencers
The trend toward hiring corporate influencers will likely accelerate, and new infrastructure will likely develop to support it. “There’s going to be a lot of movement in the industry and the creator economy over the next 18 months,” Apple predicts. “We’re going to see less individual creators and… more by way of agencies that are responsible for numerous creators.”
For companies considering this strategy, Peditto offers some straightforward advice. “Don’t bring [influencers] in with the idea that you’ll be policing them and determining what they’re going to post about,” he says. Influencers’ connection with their audience must be the guiding light in order for corporate initiatives to succeed.
Photo by Marissa Bastarache/Dupe Photos
