Working on Wurundjeri land
Working on Wurundjeri land
Big followings look impressive but they just don’t move the needle like they used to.
In food, drink and tourism marketing, we’re seeing the same pattern over and over again: smaller, niche creators with deeply plugged-in communities are outperforming large influencers when it comes to bookings, walk-ins and actual sales. Not vanity metrics, revenue.
And increasingly, strong content is reaching far beyond a creator’s follower count anyway. TikTok has always worked this way, but Instagram and Facebook are now following suit, with algorithm-led discovery pushing compelling content well outside a creator’s immediate audience.
A large audience only matters if that audience cares. And they can only care if they’re engaging in the first place.
Just because one creator has a larger audience than another, it does not mean their content will necessarily land in front of as many eyes. Platforms are increasingly surfacing content based on relevance and performance rather than follower size alone. A strong post from a niche creator can now travel far beyond their following.
And even if it does reach broadly, a creator with 500,000 broad, disengaged followers will rarely outperform a niche food influencer with 12,000 highly invested locals who save every brunch recommendation when it comes to conversion.
In 2026, reach is only important if it’s backed by alignment:
If the answer isn’t yes, the follower count is irrelevant.
Across the campaigns we work on, the pattern is consistent.
Local food creators actually dine where they say they dine.
Wine reviewers actually know the region.
Travel creators answer practical questions, not just post pretty shots.
That credibility can’t be faked and it drives real action.
When a niche creator recommends a restaurant, people book.
When they review a cellar door, people visit.
When they map out a weekend itinerary, people save it and plan around it.
Look at the comment section of a micro influencer versus a macro lifestyle account.
You’ll see:
Recognising buying intent matters more than impressions. These kinds of questions tell you people are deciding.
Creator partnerships now feed paid media, email, websites and ads.
The best performing ads we’re seeing aren’t polished brand videos. They’re native-style creator content.
When you treat influencer marketing as a content engine, not a PR add-on, performance improves across the board.
For restaurants, bars, wineries and FMCG food brands, local relevance beats national exposure almost every time.
A Melbourne-based pasta spot doesn’t need national awareness. It needs:
Travel buying behaviour hasn’t changed entirely.
People don’t book because of pretty pictures alone. They book largely because someone they trust told them two things:
That’s where niche travel creators win. They speak to people already in research mode, answering questions real people actually type into search bars. Their communities are planners, not passive scrollers.
For regional tourism boards and operators, this matters. A smaller creator with a highly engaged audience of active travellers will outperform a generic lifestyle influencer most times when it comes to the metrics that matter.
In 2026, strong influencer research and briefs focus on:
Not “they have 100k followers,” but “their audience is made up of 28 to 45 year old metro Melbourne-based high spenders who regularly dine out.”
The best performing campaigns happen when creators speak in their own voice. Over-script it and you kill the conversion. Give creators a brief, but let them make it their own. We dove deeper into this in last year’s Food for Thought session.
Why this is best practice:
Clicks. Saves. Bookings. Search lift. Time on site.
Those are the numbers that matter in a serious marketing strategy.
Impressions alone don’t pay the bills.
Shortcut version:
Shift your focus. Invest in creators who matter to your audience. Tie KPIs to real business outcomes. And treat influencer marketing like the business channel it’s become, not a PR afterthought.
Because in 2026, little voices are the ones people actually listen to.
