Influencer Marketing

More creators used to mean more work. In 2026, that math changed.

Activating creators has transformed from a manual, 57-step process to an automated system powered by AI and databases. Brands can now manage hundreds or thousands of creators simultaneously while focusing on strategy rather than logistics.

1 min read

Paulina SánchezFounder & CEO at RealUp
More creators used to mean more work. In 2026, that math changed.

A few years ago, activating creators meant doing everything by hand:

- Finding them one profile at a time.

- Reaching out one message at a time.

- Writing a brief for each one.

- Reviewing every post.

- Paying them one by one.

- Waiting until the campaign ends to see results.

Done by hand, activating one creator takes 57 steps.

And although those steps haven't changed much, the way brands do them has changed a lot:

- Databases and AI to search 50M+ creators.

- Mass outreach to line them up in minutes.

- A toolkit with what to say and what not to say.

- Two approval rounds, AI + human.

- Automated payouts.

- Real-time monitoring while the campaign runs.

- Reports with sentiment analysis and key insights.

Brands can now activate hundreds or even thousands of creators simultaneously. They can brief, approve, pay, and measure all of them much faster.

With that time back, brands can focus on picking the right creators and improving the campaign while it runs.

Influencer marketing used to mean managing creators by hand.

Now it means building a system that lets you run hundreds at once.