Let’s face it, fintech marketing isn’t short of challenges. Whether it’s squeezing more out of limited budgets, navigating compliance chaos, or figuring out how to actually measure ROI from influencer campaigns, marketers in this space are up against it.

That’s why we kicked off 2026 with a no-fluff roundtable: to break down how to blend paid, creative, and influencer strategies into something that actually performs.

Here’s what came out of the discussion, and what you can do with it.

1. Stop Running Campaigns in Silos

Paid, influencer, and organic teams still don’t talk. And it shows.

One of the most consistent pain points raised was how influencer campaigns and paid media often run as separate tracks. Even when brands do both, they're rarely integrated, leading to messaging mismatches, duplicated efforts, and campaigns that miss the mark.

Fix it:

• Start with your core message first, before deciding the channel.
  
  
• Build campaigns that flex across formats: from UGC to paid social to email nurture.
  
  
• Treat influencer content like a media asset, license it, test it, and run it through paid when it performs.
  
  

Pro tip: Always negotiate paid usage rights up front with influencers. 30-day usage windows are now the norm for smart brands.

2. Think "Campaign Mindset" First, Channel Second

Influencer marketing isn’t a cherry on top. And performance marketing isn’t just for the bottom of the funnel.

Too many fintechs build their paid strategy in isolation, then bolt on influencer or UGC as an afterthought. The result? Fragmented messaging and underwhelming performance.

Fix it:

• Design your campaigns like ecosystems, not one-and-done ads.
  
  
• Start by mapping out the customer journey: what content drives awareness, trust, and conversion.
  
  
• Then match the right format (UGC, paid, organic, podcast, etc.) to each stage.
  
  

3. Budget Constraints? It’s Time to Work Smarter

When budgets are tight, the pressure to prove performance skyrockets.

But performance ≠ channel. It’s a mindset, and it’s about how you use every piece of content to its full potential.

Fix it:

• Use influencer and UGC content in multiple channels (e.g., social, CRM, paid, blog).
  
  
• Stop obsessing over CAC in isolation. Look at blended CAC across the campaign.
  
  
• Measure the halo effect: are users moving faster through the funnel thanks to trust-driving content?
  
  

4. Align Your Goals or Prepare for Chaos

We’ve seen it too many times, paid teams optimising for ROAS, brand teams chasing reach, and content teams trying to get buy-in from both.

Misaligned KPIs = marketing mayhem.

Fix it:

• Get everyone aligned on a single north star metric (e.g., blended CAC, funnel velocity, brand search uplift).
  
  
• Create shared ownership between performance, content, and brand teams.
  
  
• Make sure every campaign ladder ups to a business goal, not just a channel metric.
  
  

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5. Measuring Influencer ROI? Think Bigger Than UTMs

Tracking links and promo codes are just the start.

The real value of influencer marketing shows up in harder-to-measure areas, like trust, familiarity, and content velocity.

Fix it:

• Track changes in brand search volume during/after campaigns.
  
  
• Use surveys and onboarding forms to ask “Where did you hear about us?”
  
  
• Watch for faster funnel progression in cohorts exposed to influencer content.
  
  

Bottom line: If users are moving faster, converting higher, or sticking longer, that’s ROI, even if they didn’t click a UTM.

6. Your Best Influencers Might Already Be Customers

Some of the most powerful UGC and influencer content came from brand loyalists and power users, not just professional creators.

Fix it:

• Look at top-performing customers with public profiles, reach out.
  
  
• Test low-lift collaborations: testimonials, blog features, roundtables.
  
  
• When it works, build those into long-term brand ambassador partnerships.
  
  

7. AI’s Cool, But Human-Centric Brands Win

AI tools can help with copy, snippets, and UGC repurposing, but attendees agreed: if your brand is built on human experience, fake won’t cut it.

Fix it:

• Use AI for speed, not shortcuts.
  
  
• Don’t skip photo shoots or real voices in favour of synthetic ones if your brand DNA is built on real experiences.
  
  
• If you do use AI, make sure it aligns with your brand tone and purpose.
  
  

So what?

The smartest fintech marketers aren’t picking a side between paid, influencer, and organic, they’re building content engines that do all three.

Campaigns that perform aren’t “performance-only.” They’re built on trust, they’re creatively sharp, and they stretch across every touchpoint with purpose.

Want help blending your campaigns in 2026? You know where to find us.